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Ranking the Contenders: Sam Ayomide Onu

The No. 103 prospect in the class of 2021, Sam Ayomide Onu will announce his commitment on Oct. 13. Officially, the 6-foot-11 big has a final six, but those six schools certainly aren’t equal. Below is a look at the four programs that have any semblance of a chance to land the four-star prospect and ranks them from most to least likely.

MORE RANKING THE CONTENDERS: Jabari Smith | Lucas Taylor

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2021 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position

2022 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team

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1. MEMPHIS 

Memphis has long been the frontrunner and remains on top as Ayomimde Onu approaches his decision day. The fact that he’s familiar with and has played alongside current Tigers commit John Camden also helps Penny Hardaway’s program. The Nigerian-born standout is in frequent contact with multiple members of the Memphis staff and seems to trust Hadaway’s vision for his development. The Tigers will be difficult to unseat down the stretch.

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH MEMPHIS FANS AT TIGERSPORTSREPORT.COM

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2. KANSAS 

Ayomimde Onu has a close relationship with the Kansas staff and went through a period during which he was speaking with KU head coach Bill Self multiple times per week. Because of his bond with Self and the allure of Jayhawks tradition, there’s not much of a doubt about which school sits in second place with the four-star prospect. Ayomimde Onu will likely choose the Tigers on announcement day. If he doesn’t, however, he’ll almost certainly be headed to Lawrence.

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH KANSAS FANS AT JAYHAWKSLANT.COM

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3. ILLINOIS 

Assistant coach Orlando Antigua is heading up the Illini’s recruitment of Ayomimde Onu. The four-star center seems to feel comfortable with Antigua. But while Ayomimde Onu seems to have enjoyed a recent zoom call with the coaching staff, there’s work left to do if Illinois wants to surprise everyone by swooping in and stealing his commitment.

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH ILLINOIS FANS AT ORANGEANDBLUENEWS.COM

4. WAKE FOREST 

Wake Forest is obviously an extreme long shot here. It’s unclear how much contact there has been in recent weeks, so it’s possible that the Demon Deacons have already packed it up as it relates to Ayomimde Onu. That said, there was serious interest for a time, so leaving Steve Forbes and company off the list entirely didn’t seem prudent or totally safe.

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH WAKE FOREST FANS AT DEACONSILLUSTRATED.COM

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