2016 National Signing Day Roster
Albert Okwuegbunam
- Class:
- Freshman
- Hometown:
- Springfield, Ill.
- High School:
- Sacred Heart Griffin
Pronounced OH-quh-AYE-boo-nom … A supremely athletic tight end prospect who uses his smarts and savvy to be a valuable playmaker at the position … A consensus three-star recruit by all the major recruiting services, Rivals ranked him as the No. 12 prospect out of the state of Illinois and the No. 19 tight end nationally … Scout.com ranked him as the top tight end out of the state of Illinois and the No. 19 tight end nationally … ESPN ranks him as the No. 14 tight end prospect nationally … Rivals ranked him as the No. 54 athlete in the 2016 class … Played for head coach Ken Leonard at Sacred Heart Griffin High School … Helped lead Sacred Heart Griffin to an 11-1 record and a 9-0 mark in conference play in 2015 and the Class 5A State Championships in both 2013 and 2014 … All-State Special Mention from the News-Gazette as a senior after hauling in 44 passes for 891 yards (20.3 per catch) with 17 touchdowns at the Class 6A level … As a junior he hauled in 31 catches for 568 yards, taking 11 of those 31 catches to the endzone … Also played defensive end that year and totaled 50 tackles … Through only eight games as a senior he nearly equaled his junior year totals with 29 catches for 514 yards (17.7 per catch) and 10 touchdowns … Al-Conference selection in both his junior and senior seasons … Parents: Albert Okwuegbunam and Lisa Raehl … Cited the hospitality of Mizzou’s players and coaches and the family-like atmosphere around the program as key contributors to his sighing … Also noted Mizzou’s great academic reputation … Currently undecided on his major … Enjoys fishing and playing all sports when away from football … Origin of his last name is Nigerian … Primary recruiter: Cornell Ford … Chose Mizzou over offers from Cincinnati, Indiana, Iowa, Iowa State, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, Toledo and West Virginia.
