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

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.
100% Committed!! GO GREEN! @Coach_Smith @DBcoachadams @MSU_Football @ChadSimmons_ @samspiegs @AnnaH247 @OsiUmenyiora @CoachEdDudley63 @ElijerMartinez pic.twitter.com/bssrOCZyEq
— TJ Truth Umenyiora 3⭐️ (@truthumenyiora) June 14, 2025
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.
Go ‘Cats??? @OsiUmenyiora #uncommitted pic.twitter.com/zT9vLmbOj0
— TJ Truth Umenyiora 3⭐️ (@truthumenyiora) May 12, 2025
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.
Read More Northwestern Wildcats Coverage
feed