The 6-foot-6, 330-pound Miami Hurricanes left tackle, nicknamed "Pancake," is finally getting the every-down role that was projected for him when he arrived as the coveted five-star recruit he was touted to be.
After injuries and a crowded offensive line delayed his rise, Samson Okunlola has opened 2026 as Miami's starting left tackle on a 3-0 team, drawing early attention as not only a 2027 NFL Draft prospect but a high one.
It's what Okunlola has spent all his time working on and making the best of his opportunity.
Okunlola committed to Miami in December 2022 after offers from almost every institution you can think of. Ranked among the top 20 players nationally and one of the top tackles in the 2023 class, he landed alongside fellow five-star Francis Mauigoa on what looked like a future NFL factory of an offensive line.
The path was slower than expected.
A knee injury limited him to three games as a freshman in 2023. He played a reserve role in 2024. Only in 2025, as a redshirt sophomore, did he become a regular contributor, playing left guard across all 16 games of Miami's run to the College Football Playoff.
He logged 493 snaps, allowed no sacks, and posted solid numbers at PFF, including a 72.5 run-blocking and 68.9 pass-blocking grade. His first career start came in the Cotton Bowl against Ohio State.
Okunlola trusted offensive line coach Alex Mirabal and head coach Mario Cristobal. "I always had the ability, always had the tangibles, always had the speed and the power," Okunlola said after last season.
This year, he added that the playoff experience left him with high confidence heading into the season, and it has shown.
With Mauigoa and other veterans gone, Miami rebuilt the line. Okunlola has looked like the best player on that offensive line, and the tape backs it up.
Cristobal has praised his explosiveness, balance, heavy hands, and light feet. Mirabal called him a great athlete who is tough and resilient. "I am fired up about him," Mirabal said.
The early results have matched the talk. Miami opened with a 45-6 win at Stanford , a 77-7 home rout of Florida A&M , and a 33-20 road win at Wake Forest. The Hurricanes sit 3-0 and 2-0 in the ACC.
In the Stanford opener, Okunlola anchored the left side as quarterback Darian Mensah went 27-of-30 for 400 yards and five touchdowns. He didn't allow a single pressure in the season opener. Against FAMU, he allowed one pressure (one quarterback hurry) but didn't allow a sack or a hit . In the most recent game against the Demon Deacons, he didn't allow a sack or a quarterback hit despite allowing three pressures , all of them being quarterback hurries.
The overall theme is that Okunlola is a massive, athletic tackle finally playing in space with the tools that made him a five-star. Draft evaluators have already begun floating early-round traits for 2027 if he continues to stay clean at left tackle.
Left tackle is where the money is. Okunlola's combination of length, power, short-area quickness, and second-level range is rare at 330 pounds. The way he gets to that second level in the run game and imposes his will is something that jumps out on tape and will catch any scout's eye.
Last year's stretches against Ohio State, Ole Miss, and Indiana gave scouts a sample of the ceiling he has when he allowed only one pressure in those three games combined. Okunlola accomplished that as the left guard, too.
A full season as the blind-side protector for a ranked Miami that has the spotlight on them each week will continue to have a lot of important eyes on him. He has another year of eligibility after 2026 if he wants it, but his stock is rising by the minute.
If he continues to keep Mensah upright, be dominant in the run game, and let the tape do the talking, we can hear his name being called on day one of the draft in April.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/miami as Miami's Samson Okunlola's Breakout Is Lifting His NFL Stock .
