Yardbarker
x

Florida State figures to be a little less active in the portal this year but the program will still use the avenue to shore up weak spots on the rostering entering 2024. The Seminoles are expected to take at least one hit at defensive end with star Jared Verse likely moving on to the professional level following the season.

That's led the coaching staff to keep a close watch on the talented players deciding to transfer and at least one defender has caught their eye. On Monday evening, Pittsburgh defensive end transfer Samuel Okunlola announced on social media that he'd received an offer from Florida State. Okunlola also claims offers from Missouri, California, Michigan State, and Colorado at this time.

After redshirting in 2022, Okunlola joined Pittsburgh's rotation this past season and showed some promising signs. He finished with 18 tackles, six tackles for loss, five sacks, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery. Okunlola had a career-high four tackles, one tackle for loss, and one sack in the upset victory against Louisville. He also picked up two tackles against Florida State.

A former three-star prospect in the 2022 class out of Massachusetts, Okunlola stands at 6-foot-4, 245 pounds, and is a plus-athlete. It's expected that he'll have three seasons of eligibility remaining his next stop. The Seminoles recruited him out of high school with defensive coordinator Adam Fuller and defensive ends coach JP Papuchis leading the charge.

"They like my skillset and think I’d be a great fit in their defense," Okunlola said to NoleGameday the time about FSU. "They run a 4-3 with a stand-up and a true 4-3 end. And they believe I can play either position."

Okunlola's younger brother, Samson, signed with rival Miami as a five-star recruit in the 2023 class. He played in three games while redshirting for the Hurricanes.

NoleGameday will continue to monitor developments coming out of the transfer portal.

This article first appeared on FanNation NoleGameDay and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads:

Customize Your Newsletter

+

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.