Oklahoma OT Wanya Morris Opts Out of Bowl Game, Declares for NFL Draft

Morris transferred to the Sooners from Tennessee prior to the 2021 season.

A second piece of the Oklahoma offensive line has declared for the NFL Draft.

Senior offensive tackle Wanya Morris announced via Twitter on Friday that he is opting out of the Sooners’ bowl game later this month and turning his attention to preparation for the next level.

To New beginnings 🤍 pic.twitter.com/EoEufLWEAb

— TheWanyaMorris™️ (@wanyamorris64) December 2, 2022

“First and foremost I want to thank God for this opportunity because without him none of this would be possible,” Morris wrote on Twitter. “Thank you to my mom and all my family and friends for your unwavering support. Thank you to Coach Riley and the past staff for allowing me to be a part of this program.

“Thank you to Coach Venables and his staff for helping me get to this point, but mostly thank you to Coach Pruitt and Tennessee for giving me the chance to get this far. These past four years haven’t been easy at all, but everyone of you have helped me mature into a better man, player, and teammate. I am very thankful that you all decided to pour into my life.

“To my teammates, the bonds and memories we built will be cherished forever in my heart. You guys are my extended family and I’m forever grateful to you for being there for me. After discussing with my family, I will be opting out of the bowl game and declaring for the 2023 NFL Draft.”

Morris joins fellow tackle Anton Harrison as the second player for Oklahoma to formally announce they will be missing the bowl game and foregoing the rest of their collegiate eligibility.

The move is certainly an expected one given his acceptance to an invitation to participate in the Reese’s Senior Bowl earlier this week. 

After transferring over from Tennessee prior to the 2021 season, Morris settled into a key starting role for the Sooners in 2022 on an offensive line that wound up being one of the OU bright spots.

Oklahoma will now need to dip even deeper into the depth chart for the bowl game this month with now both tackles wrapping up their seasons early this week.