The NFL has worked hard in recent years to expand internationally. In 2025, the league will play seven regular-season games outside of the United States, with contests in the United Kingdom, Brazil, Germany, Spain and Ireland. And in 2026, Australia joins the party.
These games generally receive all the hype and attention, but there are plenty of other initiatives helping the NFL expand around the world, with the International Player Pathway program being a crucial one.
On March 26, the 13 members of the IPP's Class of 2025, representing 12 different countries, will take the field for a workout in front of NFL scouts as part of the University of South Florida's pro day. Last year, all 32 NFL teams and most CFL teams had representation at the event. Five additional IPP specialists showcased their abilities a few weeks ago at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.
The IPP program is designed to offer elite athletes from around the world with experience in other sports -- like rugby, basketball, track, Gaelic football and Australian football, among others -- the opportunity to earn a spot on an NFL roster. There are several athletes in this year's class with some -- albeit limited -- football experience. Since the IPP program's inception in 2017, 41 international players have signed with NFL teams (23 IPP athletes were on NFL squads last December alone). Six of these players -- Jordan Mailata (Australia), Jakob Johnson (Germany), Efe Obada (United Kingdom), Sammis Reyes (Chile), Thomas Odukoya (Netherlands) and David Bada (Germany) -- have held active roster spots. It's worth briefly noting that the IPP program is different from the NFL Academy. (Now with two locations, NFL Academy Europe-Africa in the U.K. and NFL Academy Asia-Pacific on Australia's Gold Coast, that program helps young athletes -- 16 to 19 years old -- develop their football skills and earn college scholarships.)
Each year, the chosen IPP athletes attend a 10-week training camp at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, where participants eat, drink and sleep all things American football. As a consultant for the IPP program since 2019, I have spent time interviewing, mentoring and evaluating the athletes while they work on their on-field and weight-room training. I am always so impressed with their growth -- both physically and in terms of their football knowledge over that short time -- and their childlike energy and enthusiasm, along with their individual motivation and love for the game. The experience always brings me back to my humble beginnings when I used to dream big about football.
I have once again seen a transformation within this year's group, having met some of the players prior to the official start of the program at the IPP's International Regional Combine back in October. One takeaway came when the class took a road trip to the Reese's Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama. Several athletes told me that it was encouraging to hear coaches get after Senior Bowl participants for making the same mistakes over and over, as they could relate to the scenario from their own workouts. It put things into perspective to know that those prospects -- and NFL players alike -- are constantly learning and perfecting their crafts. These IPP athletes, who are world class in other sports, know how far away they are to really competing in the NFL but also know they are taking the necessary steps to make that dream a potential reality.
As a reminder, these players can be signed as a free agent or, if eligible, selected during the 2025 NFL Draft. Each NFL team is permitted one roster exemption for a qualifying international player from the start of the club's offseason program through the roster reduction to 53 players. At that time, qualifying international players are eligible to be signed to a 17th practice squad roster spot reserved for international athletes across any of the 32 teams.
Among the 13 athletes working out at the USF pro day next week, four players have caught my attention as potential NFL developmental prospects. Several others will also have a chance as they continue to progress, but here's what I've gathered from my time spent with the top four at the IMG Academy.
Mapalo "Maz" Mwansa, edge: Mwansa is a 20-year-old edge rusher prospect from the United Kingdom and Zambia. He's a former soccer player who transitioned to powerlifting while at Loughborough University, where he was scouted by the local football coach and soon joined the school program and Great Britain National Team as a defensive end and linebacker.
Mwansa arrived at IMG Academy at 6-foot-3 and 223 pounds, but he has since put on good additional weight that will aid his explosive movements at the line of scrimmage. He's the type of guy who should test extremely well at his pro day, thanks to his athleticism and remarkable speed. At the recent CFL combine, Mwansa ran an impressive 4.45-second 40-yard dash.
Laki Tasi, defensive lineman: The 21-year-old has played at the highest levels of rugby in Australia, picking up the sport in his early teens and eventually playing in the rugby league and rugby union. At 6-6, 348 pounds with 34-inch arms, Tasi has very good size and the tools to be a big interior defensive lineman, along with the toughness and makeup to play in the trenches. He possesses a strong and intriguing combination of developmental tools, stature and mindset.
Nathaniel Salmon, tight end: The 20-year-old began his professional basketball career at 17 years old, playing in New Zealand and in Australia. He's a very good athlete with plus movement skills and hand-eye coordination. At 6-5, 245 pounds, Salmon has very intriguing developmental tools that could translate well to the tight end position.
Jeneiro Wakeham, offensive lineman: Wakeham is a massive human, measuring 6-9 and 320 pounds with 36-inch arms. The 21-year-old Fijian is a rugby union player who spent time with Stade France and most recently Eagling Trailfinders. He has a very high degree of physical and mental toughness, is an intense competitor and possesses incredible tools to develop. This is his first real exposure to the game of football, and Wakeham, who speaks both English and Fijian, has shown much improvement in learning the terminology since his arrival at IMG Academy.
