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Joey Okla knows that most of his teammates at Arrowhead High School in Hartland, Wisconsin, are in their final weeks of competitive football.
Because of this, the 6-foot-4, 285-pound offensive lineman and commitment Illinois are doing their best to ensure that he and his senior comrades end their high school careers on the best possible note.
Okla, who became the first rookie to buy Bret Bielema’s land from Illinois with his February signing, knows there’s a lot at stake with just a few weeks left in the regular season. Arrowhead recorded a 5-2 record in their Friday night clash with Mukwonago.
“The senior season means so much more knowing this will be the last time I play with my brothers in high school,” Okla said. “They’re going on bigger and better things in college. A lot of guys, a lot of my friends, they won’t be able to play college football. So cherishing those moments with them while playing football is huge for me, and I know they do the same.
Okla is a key factor in the Warhawks’ offense, especially paving the way for running back Alijah Maher-Parr. Behind a strong offensive line, Arrowhead averages about 250 rushing yards per game and has at least 49 points in four games.
After losing a fourth-quarter lead in a 53-49 loss to Muskego on September 24, Okla and his teammates are discovering the narrow margins that often separate victory and loss.
“It all has to do with the fact that we play together as a team,” he said. “One of the things we say in our team is win the next moment and just say do your job. The rest will take care of itself.”
While he’s making the most of his senior year and hopes to help the Warhawks advance to the state playoffs, he also plans to join the Illini in less than a year.
When Okla signed up in February, he became the first Wisconsin prospect to sign up for Illinois since Austin Roberts in the class of 2014. He’s excited to go play for Bielema, a coach he has. saw winning three straight Big Ten titles in Wisconsin as a kid.
He can imagine the Bielema football brand deployed in Madison and how he can be a part of it in Illinois. He watched it closely last Saturday as Chase Brown ran for 257 yards against Charlotte, with Okla at Memorial Stadium to claim the Illini’s 24-14 victory.
“Growing up watching Bielema with Wisconsin, I was definitely a fan,” Okla said. “When you think of Illinois football, you think of running the ball.”
Okla has expressed on social media about staying with Illinois, undisturbed by a slow start to the season.
“I know they’re going to get better, and they are,” Okla said. “It’s going to take a while, and I know it. I can’t wait to know when I can control what I can control when I get there.
Okla is working on his own turf with potential teammates including four-star athlete Kody Jones and Miami native Elijah Mc-Cantos, both of whom visited the IU campus last weekend.
“Guys like Cody Jones and Elijah Mc-Cantos, they were at the game on Saturday,” Okla said. “Conversing with these guys was super important. We have a big chance against these two guys so that would be huge, huge additions to this class.”
And he’s already building strong bonds with a few of his future teammates, like New Prairie offensive lineman Hunter Whitenack of Indiana. Class of 2022 commits have their own Snapchat group which Okla says buzzes frequently.
“Me and (Whitenack) have become very close friends,” Okla said. “I would say he’s one of my best friends right now, and I think we’re going to have sex, which is great.”
Okla, who is Wisconsin’s No.9 player in the 247Sports class of 2022, knows he’s only one piece in the big picture if Illinois football is to turn the tide. But he is rock solid in his commitment, he says, and is fully integrated into Bielema’s program.
“I know they suffered a few tough losses at first and then over the last couple of weeks, but that hasn’t changed a thing for me at all,” Okla said. “I have complete trust in the staff, complete trust in the guys, complete trust in the nutrition staff. They have my full confidence.
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