Analyzing the list of 2019’s international college football players
By John Scimeca
College football is globalizing slowly, but surely. Check out this comprehensive list of 2019’s foreign NCAA football players in Division I FBS.
This is Part 1 of a three-part series on NCAA college football international players.
- Part 1: Analyzing the list of 2019’s international NCAA football players
- Part 2: What’s the best NFL route for foreign-born American football players?
- Part 3: The future of the “World University American Football Championship”
Entering the 2019 college football season, a total of 143 international players fill roster spots for 64 Division I FBS schools (including 33 Power Five programs).
The number of international players has increased in the NFL, and it’s only natural that college football would reflect this trend, too. Highlights include the NFL’s new International Pathway Program, which is designed to help foreign-born players earn an NFL roster spot, and the 2016 draft selection of Mortiz Böhringer by the Vikings. Böhringer was the first European player drafted without having played U.S. college football, and even got the NFL’s approval for the umlaut on his jersey. He is currently signed to the Bengals’ reserve squad.
That players might skip NCAA college football entirely en route to the NFL might ring alarm bells — that they can play for the Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns of the German Football League instead of the Clemson Tigers to prepare for the NFL Draft — but this seems unlikely considering how desirable an education can be in the form of a full-ride scholarship to a respected U.S. university.
And globally, there is no level of amateur football that compares to the NCAA (though there are respected collegiate leagues in Mexico and Canada).
A few notes in terms of compiling this list:
- Players were deemed ‘international’ if a listed hometown was outside of the U.S. 50 states. Some may have a foreign birthplace but were raised in the United States and would not be included in this list.
- For the purposes of ‘international,’ American Samoa and Puerto Rico were included. Although they are U.S. territories, unincorporated or not, they are included here for being outside the 50 states.
- College football rosters are constantly in flux and are subject to change. If you notice any omissions or updates, please leave a comment below.
Hawaii, unsurprisingly, was the top destination for international players with a total of 13, including several from comparatively close locales like American Samoa and Australia. Of the Power Five conferences, the Pac-12 (21 players) had the most international influence, while the SEC had the least amount (three players).
Several programs’ international players reflected geography and relative location: multiple Québécois suit up for Syracuse and Buffalo (just across the Canadian border), a Puerto Rican wide receiver lines up for Miami (Fla.), and three Swedes fill out Temple’s offensive line in Philadelphia, not far from the colony of ‘New Sweden’ or Delaware in the 1600s. Dutch, Danish and German players play on teams in the state of Michigan, not unlike its settlement patterns from the 19th century.
Lastly, a whopping 30 programs employ an Australian punter (and Colorado’s case, a placekicker). This well-documented trend of Australian rules football players making their way to America shows no signs of abating in 2019.
Coaches like Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh openly embrace an increasingly international market for football players, as witnessed by the team’s summer tours of Italy. Three current Wolverines hail from outside the U.S.
Given the untapped football potential of many places around the world and the increasing access of communication, travel, and access, more college football coaches Stateside could strike gold in recruiting players from Europe, or Latin America, or even Down Under.
Most international college football players by country:
1. Australia – 42
2. Canada – 40
3. American Samoa -18
4. Germany -12
5. Sweden – 7
6. Nigeria – 4
7. Japan – 3
8. Austria – 2
T8. Bahamas – 2
10. Nicaragua – 1
T10. Tonga – 1
T10. Latvia – 1
T10. Denmark – 1
T10. England – 1
T10. Scotland – 1
T10. Italy – 1
T10. Belgium – 1
T10. Puerto Rico – 1
T10. Mexico – 1
Where are all of these international players in 2019?