Okoronkwo Was a Double-Win for Sooners
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For competing college football programs the only thing better than landing a recruit and improving your own future is that of diminishing your rival, and that's just what Oklahoma accomplished in landing three-star defensive end Ogbonnia Okoronkwo. Not only did the Sooners land the nation's No. 28 weakside defensive end but simultaneously took him away from his long-time commitment to Oklahoma State.
The 6-foot-2, 225-pound pass-rush specialist committed to the Cowboys on June 28 just a day after he was offered by Mike Gundy and co.
While it may have taken him a bit longer and several trips to Norman, notably the Red River Rivalry and his official visit for the Sooners win over Baylor, he ended up choosing the Sooners.
" I just felt better about Oklahoma, that's what it was, I felt really good about Oklahoma," Okoronkwo said of his decision that he made with Bob Stoops on hand.
"I gave it to him first hand, it was after the home visit everything felt right, my parents gave me their blessing and I committed. He was really excited about it."
In a recent interview Okoronkwo said that he would be visiting Oklahoma State prior to any decision. Instead he chose to visit Missouri on Nov. 30 and has elected not to visit Oklahoma State.
"I just felt like Oklahoma was making a real strong impression. To be honest, it was everything, from the players to the coaches, just the home feeling when I was there," he said.
"I'm done with recruiting now."
Though he played at defensive tackle for Taylor he'll play on the outside but thanks to his participation in powerlifting he feels that he'll be more than capable of mixing it up physically with bigger and stronger college offensive tackles.
"They see me fitting in as a pass rusher," he said. "Honestly, how I play, it really depends on what is in front of me, I play with whatever the coach gives me.
"Now I'm starting powerlifting and then track season. In powerlifting you have to do every lift, squat, dead lift, bench, I'm in the 220-pound weight class."
Okornokwo, the son of an admitted Sooner fan, says if you'd have told him a year ago he'd be committed to Oklahoma he wouldn't have been able to believe it.
"It's unbelievable, it's an unbelievable experience, I'm so happy I got to make my parents proud, I never thought in a million years I'd end up at a place like Oklahoma."