Daniel Akinkunmi is not just attending his first college football game – he has been invited inside the Oklahoma Sooners players’ tunnel.

Moments later, a crowd of 83,221 erupts as the players charge on to the field.

An 18-year-old from London, Akinkunmi has never seen anything like this before.

But, this time next year, the NFL Academy graduate could be playing in front of this enormous crowd himself, having been recruited by one of the top colleges in the USA.

NFL Academy’s most sought-after prospect yet

Based in the UK, the NFL Academy gives 16-19-year-olds from Europe and Africa the chance to further their education while doing intensive American football training.

They could then be offered a scholarship in the USA, earning a degree while becoming eligible for the NFL draft. Since the Academy’s launch in 2019, more than 40 graduates have secured scholarships, with Akinkunmi its most sought-after prospect yet.

Born in London with Nigerian heritage, he played basketball before joining the Academy in 2021. After his family moved north to Doncaster, Akinkunmi spent five hours a day commuting to London for lessons and practice. He also prepared his own meals, heating them on the train in a portable microwave.

But the Academy’s move to Loughborough in 2022 allowed the offensive lineman, who weighs 305lbs (138kg) and is 6ft 5in tall, to live and eat on campus.

Akinkunmi has also found time to document his progress on social media and has taken Academy trips to the USA to showcase his talent at training camps. His dedication paid off with more than 30 college offers.

‘Treated like royalty’ during recruitment process

Akinkunmi whittled those down to five contenders – Baylor, Clemson, Miami, Mississippi and Oklahoma. He and his mother then went on two official visits to assess their options.

A key phase in the recruitment process, official visits are expenses-paid trips which Akinkunmi describes as “an amazing experience, one I’ll never forget”.

The youngster and his mother would have expected presentations and tours of the facilities. They didn’t expect their hotel rooms to be decorated with handwritten notes from the coaching staff and cards showing Daniel in team uniform, or his room to be filled with his favourite snacks. But they were.

There was also a huge cake waiting for him in Oklahoma, while staff lined up to applaud Akinkunmi and his mother as they arrived at Baylor.

‘OVs’ are not just a chance for prospects to see what like would be like playing at that college – they can smell, hear, even taste it.

Akinkunmi ate with players and staff and was welcomed to their homes. Baylor and Oklahoma did photoshoots and produced videos of him in team uniform. Then he enjoyed behind-the-scenes access for Oklahoma’s 73-0 win over Arkansas State in September.

“Being in the stadium and hearing the crowd roar, while you’re playing football, was incredible,” he told BBC Sport.

“All the time I had to pinch myself. I was like ‘is this really happening?’ Now I understand why US kids have so much passion, so much drive for the game. It’s motivated me to play at a higher level.”

‘World’s most interesting football development programme’

Akinkunmi and his peers are competing with those US kids, who have grown up with the game, but the NFL Academy is helping them bridge the gap.

The programme is now delivered by Loughborough College and Loughborough University, where day-in, day-out, they are surrounded by elite athletes from various sports.

There are currently 62 student athletes from 13 countries who have access to state-of-the-art facilities and staff who provide support in areas such as strength and conditioning, sports science, psychology and nutrition.

Staff with greater NFL experience and contacts have also been brought in, with Lamonte Winston appointed head of the Academy and Steve Hagen becoming head coach.

“This is the most interesting programme for football development in the world,” said Winston. “But education comes first – we build students from the inside out. We prepare them for life when football goes flat.”

Last week the staff led the team to victory over US opposition for the first time. On Tuesday they played their first game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which will host the last of this year’s three NFL London games on Sunday.

Since the very start, the Academy has urged anyone interested to ‘follow their journey’ on social media, and Tuesday’s game with Brooklyn high school Erasmus Hall was streamed live.

Unbeknown to the players, US college recruiters were watching. As the players celebrated a 35-0 win, some were told that, during the game, they had received offers.

“It’s a huge inspiration,” said coach Hagen. “It’s very difficult to get a football scholarship – I don’t care if you’re American or you’re from Mars!

“That’s why I drive these guys on a daily basis. We try to eliminate average here, every single day.

“On official visits they treat you like royalty because they know how hard you’ve worked to get there and they’re courting you, to have you choose their team.”

Decision time for Daniel

It was Akinkunmi’s time to choose on Thursday, and he was back at Tottenham for his ‘commitment day’, which was also streamed live. As tradition dictates, a hat for each college on his shortlist was laid on a table in front of him.

Surrounded by his parents and Academy team-mates, he placed the Oklahoma hat on his head. After all the air miles and VIP treatment, it was one chat that proved decisive.

“My time at Oklahoma was amazing. I feel like the place was very special,” said Akinkunmi. “When I spoke to coach Brent Venables, it didn’t feel like a pitch, it felt like a man-to-man talk. It was the most real conversation I had during my recruiting journey.

“I can’t wait to be there in January, to show what the NFL Academy can do. We’re changing the game; we’re building a brand, a pipeline of guys going to Division 1 [the top level of college football].”

Currently the fifth-ranked college team in the US, Oklahoma have won seven national titles and 50 conference titles. Based in Norman, the Sooners produced arguably the best two offensive linemen currently in the NFL, Lane Johnson and Trent Williams.

“OU’s a perennial powerhouse, football runs the town,” said former NFL wide receiver Kenny Stills, another Oklahoma alumnus. “It’s huge for Daniel, and I’ve told him I’m there if he needs it.

“He has a tough road ahead but he has a ton of potential and he’s doing the right things. If he can go there and get stronger, get faster, and dominate, he’ll have the potential to get drafted.”