Chidi Valentine-Okeke to LSU: Tigers Land 4-Star OT Prospect
By Matt Fitzgerald , Featured Columnist Jan 29, 2015
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Chidi Valentine-Okeke, a 4-star offensive tackle out of Faith Baptist Christian Academy in Ludowici, Georgia, announced he would be attending LSU on Friday.
Chad Simmons of Rivals.com reported the news as Valentine-Okeke made his decision:
Valentine-Okeke is featured in 247Sports' composite rankings as the
No. 5 offensive tackle and
No. 102 prospect overall in the class of 2015. The gifted Nigerian star was initially a 2016 recruit but was
reclassified upon transferring from Champagnat Catholic High School in Miami, Florida.
However, as Chad Carson of 247Sports reports, a strong performance in the Army Bowl boosted Valentine-Okeke's stock in a big way:
A fast track to college was fortuitous for LSU, who may have landed a key program cornerstone by getting Valentine-Okeke to commit. Still a raw player with little football experience, Valentine-Okeke is a worthy investment due to his tremendous upside.
Despite his limited time on the gridiron, goals are already gaudy for Valentine-Okeke, who already has an idea of who he wants to emulate. That would be the 2014 NFL draft's No. 2 overall pick, former Auburn offensive tackle Greg Robinson.
Valentine-Okeke revealed this amid the Tigers' courtship of him, catalyzed by someone he learned from in a July camp in Auburn offensive line coach J.B. Grimes.
"He's a nice coach," said Valentine-Okeke in November 2014, per AL.com's
Wesley Sinor. "He coached Greg Robinson and I'm looking to be like him. That shows he knows what he is doing."
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Credit: 247Sports
As is referenced on Valentine-Okeke's 247Sports profile, he only arrived in the United States in August 2013, yet he's still shown the skill set to explode onto major programs' radars.
The 6'6", 305-pound specimen is quick, has naturally good hands and has the athleticism to get to the second level as a blocker.
Since Valentine-Okeke has flashed as both a run blocker and pass protector, he could plug in anywhere on the offensive line, but LSU will likely give him every chance at the all-important left tackle spot.
By the time he's in his third year on campus, there's reason to believe Valentine-Okeke could burst onto the scene as one of the nation's premier players in the trenches.
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