Five-Star OL Samson Okunlola Enjoys First Taste of Alabama

The Brockton, Mass., native made his first trip to Tuscaloosa, Ala., over the weekend for an official visit.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The “Pancake Honcho” enjoyed his first taste of the Crimson Tide. Alabama was the latest stop for Samson Okunlola as the five-star offensive lineman traveled to Tuscaloosa for an official visit over the weekend.

After earning an Alabama offer last month, Okunlola was able to get a better look at the Crimson Tide’s program as he took in the campus while meeting with coaches and players. The Brockton, Mass., native, who goes by the nickname “Pancake Honcho,” says the trip to the Deep South was pretty sweet.

“It was a great visit, I loved spending time there,” Okunlola told BamaCentral. “I really liked that I was able to see more than football. I really like the overall program, they really set you up for life after football and have good life lessons, so you can grow while you’re there.”

During his visit, Okunlola discussed a few of those life lessons with Nick Saban inside the head coach’s office. The two discussed life after football as well as the transition of moving from high school to the college level.

“My impression of him is that he’s a really cool dude,” Okunlola said. “He’s really wise and he obviously knows his stuff. You can really tell how wise he is just from talking to him a little bit.”

Okunlola already shares a strong relationship with first-year offensive line coach Eric Wolford dating back to the assistant’s time at Kentucky. Over the weekend, the two were able to talk again as Wolford made it clear to Okunlola that he was one of the Crimson Tide’s biggest targets in the trenches. Okunlola, 6-foot-5, 305 pounds, is rated as the No. 3 offensive tackle and No. 20 overall player in the 2023 class, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings.

“Right now they’re kind of thin on O-linemen, so he was telling me they want to build a really good class,” Okunlola said. “They are just looking to reload with a bunch of solid O-linemen.”

Along with talking to coaches, Okunlola was able to speak with current Crimson Tide players, including freshman offensive lineman Tyer Booker, who posted a video of Okunlola trying on Alabama’s championship rings. Booker, who joined the team as an early enrollee in January, detailed his early transition to Alabama.

“He was telling me that it’s really been a grind,” Okunlola said. “He just says you have to grind every day and stay focused. He says you just have to keep working but it’s fun to work because you are getting better. He said it’s a good place to come and play football and get an education.”

Of course, none of Okunlola’s trips are complete without his signature pancake pose. The five-star lineman has made a habit of taking pictures and videos of himself pouring syrup on pancakes during his previous college visits. The weekend, Alabama made sure to have a stack waiting for him as well. 

Bama factor???💯💯 #PancakeHoncho pic.twitter.com/6ai4lZhDTC

— Samson Okunlola ‘23 (@SAMSONOKUNLOLA_) June 19, 2022

While the pancakes in the photo shoot were strictly for show, Okunlola was able to get a taste of southern hospitality Sunday morning when he wrapped up his visit to Saban’s house for breakfast. The head coach knew just the meal for the occasion.

“We ended up having pancakes for breakfast, and Bama has some pretty good pancakes,” Okunlola said with a laugh. “We were able to have them at Nick Saban’s house on the last day. It was cool to check that out. We went down to the lake and all that, too. He’s got a pretty cool house.”

Earlier this month, Okunlola released his top nine schools, including Alabama as well as Georgia, Florida, Miami, Michigan State, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon and Penn State. With official visits to Alabama and Michigan State under his belt, his next official will come this weekend as he travels to Miami. From there, he plans on making two more official visits in the fall before settling in on his college decision.

Okunlola also said he hopes to return to Tuscaloosa again to take in a game in Bryant-Denny Stadium this season.

“Overall, they’re in a pretty good spot right now,” Okulola said of Alabama. “I could see myself there.

Gallery: Samson Okunlola

Samson Okunlola's Instagram, @samok.63MessageFollow

Samson Okunlola's Instagram, @samok.63MessageFollow

Samson Okunlola's Instagram, @samok.63MessageFollow

Samson Okunlola's Instagram, @samok.63MessageFollow

Samson Okunlola's Instagram, @samok.63MessageFollow