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Rutgers center Clifford Omoruyi was one of the top transfer options on the college basketball market this offseason. The big man led the Big Ten in blocks last year while averaging double figures in the scoring department.
He made the decision on his next destination Sunday, announcing a move to the SEC. Omoruyi is headed to Alabama according to his social media accounts.
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Omoruyi has been at Rutgers for each of the last four seasons. He’s been named to the Big Ten All-Defense team in each of his last two campaigns while also landing All-Conference honors as a junior.
In total, he’s appeared in 121 games, with 104 coming as a member of the starting lineup.
Now, he takes his production to Tuscaloosa.
Alabama head coach Nate Oats is on a roll this offseason following a trip to the Final Four in March. The Tide have racked up a number of transfer commitments, with the center being the latest in a star-studded bunch.
In Omoruyi, Oats gets a legitimate scoring threat who’s averaged double figures in three straight seasons. He also lands a major defensive weapon in the paint that’s shown the ability to deny opponents at the rim.
The big man was a big name in the portal, and he landed interest from a number of blue blood programs. In the end, he chose a squad with recent success over those with history… as well as some serious NIL cash.
Clifford Omoruyi spurned a $2M suitor to commit to Alabama.
Joe Tipton of On3 Sports claims that one school offered the seven-figure deal for the center’s services – and he said no! It’s a good thing Bama boosters have ponied up NIL funds in order to stay competitive.
While these stories seem to grow more unbelievable by the moment, it’s worth noting that Tipton broke the commitment news, so he’s certainly “in the know” on what’s transpired in Omoruyi’s recruitment.
I was told this morning that Cliff received a $2 million NIL offer from a school while going through the portal process.
And it was not from Alabama. https://t.co/s1eox6mRsQ
— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) May 5, 2024
Fans quickly tried to decipher which team that suitor was. Omoruyi also had Georgetown, North Carolina, and Kansas State in his final group.
While the number is eye popping, the report is far from surprising in the new age of NIL.
The offseason, alone, we’ve seen seven-figure asks from top transfer players, with some even deciding to walk when demands aren’t met.
Hell, even backup players across major sports are asking for hundreds of thousands of dollars to stay put.
Until restrictions are placed on NIL practices, don’t expect these stories to disappear!