Neff Giwa, Irish rugby player with no football experience, commits to South Carolina after viral workout video

Despite never playing American football, the 6-foot-7 offensive lineman received multiple Power Four offers before choosing the Gamecocks

Neff Giwa has never played American football. But next season, he'll be part of it in the SEC. The 20-year-old offensive line prospect from Ireland announced his commitment and signed with South Carolina on Sunday, capping a rapid and unusual recruiting rise that began with a short video clip and quickly turned into a national story.

Giwa, who grew up in County Tipperary and played rugby, became a viral name earlier this month after workout videos were posted to social media by Brandon Collier, who runs a Germany-based program that identifies and develops international football prospects. The clips -- only a few seconds long -- showed Giwa in pass-protection drills and drew immediate attention from college coaches.

This 6’8 300lb OT @NeffGiwa came from rugby.. he will be a 1st round pick one day! Remember this tweet!!! He’s big, athletic, tough, and work hard to be great!! I would take him at any college in America!!! Special talent , work ethic and character pic.twitter.com/qYfGyJOE0B

— Brandon Collier (@BCollierPPI) March 17, 2026

From there, the process quickly accelerated.

Programs including Miami, North Carolina, SMU and Tennessee extended offers within days, despite Giwa having no prior football experience. He soon traveled to the United States to visit multiple campuses, including Clemson, Georgia and Michigan State, and returned to South Carolina for a second visit before choosing the Gamecocks.

"I knew that there'd be a journey there, but I could never have anticipated this," Giwa told the Associated Press of his recruitment.

Giwa spent extended time with South Carolina coach Shane Beamer during his visits.

Big ma @NeffGiwa 2nd visit to @GamecockFB this week and had a lot of time with @CoachSBeamer 1st class! @PPIRecruits pic.twitter.com/XNyAny4knQ

— Brandon Collier (@BCollierPPI) March 23, 2026

A 6-foot-7, 280-pound prospect with a 7-foot-2 wingspan, Giwa has the physical traits that make him an immediate curiosity for evaluators. Collier told the AP that Giwa ran the 40-yard dash in 4.88 seconds and recorded a broad jump of 9 feet, 10 inches -- numbers Collier described to the AP as "pretty freakish."

Still, Giwa is an uncommon projection. He has yet to play an organized down of football and is expected to be a developmental prospect at the college level.

Giwa is rated as a three-star prospect by 247Sports and ranked as the No. 199 offensive tackle in the 2026 recruiting class.

His path reflects a growing trend of international athletes entering college football through nontraditional routes. In Giwa's case, that path began in a small Irish town and, within weeks, led to numerous scholarship opportunities from Power Four teams and a future in the SEC.