A Transatlantic Prospect
Neff Giwa stands out on the recruiting radar not for a football pedigree but for a combination of size and athleticism that few prospects can match.
At 6‑foot‑7 and 295 pounds, the Irish rugby convert has drawn comparisons to NFL tackle Jordan Mailata, whose own transition from the code of rugby union to the NFL line of scrimmage serves as a direct inspiration.
The first spark came when Brandon Collier, a scout with Premier Prospects International, saw a short clip of Giwa delivering a pass‑blocking maneuver on X, formerly Twitter, and immediately recognized a rare talent.
Miami University was the first collegiate program to extend a scholarship, a move that prompted Giwa to travel to Oxford, Ohio, where he toured the campus and met with coaches, feeling the leverage and explosiveness that his rugby background had honed.
Collier’s outreach did not stop there; he organized visits to other Power‑4 campuses such as Ohio State, Kentucky and Michigan, where Giwa’s physicality translated into drills that left staff impressed.
Beyond the gridiron, Giwa’s parents, Nigerian immigrants who settled in Cashel, Ireland, have emphasized education, supporting their son’s dual pursuit of athletic opportunity and academic growth.
With multiple offers now on the table — including from South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Texas Tech and SMU — Giwa is weighing his options, aware that whichever program he chooses will likely reshape how scouts view athletes transitioning from rugby.