None of the thousand-plus football players who have entered the transfer portal has a story that better epitomizes the awkward dynamic playing out on college campuses this month than Ajani Cornelius. In three years, the Harlem, N.Y., native went from being a no-star recruit to perhaps the most coveted prospect in the portal.

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Last week, the 6-foot-5, 305-pound sophomore offensive tackle visited Nebraska and Oregon. He’s expected to fly to Tennessee on Friday to visit the Vols and then head to Columbus on Saturday to visit Ohio State before making his decision prior to Christmas. Coming out of New York’s Archbishop Stepinac, Cornelius didn’t have any FBS offers even though he’d shown his skills at camps at Syracuse and Rutgers.

I had a great time at the University of Nebraska on Friday. Thank you for having me! @HuskerFBNation @CoachMattRhule

— Ajani Cornelius (@AJCornelius65) December 12, 2022

We had a blast at Oregon this weekend! Thank you for hosting my family and I! @oregonfootball @CoachDanLanning

— Ajani Cornelius (@AJCornelius65) December 13, 2022

Stefon Wheeler, the former Michigan State standout offensive lineman who made the Spartans’ 2000s all-decade team and is the O-line coach at Rhode Island, though, saw a gem. Wheeler had identified Cornelius when he was an assistant coach at Wagner early in the lineman’s career while recruiting other players from Stepinac, noting a big prospect who needed to change his body but could bend and thinking, “He might be a guy. There’s something there.”

Cornelius signed with URI, and over the past three years, worked diligently to remake his body and refine his technique with Wheeler. In 2021, when the Rams faced Albany with gifted edge rusher Jared Verse (who was a hot commodity in the portal last year and went on to star for Florida State in 2022), Cornelius, as a freshman, more than held his own. Verse matched up against both URI offensive tackles and was kept sack-less but did record three pressures. He had four TFLs and two sacks in his prior game against the Rams before Cornelius was in the lineup.

“Verse is a monster,” Wheeler said. “But both my tackles did pretty solid against him.”

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This fall, Cornelius shined again against big-time talent when URI played Pitt, which has one of the best D-lines in college football. Cornelius got to match up against the Panthers’ star defensive tackle Calijah Kancey on some run blocks and pass stunts, as well as against a group that leads the nation in sacks with 45.

“He did really, really well,” Wheeler said. “He played his tail off.”

From that game, Wheeler flashed on the radar of many FBS programs looking for O-line help. Better still, Cornelius has three years of eligibility left to play two seasons. Cornelius didn’t realize his stock was rocketing up until his mom back home had called him.

“My mom was back at Stepinac and saw some of my former teammates and they were congratulating her. She didn’t know why,” Cornelius said. The players explained to his mom that Ajani — or A.J., as many of his friends call him — had received one of the highest O-line grades by PFF. “They sent her the link and then she sent it to me.”

Top-5 FCS OL Offensive Grades Entering Week 6 according to @PFF_College:
1. Cody Mauch (91.2) @CodyTud
2. Colby Sorsdal (88.3) @colby_sorsdal
3. Stew Newblatt (86.2) @SNewblatt
4. Jake Kubas (84.8) @KubasJake
5. Ajani Cornelius (83.7) @AJCornelius65
📸: @NDSUfootball

— The Bluebloods (@The__Bluebloods) October 7, 2022

Cornelius, who said he grew up a big fan of Cowboys great Larry Allen, then started noticing he had a lot of new followers on Twitter, including many who were working for FBS programs. Once he saw that, Cornelius said he began to realize he might have some opportunities he never thought he’d have in college football, though he still was locked in on trying to play the best football he could and leading the Rams to a CAA title. The Rams fell short of that goal, ending up 7-4, but Cornelius made first-team All-CAA. On Nov. 29, he entered his name in the transfer portal.

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“To me, I knew that I could play at a higher level, and I was eager to face that competition,” he said. The hardest part of his decision was breaking the news to his coaches. “It was extremely tough. Me and coach Wheeler have a very close relationship. He’s been key to my development and success. I’ve always been very grateful to him. He was very supportive of me. I’m happy that he was my coach. It will be very hard leaving him.”

The day Cornelius told Wheeler he was planning on entering the portal was actually the same day the coach was going to talk to him about their plan to take the next steps in his development as a player and that they were going to get to the FCS playoffs in 2023.

“I don’t want to see my guy leave,” Wheeler said. “He’s a great kid. And he was very grateful for the University of Rhode Island and the opportunities it has given him. And kudos to him because he has worked so hard.”

Wheeler and the URI coaches tried to talk Cornelius out of leaving — “Be where your feet are.” But ultimately, his mind was made up.

“He wanted to prove himself that he can be a dude at that level,” Wheeler said. “He’s taking a chance on himself and I understand that.”

The offers from the big schools came in a flurry. Missouri from the SEC was first. Then Virginia. Then it was an avalanche: Nebraska, Penn State, Auburn, Oregon, Miami, Florida, Ohio State.

Some of the traits that first caught Wheeler’s eye: Cornelius’ quick twitch and his strong hands blossomed as he displayed on film this year a strong punch and great ability to anchor, as well as drop his hips and move and glide in pass protection. Power 5 coaches The Athletic spoke to this week also have been impressed with Cornelius’ balance, ability to work to the second level and finish blocks.

“He’s a really, really talented big kid,” said one Power 5 recruiting coordinator. “And he has three years left.”

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Wheeler started hearing from some of those same schools too and the coaches from the bigger football programs wanting to know all about his player. Some of the coaches he knew or at least knew of. Some he didn’t.

“After the first couple days, I’m getting irritated, they’re cherry-picking my guy out of my room,” he said. “It’s kind of a double-edged sword. You develop these players and then guys are sending them messages on social media. That Pro Football Focus thing comes out and then something was starting to brew. He’s a great kid, though. Comes from a good family. Mom and dad would come to every game.

“He did everything that I asked while he was here, except stay.”

(Photo: Courtesy of URI Athletics)