State of Utah transfer Great Osoborthe top player available in the NCAA transfer portal, has committed to Washingtonhe told ESPN.
Osobor, the Mountain West Conference Player of the Year, has name, image and likeness deals that will earn him the highest known valuation in college basketball this season, $2 million, according to a document reviewed by ESPN. His NIL deals, which include marketing guarantees, were negotiated by agent George Langberg of GSL Sports.
“I want 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 arrived from England, and I can’t wait to help the Huskies get back to the NCAA tournament.”
Osobor pledged to Washington to offer similar opportunities from Louisville and Texas Tech University.
He has one year of college eligibility remaining after spending his first two seasons in State of Montanawhere he was recruited by new Huskies coach Sprinkle. Osobor followed Sprinkle to Utah State and now Washington.
“It’s a blessing to be in the position I’m in now, and I look forward to using my platform to proudly represent my family and be a role model for 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 while helping Utah State win the Mountain West regular-season championship and earn an invitation to the NCAA tournament at-large. Utah State beat Intensive care unit in the first round before losing to eventual national championship finalist Purdue.
Osobor’s lucrative valuation — NIL — represents a sea change in college sports, where top returning players or recruits from transfer portals now command offers in excess of $1 million. That’s especially the case for versatile, experienced top-line players like Osobor, who are hard to come by.
Osobor, whose father is a taxi driver and mother is a caregiver for elderly clients, will have a chance to earn life-changing money in his final year of college eligibility despite arriving in the United States to little fanfare and spending his first two seasons coming off the bench in the Big Sky Conference.
“I wasn’t a highly sought-after player when I left England, having only received a few Division I offers,” Osobor said. “Assistant coach Chris Haslam played a huge role in recruiting me to Montana State, and I owe him a lot for that. I’m more motivated than ever to show young people that it doesn’t matter where you come from. If you put in the work and make the sacrifices necessary, 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 Diallofour star escort Jase Butler and transfers Mason Mekhi (Rice), DJ Davis (Butler), Luis Kortright (Rhode Island), Frank Kepnang (Oregon) and Tyler Harris (Portland).
Jonathan Givony is an NBA draft expert and founder and co-owner of DraftExpress.com, a private scouting and analysis service used by NBA, NCAA and international teams.