Texas offer makes an impression on DL Ike Iwunnah

The Texas Longhorns have two defensive line commitments in the 2021 class, but the UT staff is looking to add more players to that position group. Recently, the Texas coaches have added a couple new prospects to their recruiting board, including an offer this week to Ikechukwu Iwunnah.

A 6-4, 275-pounder out of Garland Lakeview Centennial, Iwunnah currently holds 12 scholarship offers. A combo defensive lineman who can line up inside or on the edge, Iwunnah’s flexibility is part of the reason schools like Texas have found him so valuable.

Iwunnah has been in contact with the UT staff for a couple weeks, and the offer came through on Sunday. When the scholarship was presented, Iwunnah said it was an exciting moment for both him and his family.

“My emotions were everywhere. I’m not going to lie. I was happy that I got the offer,” Iwunnah said. “I have the same feeling when I get an offer from different schools – I was just everywhere. I was happy, it was cool. I told my parents about it. They were jumping up and around, saying that was a close college so they told me I should go to that college, things like that.”

Along with Texas, Iwunnah holds offers from schools like Baylor, Colorado, Boise State, Missouri and Washington State, among others. Iwunnah said he’s keeping an open mind among all the schools recruiting him, but he does see some positives in staying close to home.

“Before I got my offers, I was like ‘I’ll go (anywhere). Now it’s like, I feel it’s better to be close. Not really close, but close enough to the house where I can drive home to see my parents and things like that,” Iwunnah said. “So it would be better if it was kind of close by.”

A three-star prospect, Iwunnah said he plans to take the recruiting process fairly slowly and not rush into a decision. He was unable to get in any visits before visits were shut down due to the Coronavirus, and he’d like to hit some campuses this summer or in the fall to explore his options.

“I’d like to take things slow, take some visits and things like that so I know what the schools have, and I know what I can accomplish if I go there,” Iwunnah said.

When it does come time for him to work through the recruiting process, Texas will likely be a school that will factor into Iwunnah’s decision.

“(Texas) would be top three or four for me of the places I’d like to go to. It’s a good place,” Iwunnah said. “It’s a hard decision though, I’m not going to lie. I have a lot of places I want to go, want to read about. It’s going to be a hard decision.”

One thing that stands out about the Longhorns for Iwunnah is what he’s seen and heard from the strength and conditioning program, including talks with S&C coach Yancy McKnight. Along with McKnight and the Texas football coaches, Iwunnah has also spent some time talking to other support staff members like the Longhorns’ academic team. Those visits have made a strong impression.

Iwunnah and his family will look at a variety of criteria as he works through the recruiting process and eventually comes to a decision. Several factors will be important, but Iwunnah said his family stresses one thing above all else.

“The only thing I know, they care about if the school gets me a good education and a good place I can do what my second career will be,” said Iwunnah, who wants to study engineering. “I’m trying to focus on that and then football. They only care about me trying to get ready for the real world, so they want me to pay attention to education and then football.”