2023 Offensive Lineman Samson Okunlola Shows Elite Potential

Notre Dame is recruiting elite 2023 offensive tackle Samson Okunlola, who is an advanced player on the edge

Under Brian Kelly, Notre Dame has consistently recruited talented offensive linemen. Notre Dame is already working on the 2023 class, and one of the elite line prospects in that class is Samson Okunlola.

The 2023 tackle out of Braintree (Mass.) Thayer Academy picked up an offer from the Irish back on April 24th. Since then, Okunlola has spent his offseason training with professional offensive line trainer Logan Tuley-Tillman.

While Tulley-Tillman was in Florida consulting with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive linemen, Okunlola worked in with NFL veterans. Tulley-Tillman played college football Michigan, where he was a teammate with Tennessee Titans Pro Bowl offensive tackle Taylor Lewan. According to Tulley-Tillman, he sees some direct comparisons in terms of movement patterns and body type.

“A guy like him taking reps next to a fifth-year NFL offensive tackle, I’m excited about him,” said Tulley-Tillman. “His build and his finish are his best traits. I played with Taylor Lewan, and he’s got a Lewan and [Dallas Cowboys tackle] Tyron Smith blend to him.”

The fact Okunlola performs so well at such a young age also stood out to his offensive line trainer. 

“He’s very strong and has a lot of pop in his hands and his hips," Tulley-Tillman noted. "Samson’s one of the most polished players in the 2023 class. He watches a ton of tape and he takes a lot of pride in training.”

Not only was Tulley-Tillman impressed with Okunlola’s physical traits, but he was blown away by his ability to understand blocking schemes. At the end of their training, he gave Okunlola an NFL playbook and asked him to recite various plays. Okunlola was able to grasp it all seamlessly.

“He had one of the best retentions out of any guy I’ve worked with,” said Tulley-Tillman. “He’s been able to understand the whole picture. There wasn’t anything that didn’t make sense to him.”

Okunlola currently holds 31 offers from FBS programs, making him one of the most highly sought-after tackles in the 2023 class. A big reason for that is his ability to step in and play right away for most programs.

“Just from my read, he can be a day one guy wherever he goes," stated Tulley-Tillman. "He’s planning on enrolling early, and he’s going to get bigger.”

Notre Dame is looking to continue adding depth to their consistently dominant offensive line, and Okunlola has all of the physical and mental traits to continue Notre Dame's tradition of elite tackles, should the Irish staff be able to convince him to play his college ball in South Bend.

Okunlola ranks as the nation's No. 35 overall player in the country according to Rivals.

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