Utah State transfer Great Osobor, the top available player in the NCAA transfer portal, has committed to Washington, he told ESPN.
Osobor, the Mountain West Conference Player of the Year, has name, image and likeness agreements in place that will give him the highest-known valuation in college basketball this season, at $2 million, according to a document reviewed by ESPN. His NIL agreements, which include marketing assurances, were negotiated by agent George Langberg of GSL Sports.
"I would like to thank God for putting me in this position," Osobor said. "Washington will allow me to maximize my potential as a player in my final year of college basketball. Coach [Danny] Sprinkle has been with me every step of the way since I came from England, and I cannot wait to help the Huskies get back to the NCAA tournament."
Osobor committed to Washington over similar opportunities from Louisville and Texas Tech.
He has one year of college eligibility remaining after spending his first two seasons at Montana State, where he was recruited by new Huskies coach Sprinkle. Osobor followed Sprinkle to Utah State and now to Washington.
"It's a blessing to be put in the position I am in now, and I look forward to using my platform to proudly represent my family and be a role model to my two younger sisters," Osobor said.
Osobor, a 6-foot-8 big man from England, averaged 17.7 points, 9.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.4 blocks and 1.3 steals per game last season as he helped Utah State win the Mountain West regular-season championship and earn an at-large NCAA tournament bid. Utah State beat TCU in the first round before losing to eventual national championship finalist Purdue.
Osobor's lucrative NIL valuation represents the sea change in college sports, where top returning players or transfer portal recruits are now drawing offers exceeding $1 million. That's especially the case for versatile, experienced frontcourt players like Osobor, who are difficult to come by.
Osobor, whose father is a taxi driver and mother is a caregiver for elderly clients, will have the opportunity to make life-altering money in his final year of college eligibility despite arriving in the United States with little fanfare and spending his first two seasons coming off the bench in the Big Sky Conference.
"I was not a highly recruited player coming out of England, with only a few Division I offers," Osobor said. "Assistant coach Chris Haslam had a huge part in recruiting me to Montana State, and I owe him a lot for that. I am more motivated than ever to show young kids that it doesn't matter where you come from. If you put in the work and necessary sacrifice, your time will come."
Osobor joins a talented group of incoming freshmen and transfer portal recruits for Washington that includes five-star point guard Zoom Diallo, four-star shooting guard Jase Butler and transfers Mekhi Mason (Rice), DJ Davis (Butler), Luis Kortright (Rhode Island), Franck Kepnang (Oregon) and Tyler Harris (Portland).
Jonathan Givony is an NBA draft expert and the founder and co-owner of DraftExpress.com, a private scouting and analytics service used by NBA, NCAA and international teams.