Neff Giwa is a rugby player from Ireland who has never played a down of football, but he went viral after a three-second clip. It is fascinating how someone completely unknown in the football community just a month ago has suddenly become one of the most sought-after prospects in college football recruiting.
Miami Pushes to Recruit Neff Giwa as Georgia Reaches Roster Capacity
In the latest episode of “The Audible” podcast on March 24, Bruce Feldman described Giwa’s crazy recruitment following the viral clip.
“It’s only 3 seconds of him pass protecting against a defensive lineman,” Feldman said (21:12). “All of a sudden, both of them start getting blown up on their DMs from football coaches. Mario Cristobal offers this kid. ‘We want to get him down here now.’… From there, they drove another 12 hours back into the United States. Went to Clemson, South Carolina, Michigan, Michigan State, and Georgia; it has been a recruiting frenzy for this guy.”
“Over the weekend, he was in South Carolina. He’s flying to Miami tonight… what’s interesting about his recruiting situation is that another little subplot is that Miami, South Carolina, SMU, and a few other schools want him for the 2026 recruiting class. So he could be there this summer and play in the fall. Georgia doesn’t have space for him.”
The 20-year-old Giwa missed out on Georgia after the Bulldogs’ recent international success, Swedish shot putter Valdin Sone, who signed with Kirby Smart’s program for the upcoming season. Sone is originally from Cameroon, but he played the 2024 football season at Blue Ridge High School in Virginia.
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Trainer Brandon Collier says Giwa “could potentially commit” to Miami, as the offer first came from Mario Cristobal’s program. If Giwa follows in the footsteps of Miami’s Francis Mauigoa, he could transition from rugby to college football.
Mauigoa was a plug-and-play starter who helped lead the Hurricanes to the 2026 National Championship game, finishing the 2025 season with a 90.4 score in the PFSN College Football Player OL Impact Metric, ranking him 17th in the nation.
Giwa also has the maturity and fighter mentality that coaches love. His athleticism also makes him a phenomenal prospect, as he recorded a 4.88-second 40-yard dash and a broad jump of 9 feet, 10 inches.
Giwa’s recruitment highlights a broader trend, as international prospects are becoming an increasingly significant part of the college football landscape. According to 247Sports, 23 FBS signees hail from the 2026 international recruiting class.
