NFL International London Combine Invites: Offensive Players

Earlier this month, the NFL announced 44 invited athletes to its October 12th International Combine at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England.

These players, among others, are competing for a chance to be selected as part of the NFL International Pathway Program.  Instituted in 2017, the program aims to provide elite international athletes the opportunity to compete at the NFL level, improve their skills, and ultimately earn a spot on an NFL roster.

The International Combine is the first step in the process towards participation in the program that has helped players such as Efe Obada (Buffalo Bills/UK), Jordan Mailata (Philadelphia Eagles/Australia), Sammis Reyes (Washington Football Team/Chile), and Jakob Johnson (New England Patriots/Germany) earn roster spots in the NFL.

Overall, 14 athletes from the United Kingdom were invited, followed closely by 10 Germans. Other countries included Belgium, France, Nigeria, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, Sweden, Finland, Slovakia, and Japan.

In order to analyze this large list of NFL hopefuls, we will be looking at the players listed at offensive positions in this piece.

Positionally, the offensive invites include nine offensive linemen, four tight ends, four running backs, and four wide receivers.

Read the defensive list of invites here.

All measurements are approximate*

Kehinde Oginni Hassan (Nigeria) TE 6’7 225 lbs

Hassan is one of three players from the Up Rise football academy in Nigeria. Unsurprisingly, the tall tight end comes from a basketball background. Hassan made a name for himself as a physical rebounder while playing on the Nigerian basketball camp circuit. On the football field, the 22-year-old scored two touchdowns in what was apparently the first American football exhibition game in Nigeria back in 2016. The former hooper first discovered football in 2014 at a camp in Lagos put on by EJlike Ugboaja. Later Hassan attended another football camp sponsored by former New York Giant Osi Umenyiora.

Jan-Henrik Hoffmeyer (Germany) OL 6’8 315 lbs

Hoffmeyer recently won the inaugural ELF championship with the Frankfurt Galaxy. The 23-year old previously played for the Benefield Black Sharks in the lower leagues of Germany before coming to Frankfurt and joining the Universe back in 2019.

Yannic Kiehl (Germany) OL 6’7 310 lbs

Keihl joins teammate Jan-Henrik Hoffmeyer as the second member of the Frankfurt Galaxy on this list. Kiehl started at left tackle for the Galaxy who finished a nearly perfect season winning ELF’s inaugural championship. Prior to joining the Galaxy, the 28-year-old also played for the Potsdam Royals and Dusseldorf Panther in his career.

 Joshua Addams (UK) RB 5’11 205 lbs

Addams is a former center for the London Irish Rugby Club Wild Geese. The speedy back was one of the top performers for the Amateur club. The Englishmen most recently played for the Rosslyn Park London–based rugby team. He is one of the three athletes invited without experience playing American football.

Samsom Alabi (UK) RB 6’1 230 lbs

The London native grew up playing soccer, before switching to track, then eventually finding American football and joining the London Blitz. Alabi also played for the AFC Wimbledon football club in his youth. The well-built running back is known by his teammates as a weight room warrior.

Mbaeteka Chigbo Roy (Nigeria) OL 6’9 285 lbs

Roy is another player for the Abuja-based Up Rise academy in Nigeria. The big man is also a former basketball player who laced up his sneakers for his hometown team in Benin. Like his teammates at Up Rise, the 21-year-old also discovered football at the EJlike Ugboaja camp and made the full-time transition to the gridiron in 2019.

Silvan Barelds (Netherlands) TE 6’5 255 lbs

Barelds played for the Groningen Giants in the Netherlands from 2017-2020 before joining the German Football League last season. As a member of the Dusseldorf Panther, Barelds provided a massive target for his quarterback putting up 331 yards and 4 touchdowns in nine games.

Connor Bolton (UK) OL 6’6 315 lbs

The London native has experience playing guard and tackle before switching to center for the undefeated London Warriors last season. The young brit has experience playing under former NFL Europe coach Tony Allen. Bolton previously played for the Maidstone Pumas in Kent, England.

Max Bruder (Germany) OL 6’10 310 lbs

Bruder is a massive 23-year-old who played this summer for the Leipzig Kings in the ELF. The former water polo player played most of his career with the Leipzig Lions in Germany’s lower divisions before joining the Kings in their inaugural season. Bruder was coached this season by former German Bowl champion offensive lineman Gerrit Meister.

Read more about Max Bruder here:

Amos Laoye (Belgium) OL 6’3 320 lbs

The lone Belgian on this list is a veteran of the German Football League. 24-year-old Laoye has suited up in Germany’s top league since 2016, playing for the Cologne Crocodiles, Kiel Baltic Hurricanes, and this past season with the semi-finalist Potsdam Royals.

