Who is Emmanuel Okoye? NFL Academy’s Nigerian graduate commits to play for Tennessee

Emmanuel Okoye is the latest beneficiary of the NFL Academy to find his way into college football. The four-star rated defensive end has just committed to the University of Tennessee coming out of NFL Academy facilities inside the Loughborough University campus.

The NFL Academy was introduced in September 2019 by the NFL to create a pathway for international players into the league. Graduates of the academy get the opportunity to commit to an NCAA Division I program, giving them a route to the big stage. Okoye is the latest to get into college football through the academy.

Emmanuel Okoye's Journey to the NCAA

Born in Africa's most populous nation, Okoye grew up in the city of Lagos. Like the average Nigerian, the defensive end knew nothing about football while growing up. He was involved in soccer, the country's most popular sport, and later basketball as a teenager.

Okoye's foray into the game of football started in 2022 when he was fortunate to be discovered by Osi Umenyiora's "The Uprise" program and scouts. This eventually led to an invitation to a talent identification camp in Abuja, the capital city of Nigeria.

He caught the attention of scouts in Abuja and that secured him an invitation to a bigger camp in Accra, Ghana. His impressive performance at NFL Africa's talent identification camp in Ghana during the summer led to him being offered a place at the NFL Academy.

During the previous fall, he had the chance to participate in three games as a member of the NFL Academy team. These games marked his first-ever experience playing organized football. He showcased his abilities as a defensive end and also contributed on special teams.

Committing to the Tennessee Volunteers

Okoye was highly sought-after in the last few months. The four-star rated prospect had offers from several Power 5 programs including Georgia. However, the three programs that made the final shortlist were Tennessee, USC, and Texas Tech.

He eventually committed to playing college football with the Tennessee Volunteers. Having played as a defensive end in his rather short crossover to football, the coaching team at Tennessee led by Josh Heupel sees the potential of a tight end in him.

The Nigerian is expected to enroll at the university this summer, which will make him eligible to play for the program in the 2023 college football season. His extraordinary athleticism and physical abilities are expected to set him apart when he gets to play for the team.

Impressively, he achieved a remarkable 45.5-inch vertical leap and an 11-foot, 3-inch broad jump during the NFL Academy Combine. It's worth noting that both of these measurements would surpass existing NFL Combine records for defensive ends.