Northwestern Loses Out on Son of Super Bowl Champion to Michigan State

The 2026 Georgia cornerback picked the Spartans over the Wildcats, Auburn and Mississippi State.
Nov 17, 2013; Tampa, FL, USA; Atlanta Falcons defensive end Osi Umenyiora (50) sacks Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Mike Glennon (8) during the second half at Raymond James Stadium. Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Atlanta Falcons 41-28. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-Imagn Images
Nov 17, 2013; Tampa, FL, USA; Atlanta Falcons defensive end Osi Umenyiora (50) sacks Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Mike Glennon (8) during the second half at Raymond James Stadium. Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Atlanta Falcons 41-28. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-Imagn Images / Kim Klement-Imagn Images
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Northwestern's 2026 recruiting class has been full of wins lately, but the Wildcats were beaten out by a Big Ten rival on Saturday for an intriguing defender with NFL ties.

Cornerback TJ Umenyiora, the son of former New York Giants and Atlanta Falcons defensive end Osi Umenyiora, announced in a social media post that he had officially committed to Michigan State.

The Spartans earned Umenyiora's commitment over schools such as Auburn, Mississippi State and Northwestern. The Roswell, Georgia, native received an offer from the 'Cats on April 14 and took an official visit to Evanston on May 9. It was Umenyiora's first of four official visits and set a "high bar" for the 2026 defensive back.

"Coach [LaMarcus] Hicks, coach [David] Braun, I had a great time out there with them and they showed a lot of love," Umenyiora told Wildcat Report's Matthew Shelton. "It was breathtaking to see the facilities in person and Evanston is a really pretty place. It was definitely impressive."

Umenyiora shared photos on social media of himself wearing the purple and white at his visit.

Following his trip to Evanston, Umenyiora took official visits to Mississippi State on May 29, Michigan State on June 6 and Auburn on June 10 before formally committing to the Spartans on June 14.

At 6-foot-1 and 185 pounds, Umenyiora is a three-star prospect and ranked the No. 63 corner in the nation by 247 Sports. He is also the No. 82 player in the state of Georgia.

The elder Umenyiora played 11 seasons in the NFL, winning Super Bowls XLII and XLVI with the Giants in the 2007 and 2011 campaigns. Umenyiora was named a Pro Bowler and All-Pro twice each and is a member of the New York Giants Ring of Honor.

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Gavin Dorsey
GAVIN DORSEY

Gavin Dorsey is the Lead Writer for Northwestern Wildcats On SI and covers a handful of other teams in the On SI network. Before joining On SI in February 2025, he wrote for the Star Tribune and Inside NU while broadcasting college sports for both radio and television. Dorsey is a graduate of Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism, where he also studied psychology. In his free time, he enjoys running and being outdoors. Dorsey is currently a freelance writer for the Associated Press, covering Chicago area sports teams.