Tipperary Rugby Player Becomes Hot Prospect In American College Football

An Irish rugby player who has never played a game of American football has suddenly become one of the most sought-after prospects in US college recruiting.

Oluwanifemi ‘Neff’ Giwa, a 6-foot-7, 295-pound, 20-year-old from Cashel in Tipperary, has seen his life turned upside down in the space of just two weeks after a short clip of him training went viral online.

Giwa was born in Ireland after his father, a physiotherapist, and his mother, a nurse, moved here from Nigeria.

According to a report by Bruce Feldman in The Athletic, Giwa had never even watched a full game of American football, only highlights, before interest from major college programmes exploded.

The former Cashel Rugby Club player previously represented Munster and the Ireland U18 Clubs/Schools side in 2022, a team made up of players from non fee-paying secondary schools, lining out alongside future Munster and Ireland player Edwin Edogbo's younger brother Seán.

Now, he finds himself at the centre of a remarkable recruitment frenzy.

Tipperary Rugby Player Becomes Hot Prospect In American College Football

Miami were the first to offer Giwa a scholarship, with head coach Mario Cristobal reaching out after seeing the now-viral video on social media. Since then, a host of major programmes have followed suit, with Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina, Texas Tech and SMU among the schools to make offers, while interest has also come from the likes of Michigan, Clemson and Kentucky during recent campus visits.

At the centre of it all is Brandon Collier, a former University of Massachusetts player who now runs Premier Prospects International (PPI), an organisation that has helped place dozens of international athletes into elite college football programmes.

Collier was tipped off about Giwa earlier this year, and immediately knew he had found something special.

I was like, ‘Oh, my gosh! I wanted to fly him to Germany tomorrow.

When Giwa travelled to Germany for testing, the numbers backed up the hype.

Standing at 6-foot-7½ with 37-inch arms, an elite measurement for offensive linemen, he also ran a 4.88-second 40-yard dash and recorded a 9ft 10in broad jump, both exceptional for a player of his size.

But it wasn’t just the physical attributes that stood out.

He’s got this toughness about him… he’s like a fighter. He played rugby. He was physical as heck.

Giwa’s sporting background has been varied. He began playing soccer as a child before moving into rugby with Cashel Rugby Club in Tipperary, while also competing in athletics and basketball during his teenage years, something he believes helped develop his coordination and explosiveness.

Looking back, I can see how all of that helped me get to this stage.

Despite never playing American football, Giwa has thrown himself into learning the sport, studying techniques online and watching clips of elite NFL players such as San Francisco 49ers star Trent Williams.

The biggest challenge has been adapting to the technical side of the game, something he admits feels like learning a new language.

Still, his rapid development has stunned coaches across the US.

Within minutes of Collier posting a short clip of Giwa in a one-on-one drill, major programmes including Miami, Georgia and Tennessee had made contact.

A month ago, I didn’t exist in the world of American football.

And now I do.

Giwa has since embarked on a whirlwind tour of US campuses, visiting some of college football’s biggest programmes, with several pushing hard for a commitment as early as the 2026 class.

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