Still Available 2021 Q/A: Ibukunoluwa Taiwo/Alexandria (2021)
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ALEXANDRIA, MN– We take a look at another unsigned prospect in the Class of 2021 in Alexandria’s Ibukunoluwa Taiwo, who has some offers on the table but is still uncommitted at this point after de-committing from Gustavus in the last month. I…
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Continue ReadingALEXANDRIA, MN– We take a look at another unsigned prospect in the Class of 2021 in Alexandria’s Ibukunoluwa Taiwo, who has some offers on the table but is still uncommitted at this point after de-committing from Gustavus in the last month. I learned about Taiwo last summer when he transferred to Alexandria from El Paso, Texas, and I couldn’t help to think about what a solid WR duo he and Minnesota commit Kristen Hoskins Kristen Hoskins 5'9" | 165 lbs | WR Alexandria | 2022 State MN was for the Cardinals based on the film I watched from his days of playing in West Texas.
We caught up with Ibukunoluwa Taiwo to chat about his high school journey, what he is looking for in his next program, and much more!
Q: Introduce yourself (just a brief intro: name, school, favorite food, or hobby). Let us know what position you play and what positions you willing to play at the college level
Taiwo: My name is ibukunoluwa Taiwo. AKA I.T. I currently go to Alexandria Area High school. I would consider myself as an ATH; I play WR, DB, RB, and I could also return kicks a little. I’ll be willing to play about any positing, but my primary position would undoubtedly be the receiver position. My favorite food would be French toast because I love breakfast at any time of the day, and French toast has never failed me. I like to play football a lot; I wrestle, run track, and also played soccer.
Q: What’s your favorite part about the positions you play?
Taiwo: My favorite part about playing the receiver spot is the detail that comes with it. Every time you step on the field, you always have to have many different types of releases in your “toolbox” to make yourself unguardable and unpredictable. You don’t always have to be the fastest or the strongest; you just have to know how to get open.
Q: What has your recruiting process looked like over the past year?
Taiwo: Over the years, my recruiting process has been challenging to find the right college and not get the type of recruitment I believe I deserve.
Q: What’s your “elevator pitch” to college coaches about what you could bring to their program?
Taiwo: I think my pitch would definitely be the ability to understand and study the game, my quickness, my versatility and agility, and most importantly, my ability to find open spaces.
Q: What are some skills from the past season your coaches told you to work on & how are you using this offseason to improve your skillset?
Taiwo: I needed to work on getting off the line quicker and being aggressive with my hand fighting. I have been working on putting myself in the midst of a lot of competition on my 7on7 team (Potenza Sports); I’ve been getting coached and taught how to better get off the line.
Q: Who is your football mentor? It can be any coach, alumni, family member, etc., anyone that’s had an impact on your football career or in life.
Taiwo: My football mentor would be my former quarterback’s father; he’s The Who taught me to be strong and how to be able to overcome adversity. He taught the true meaning of hard work and that there are no shortcuts. I owe a lot to that man.
Q: What is the biggest thing you are looking for with a potential college football opportunity?
Taiwo: I am looking for the ability to be able to play and compete. I will work to build bonds and friendships with my teammates. I also look forward to being coached properly, and I want to be taught how to gain knowledge about the game of football.
Film Eval:
As a slot WR, Taiwo has a strong twitch in his legs once he gets started on his routes and then uses that fluidness in his footwork to find an open seam in the secondary to get open. He is a prospect that you don’t see his full burst until you see him put the gas to the floor when he seems an opening he likes. Despite not being the biggest WR, I came away impressed with his stretch to grab a football that might be slightly out of reach. Defensively he has the longevity to make plays wherever he lands on the field at cornerback and has a strong motor. He has good physicality on most of the hits you will see on film.
If you are still looking for roster spots, you can reach Taiwo on Twitter at: @ibukuntaiwo8 or shoot me an email at Nate@PrepRedzone or DM @thebrickwahl87 on Twitter. One more plus to add about Taiwo is that he is a terrific student and holds a 3.85 GPA!
The Tape: