Emmanuel Okoye, a four-star prospect by way of Nigeria and the NFL Academy, announced his commitment to Tennessee on Wednesday.
He chose the Volunteers over Texas Tech and Southern California.
“1000 (percent) COMMITTEED!! GO Vols,” he posted to Twitter.
He also announced his reclassification to the Class of 2023, sending him to Knoxville this summer.
This is a meteoric rise for an athlete who has played just three organized football games, all last fall for the NFL Academy team. ESPN reported that Tennessee likely will work to develop him into a tight end, although he played on the defensive line and special teams with the academy.
Okoye played soccer and basketball back home in Nigeria, where he was discovered by a program led by former NFL player Osi Umenyiora. After workouts for evaluators, he was invited to NFL Africa’s talent identification camp and earned a spot at the NFL Academy in the United Kingdom.
The 18-year-old has a 45.5-inch vertical leap and an 11-foot, 3-inch broad jump, Okoye also has a 72-inch wingspan. He is 6-foot-5, 230 pounds.
247Sports ranks Okoye as a four-star prospect. He told 247Sports that he has a long way to go in his development but is ready to work to reach his potential.
“I mean, all I can say is just watch out, because I don’t even know how high I can go,” Okoye said. “To myself, I believe there’s no limit to what I could become, so I’ll just keep working. And I know I’m going to be up there, like, really soon. I mean, I’m human. Ups and downs will happen to me there. But I know that I will be good.”
