Wanya Morris — named after a Boyz II Men singer — is an NFL O-line draft prospect who smiles and dominates

INDIANAPOLIS — From the time Wanya Morris was 10 years old, as a member of the Gwinnett Chargers youth football team, his mentor and head coach at the time, Kenyatta Watson, saw big things for his football future.

“I told him from the time that I met him that he’s going to play in the NFL,” said Watson, the Georgia Tech football pro liaison. “When you look at his body, he’s built like a perfect tackle. He has extremely long arms and he’s very athletic.”

Described as jovial, with an infectious attitude, Morris is less than two months from fulfilling his promise as he prepares to test in front of NFL personnel at the scouting combine.

Named after the Philadelphia singer from famed group Boyz II Men at the suggestion of his aunt, Morris can be found with a smile, something his mother saw in him from an early age.

“I know everyone is intrigued by his smile and him always being happy, and that’s just who he is,” Bennetta Johnson said. “But when he’s in his element, he’s in his element. And he’ll tell you that ‘I’m studying, I’m watching film.’ He’s just a joy to be around.”

Finding joy has made all the difference for Morris. His football journey has been up and down while going from being a five-star player at Grayson High School in Loganville, Ga., to a freshman left tackle at Tennessee and most recently a star right tackle for Oklahoma.

It’s a mindset that Morris carries onto the field.

“When I pancake somebody and they see me, I want them to see me smiling,” Morris explained. “I want them to see me getting up happy that I’m doing that to them, and some people can’t stand it, and that’s what I like.”

Johnson’s phone wouldn’t stop ringing for Morris’ high school recruiting process, with several dozen coaches calling.

The New York native who moved to Atlanta after her kids were born in Savannah, Ga., was overwhelmed but “blessed” for Morris’ opportunity.

“I was getting the phone calls and it came to a point to where I didn’t know whom I was speaking to, because they would call when I’m at work and at that time I worked at the hospital for 12-hour shifts,” Johnson recalled. “It was crazy, but then at the same time, it was exciting, knowing that your child has the opportunity.”

He settled on Tennessee the summer before his senior season of high school. Connections Morris made with coach Jeremy Pruitt and the coaching staff, and being close to his mother, led him to Knoxville.

The No. 5-rated player in Georgia in the class of 2019 per 247Sports, Morris was thrown into the fire immediately for the Volunteers, flashing high-level potential and landing on the SEC all-freshman team. After he starting 19 of 22 games in two seasons, Tennessee fired Pruitt, and Morris was led to a school he originally wanted to attend out of high school: Oklahoma.

It wasn’t all smooth sailing for Morris after his transfer. He played in six games in a backup role during his first season with the Sooners.

The struggles of adjusting to a new scheme, along with a lot of information he didn’t receive at Tennessee that he was now learning at Oklahoma under offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh, had Morris questioning himself. However, it was a temporary setback for the 6-foot-4, 307-pounder.

“To him, not being able to catch right on and get all of that information, that kind of got to him and it kind of knocked him off,” Johnson said. “But at the same time, I feel like it was good being in that position, because it helped mature him a lot and to see what life is like, in reality, that everything doesn’t always go like you think you want it to go or how you feel like it should be.”

Said Morris: “I was just drained really that year, it was a lot going on, but the next year I wanted to show that I could respond to that adversity. Adversity is not nothing new in my life, it was just another step of it and I just had to show that I could persevere through anything that was put in my way.”

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An eight-game starter who excelled at showcasing his athleticism in Oklahoma’s pull-heavy run offense and mirroring pass rushers with his foot speed, Morris is an intriguing prospect with the talent to play either tackle position.

Before the Senior Bowl, director Jim Nagy said that Morris is a right tackle with left tackle versatility, comparing his transition to that of Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson, who played left tackle for Oklahoma.

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Morris switches off the laid-back, positive demeanor flips on game days. He plays with a mean streak with the mindset to dominate his matchups.

“I like to get out in the open, go bully the little guys a little bit, but I also like to finish people,” Morris said. “... That’s the fun part of being an O-lineman.”

On the verge of the NFL combine and draft, the two people closest to Morris are excited about what’s to come, already beginning to plan his draft party.

“It feels good to see your child succeed in what he loves and what he’s doing and we’re not even finished yet,” Johnson said. “It’s nerving, but you just keep going and pray for the best.”

Said Watson: “Collectively together we did, and now it’s coming to fruition. He’s going to be a better pro than he was a college player, for sure.”