Future Husker: Tobi Okuyemi

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By BRENT C. WAGNER / Lincoln Journal Star

Tobi Okuyemi

Plymouth, Minn.

(Wayzata High School)

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Tobi Okuyemi (Photo courtesy Scout.com)

Tobi Okuyemi (Photo courtesy Scout.com)

6-3, 250, defensive end

Of note: Rated as a three-star prospect by Rivals.com, Okuyemi is ranked as the fifth-best high school senior in Minnesota by Rivals.

Season review: Wayzata lost in the state quarterfinals to Eden Prairie, and finished the season 9-2.

4 things you should know about him.

1. I come from a good high school program. “We were 13-0 and 5A (largest class) state champions last year. It was an unreal feeling winning state, especially being a junior and not earning a starting job until the third game of the season. We got to play the championship game at the Metrodome, and it was a fun experience. It was an intense game, and the most fans I’d ever seen before.”

2. We played some pretty good defense here. “A good friend of mine, A.J. Tarpley, is going to play linebacker at Stanford. He was excited this week with how well Stanford has been doing. Two other guys off our defense are getting Division I looks. We had a really good defense. I think coach said in the three years with our senior class, of about 230 possessions we got scored on 11 times.”

3. I was looking to stay in the Midwest. “Kansas and Michigan were part of my final college choices, but the only official visits I made were Iowa and Nebraska. I went to the Spring Game at Nebraska. It was crazy. There aren’t many places where you get that many fans just for a scrimmage. It was very fun.”

4. I used to be a Kansas City Chiefs fan … and then I moved to Minnesota in the eighth grade. “I’m starting to migrate to the Vikings. I went to the Vikings game when they played the Baltimore Ravens this year. One of my friends is related to (Ravens QB Joe Flacco), so I got to meet him after the game, and I shook Ray Lewis’ hand. He was a big guy.”