BYU football recruiting: 6-foot-9 lineman Chinonso Opara commits to Cougars

BYU landed a BIG (both literally and figuratively) commitment Thursday afternoon in 2018 lineman Chinonso Opara.

Opara committed to BYU over an offer from the University of Utah. He announced the commitment Thursday afternoon via his twitter account.

Opara is a 6-foot-9, 270-pound OL/DL prospect that currently lives in Draper, Utah; however, Opara is from Nigeria, Africa, and is currently living with his host family.

In addition to his massive size, Opara also boasts a 7’2” wingspan, according to his JV coach at Juan Diego Catholic High School.

Opara offers endless potential for BYU’s line. For his size, he moves extremely well. His versatility and agility will allow BYU to play him at either offensive tackle or defensive end.

He is still very raw, but BYU’s staff has an incredible amount of potential and upside to work with. He is also a member of Juan Diego’s varsity basketball team, which has only helped with his footwork and quickness. His size is something to keep an eye on, as he may grow himself out of the offensive line if he grows a few more inches.

It is unclear at the moment whether Opara is LDS, which would obviously impact LDS mission plans; we will update this story when we find out.

Overall, BIG time commit for BYU. BYU rarely lands someone with Opara’s measurables and upsides.

With his still molding skill set, measurables, and African upbringing, comparisons to Ziggy Ansah will abound. If Opara can develop at BYU, watch out.

Opara’s highlights can be viewed below: