A few weeks ago, we were delighted to see the news that UK High school recruit Stive-Bentley Keumajou had committed to the Florida Gators. Following our interview with NFL Head Coach Steve Hagen, we decided we had to sit down with Stive and hear more about his journey from London raised athlete became Florida bound.
Football (the other kind) First
Like most kids growing up in England, Stive’s first love was football (the other kind!). He was playing from the age of three and representing his school teams from a young age. By his own admission, he was always big and athletic as a child. It was a teacher at his secondary school who first nudged him toward American football, suggesting he try out with the London Blitz. He wasn’t immediately sold on the idea, but he went along and played in the under-16s programme, and something clicked.
“I really enjoyed it,” he told us. “I had a couple of classmates who came to play with me as well, so we had a good season.”
Stive fell in love with the game and followed that first taste was a spell at SGS College’s American Football Academy, one of the UK’s established pathways into the sport. Two years there working the coaches, helped him build solid fundamentals and shaped him into a genuine football player. He started posting videos on X including D-line drills and pass rush work. A US high school coach saw it, reached out, and suddenly the prospect of moving to the US turned real.
Coral Gables Came Calling
Stive arrived at Coral Gables High School in Miami in June 2025. He came alone with his family staying in the UK. He had been quite independent since 15, given his time at SGS, so the emotional side of that transition was something he’d already started to manage. The football side was a different kind of test entirely.
“The heat was completely different,” he said. “As soon as I got to the airport, I had a jumper on. I was like, this is crazy.”
The coaching environment at Coral Gables was a step up in intensity from anything he’d experienced. The speed of play in Florida required some serious adjustments. He was measured about the challenge ahead, however. “These guys have been playing their whole lives. I’m not the same as them, I have to go the extra mile.” And he did. Stive didn’t just settle into the programme, he played both sides of the line when the team needed him to and even learned to punt in the three days before the season started. That is the kind of adaptability that tends to get noticed.
The Recruitment Picks Up
Georgia gave him his first major offer, but it wouldn’t be the last. Offers from Miami, Auburn and Syracuse followed.
“It feels surreal,” Stive said. “We make sacrifices. I’m just really thankful that the sacrifices me and my family took ended up to this. We exceeded our expectations.”
The recruitment process itself, official visits, campus tours and coaches making their pitch was an education in itself for someone coming from the UK. The idea of universities flying you in, rolling out the red carpet and genuinely competing for your commitment is a world away from the process in the UK. But he took it in, enjoyed it, and kept his head level throughout.
Why Florida?
The decision came down to relationships and one in particular. Florida D-line coach Gerald Chatman flew to Coral Gables to make his pitch in person whilst also calling Stive’s mum back in the UK. Florida then brought his mother over from England for a spring game visit (no other school on his list had done that) and for someone who had been living in another country without his family, that gesture was important.
“Through the distance they made me feel like a top priority,” he said. “That’s what made the decision somewhat easy.”
There was also the prospect of teaming up with a fellow Brit. During his Florida spring visit, Stive spent the day with Emmanuel Oyebadejo, a Manchester-born defensive lineman many are tipping as a first-round pick in next year’s draft. Oyebadejo told him what he needed to do to prepare, what Florida had to offer, and why it could be the right place for him. Having someone who had already walked a similar path from the UK to a Power Four programme, and was now looking like one of the best defensive linemen in the country, is a pretty compelling recruitment tool.
What Comes Next
Stive is set to be an early enrolee, meaning he expects to be on campus in Gainesville by January and playing in spring practice. Before that, a full senior season at Coral Gables this autumn awaits.
His advice to any young UK kid watching from their bedroom? Get to the States as early as possible, promote yourself consistently on X, and stay on top of your GPA (Grade Point Average). “Eventually, someone’s going to find you,” he said.
There are a growing list of names who have made the journey from this side of the pond into American college football. Stive-Bentley Keumajou is the latest of this group we will be watching and supporting. But following our conversations with Coach Hagen of the NFL Academy and the team at Gridiron Imports, he certainly won’t be the last.
Meet Adam, host of the College Football UK podcast on the AAW Network and owner/founder of College Football UK View. Adam’s a longtime Oregon Ducks fan and avid lover of College Football. Please follow Adam on Twitter.
Head to AAW_CFB on Instagram and Twitter for pur college football coverage, updates and more. Follow AAW_Network on Instagram and Twitter and join across the network.
