Clifford Omoruyi Picks Alabama over UNC, Georgetown, K-State in Rutgers CBB Transfer

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Former Rutgers center Clifford Omoruyi was one of the most coveted players remaining in the transfer portal, and he reportedly decided to take his talents to the South.

Per Joe Tipton of On3.com, Omoruyi committed to Alabama on Sunday. He reportedly chose the Crimson Tide over North Carolina, Georgetown and Kansas State.

Tipton added that Omoruyi turned down a $2 million NIL offer from an unnamed school to commit to Alabama:

Joe Tipton @TiptonEdits

I was told this morning that Cliff received a $2 million NIL offer from a school while going through the portal process. <br><br>And it was not from Alabama. <a href="https://t.co/s1eox6mRsQ">https://t.co/s1eox6mRsQ</a>

Brian Fonseca of NJ.com noted that Omoruyi visited all four schools before making his decision to join the Crimson Tide.

Omoruyi was the No. 3 center in On3.com's transfer portal rankings. Coming out of Roselle Catholic High School in New Jersey, 247Sports ranked him as a 4-star recruit and the No. 12 center in the class of 2020.

The 6'11", 240-pound big man developed into one of the best centers in Rutgers history, starting every game in each of the last three seasons. He ranks fourth in program history in career rebounds and field goal percentage and is tied for sixth in blocks.

Across 32 games in 2023-24, Omoruyi averaged 10.4 points, 8.3 rebounds and a career-high 2.9 blocks, which ranked third in the nation.

Omoruyi helped lead the Scarlet Knights to two NCAA Tournament appearances in his career. The team's 2021 tournament berth was its first in 30 years and featured its first tournament victory in 38 years.

Omoruyi is joining an Alabama team that went 25-12 this past season and made a run to the NCAA Tournament Final Four. Unfortunately, the Crimson Tide fell to UConn 86-72, and the Huskies went on to defeat Purdue and win their second straight national title.

Alabama will certainly be hungry to chase a championship in 2024-25, and adding Omoruyi gives the Crimson Tide a defensive anchor who will boost their chances of achieving their goal.