Sports

Freak Rugby Athlete Rejects Shady South Carolina Offer To Spark Bidding War Before First Football Snap

#College Football
by Last Updated

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Neff Giwa has never played a competitive down of football. That has not stopped big-time college programs from trying to secure his signature.

The freak rugby athlete will land a massive NIL package to play a new sport. Where his college career begins has yet to be determined.

Giwa is a massive human being, standing 6-foot-7 and tipping the scales at just under 300 pounds. He boasts incredible athleticism for his size, recording a 4.88-second 40-yard dash and broad jump of 9′ 10″.

Will it translate to the football field? Coaches are willing to take the risk.

Neff Giwa has offers.

Miami was the first. South Carolina, SMU, North Carolina, and Tennessee followed suit. One has already put together a lucrative NIL offer according to Bruce Feldman of The Athletic.

Feldman is following Giwa’s recruitment. The rugby star visited South Carolina this week. The Gamecocks pushed hard to secure his commitment. An offer was on the table, with hopes of convincing Giwa to cancel a trip to Miami.

It didn’t work. Giwa was on campus Tuesday in Coral Gables. The Hurricanes are still very much in the mix.

Some might call South Carolina’s recruiting tactics shady, especially considering Giwa’s inexperience with the process. They are not the only program to apply pressure in this fashion.

A similar scenario unfolded at LSU with Jordan Seaton this past offseason. They kept the 5-star prospect on campus as long as possible, providing perks to make his stay worthwhile. As a result, Seaton missed a scheduled trip to Oregon. It worked out for the Tigers.

South Carolina’s effort failed. Giwa still visited Miami. The Gamecocks could get a return trip, however, in the very near future.

After visiting Miami, (Trainer Brandon) Collier said he’s not sure where Giwa may head next. Perhaps SMU or a return to South Carolina.

“Both are trying to get him to commit now,” Collier said. “Based on Miami being the first one to offer, if everything works out, I think he could potentially commit there. He was so impressed by them offering first that he wanted to fly there to see them.”

-The Athletic

The decision to reject South Carolina should work in Giwa’s favor. It might just ignite a bidding war. The asking price could go up what depending on what Miami and others are willing to spend.

For now, he remains uncommitted, though he does want to make a decision soon.

Where will the rugby star play?

His future school is still TBD. His future position, however, is expected to be along the front five.

Neff Giwa projects as an offensive tackle. His combination of size, speed, and strength could translate in both run blocking and pass protection.

With that being said, he has not played college, or even high school football. The 20-year-old from Ireland is more well-versed in rugby, soccer, track, and basketball.

Coaches are willing to move past that inexperience. They’ve seen the tape. They believe the ceiling is high. Some have already put cash on the table.

It will be interesting to see which team is able to land his commitment.