Fabian Kratz (Germany) OL 6’5 250 lbs

Kratz played this past season for the number one rushing team in ELF the Cologne Centurions. The 21-year-old ELF All-Star drew plenty of college interest after playing high school in the US. However, Kratz never made it to the NCAA and returned to Germany.

John Levi-Kruse (Germany) TE 6’4 240 lbs

Levi-Krause played this past season with the ELF runner-up Hamburg Sea Devils. The 24-year-old has played for the German National team, Hamburg Blue Devils, and Elmshorn Fighting Pirates in his career. Yet, the young tight end didn’t see many targets last season playing behind the league’s best receiving tight end in Adria Botella Moreno.

Daniel Marshall (UK) TE 6’6 245 lbs

Marshall most recently suited up for Swansea University in the UK. During his career with the Swansea Titans Marshall held various receiving records while playing both receiver, tight end, and a variety of positions on defense.

Lawrence Cornwall-Baptiste (UK) OL 6’4 310 lbs

Cornwall-Baptiste is an aggressive lineman from England’s premiere squad the London Warriors. The 24-year-old has won two national titles with the Warriors as well been named a university league all-star for his play with the Portsmouth University Destroyers.

Igor Mašlanka (Slovakia) TE 6’5 260 lbs

While Mašlanka may only be 24-years old he is well-traveled playing in the Czech Republic, France, and Poland. After three seasons with the Brno Sigrs in the Czech league, and a short time in France, Mašlanka played this past season with the Wroclaw Panthers of the European League of Football. Mašlanka was used mostly for his blocking as he ended the season with 51 yards and one touchdown receiving.

Aymeric Nicault (France) WR 6’0 205 lbs

Nicault is a reliable and versatile player with experience playing in France, Finland, and Germany. This past season, Nicault put up 338 all-purpose yards playing in the Potsdam Royals run-based offense. The 25-year-old is also a proud member of the French National team.

Andy Owusu (UK) RB 6’1 220

Owusu is a Great Britain national team running back with experience playing in Finland and his home country of England. The 24-year-old tailback most recently played for Kent Exiles in the UK. Owusu also previously worked out for the CFL Global Draft.

Robin Wilzek (Germany) 5’11 190 lbs

21-year old Wilzek is coming off of a dominant season with the Dresden Monarchs helping them capture the German Bowl for the first time in the club’s history. Wilzek put up impressive numbers playing out of the slot in Dresden’s pass-heavy offense, finishing the year with 961 yards and 13 touchdowns. The young German was routinely creating big plays for the Monarchs averaging 22.9 yards per reception.

Yoshito Omi (Japan) WR 6’0 190 lbs

Omi played this past season with the Leipzig Kings in the European league of Football. Limited by injuries Omi put up a mere 118 yards and two touchdowns in his first European season. However, the 25-year-old is a former standout for the IBM Big Blue in Japan’s XLeague, leading the league in receiving in 2019. The sure-handed receiver is also a captain of the Japanese national team.

Read more about the Japanese star here:

Brandon Camara (France) WR/TE 6’4 230 lbs

The young Frenchmen is a product of the Dauphins de Nice, one of the best youth programs in southern France. Most recently, Camara played for the nearby Marseille Blue Stars in the French Elite. Camara is a former PPI recruit who is rumored to run a 4.6 40-yard dash.

Haggai Chisom Noubuisi Nigeria OL 6’9 290 lbs

Noubuisi is a massive offensive tackle prospect from Enugu, Nigeria. The 20-year-old grew up playing soccer before gravitating to the basketball court. On the hardwood, the physical forward excelled in the low post, earning All-Star honors in the amateur Nigerian basketball league. Similar to his teammates at Up Rise, Noubuisi discovered football at the EJlike Ugboaja basketball football camp in Lagos.

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We think this could be try of the week 😮

Take a bow young Jacob Smillie, playing for @Halifax_RLFC Reserves 👏 pic.twitter.com/455vIQQ0Er

— Serious About Rugby League (@SeriousAboutRL) March 19, 2019

Jacob Smillie (UK) RB 5’8 190 lbs

The 22-year-old athlete is a former member of the Swinton Lions Rugby club in England. Smillie has also represented Jamacia as a member of the 2019 national rugby team. Back in 2019, Smillie used his elite speed scoring a length of the pitch try while playing for the Halifax Rugby Club.

Stay tuned for our defensive edition coming later this week profiling the rest of London’s NFL International combine invites. The list of defenders includes a multitude of talented athletes, some of which have already drawn plenty of interest from the Pros already.

Read the full list of London’s NFL International Combine invites here:

Read the defensive list of invites here.