The Miami football program has another potential offensive lineman to consider after Denzel Okafor of Texas, who played 39 games, starting five for the Longhorns over three seasons, announced his entrance into the transfer portal on Wednesday.
The Miami football program has been searching for an offensive lineman to add depth and potentially be a starter for the 2020 season. Denzel Okafor played 39 games for Texas with five starts from 2016-19. The former four-star signee played in all 13 games for the Longhorns, mostly on special teams in 2019.
Okafor was the 277th ranked player, 12th offensive guard and 43rd player in Texas as a four-star signee in the Class of 2016. The Lewisville, Texas native played 10 games as a true freshman for the Longhorns in 2016 primarily on special teams and something Texas calls the 18-wheeler package.
Okafor graded out at 0.9045 coming out of high school. The only Miami offensive linemen currently on the Hurricanes roster to grade out as high as Okafor entering college were 2017 signees Navaughn Donaldson and Kai-Leon Hebert and 2020 signee Jalen Rivers. Adding Okafor’s depth and experience would help Miami in 2020.
The failure of the Miami offensive line in 2019 was repeatedly discussed during the season and since the loss to Louisiana Tech in the Independence Bowl. If the Hurricanes line doesn’t get better it will hinder all the changes Miami has made on offense during the offseason and make it difficult for QB D’Eriq King to succeed.
The spread, up-tempo offense and zone blocking scheme preferred by new offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee and offensive line coach Garin Justice is expected to help in pass protection, but the Hurricanes still need development from their linemen. Okafor’s Texas teammate J.P. Urquidez is also in the portal without a new school.
Okafor will have one season of eligibility remaining at his new school. The offensive line for the Miami football team is in flux. Donaldson was going to be out for the entirety of spring practice recovering from a season-ending leg injury in the last regular-season game vs. Duke. The remainder of the 2020 starters could be open.