Neff Giwa, the fast-rising offensive tackle prospect from PPI Recruits in Dublin, said that Miami surpassed what he expected on the visit, a notable development in a recruitment that has exploded over the last two weeks after Mario Cristobal and his staff were first to offer him.
Giwa is a prospect who lives in Ireland, has a rugby background, and has never played organized American football. Yet he is already pulling heavy interest from major programs because of an athletic profile (Niwa is listed at 6-foot-8, 300 pounds, has 37-inch arms and clocked a 4.88 40-yard dash) that coaches clearly believe can translate. Miami, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee are among the early offers.
Neff Giwa's recruitment got busy quickly
The most revealing part of the Miami trip is that Giwa was blown away after spring practice. That is a stronger reaction than the usual post-visit praise and definitely is a promising sign for the Hurricanes staff.
Giwa pointed to the bond between Miami's coaches and players, while also singling out offensive line coach Alex Mirabal for the intensity and detail he saw at practice.
Insights into Neff Giwa's recruiting timeline
- Miami offered first, after Cristobal saw video of Giwa on social media.
- This is Giwa's first trip to the United States, and he has already made stops at South Carolina, Michigan State, Clemson, Michigan, Kentucky and Tennessee before Miami.
- His class year is still up in the air. There is a possibility he could hit the ground running in 2026, rather than 2027.
South Carolina had tried to get Giwa to shut things down before he made it to Coral Gables, offering a large NIL package and pushing for a commitment. He still took the Miami trip anyway, which already showed the first-offer relationship mattered. Now the visit itself seems to have given Miami the edge in the race.