Fort myers: The NFL (www.NFL.com) has announced its International Player Pathway (IPP) program Class of 2026, featuring 13 athletes representing 10 nations around the world. Established in 2017, the IPP program identifies elite global talent with the aim of providing selected athletes with the opportunity to improve and develop their skills and ultimately earn a spot on an NFL roster. Historically, it has welcomed athletes from a range of sporting backgrounds, including rugby, basketball, Gaelic football, track and field, and more.
According to African Press Organization, the International Player Pathway Program Class of 2026 includes athletes such as Kaia Clarkin from Australia and New Zealand, Kaylan Faumui from Australia and Samoa, and Jarrod Gray from Australia and New Zealand. Other participants include Felix Lepper, Kansei Matsuzawa, Joshua Weru, Laekin Vakalahi, Collins Arogunjo, Uar Bernard, Michael Daramola, Chibuike Madu, Anjola Oketola, and Seydou Traore representing Algeria, Ivory Coast, and the United Kingdom.
Starting in January 2026, athletes in the program are invited to train in American football, both on the field and in the classroom, for 10 weeks at X3 Performance and Physical Therapy in Fort Myers, Florida. They will then showcase their skills in front of NFL club scouts. The IPP program is part of a long-term commitment by the NFL and its 32 clubs to accelerate global football development efforts and establish a pathway for international talent to play the game at the highest level.
Players can be signed as free agents or, if eligible, selected during the 2026 NFL Draft. Each NFL club is permitted one roster exemption for a qualifying international player from the start of the club’s offseason program through the roster reduction to 53 players. At that time, qualifying international players are eligible to be signed to a 17th practice squad roster spot reserved for international athletes across any of the 32 teams.
Following its inception, 70 international players have signed with NFL teams, either allocated, drafted, or signed as free agents, with 22 IPP athletes currently on NFL rosters. Since 2017, eleven of these players have been elevated to active rosters, including notable players such as Jordan Mailata from Australia, Jakob Johnson from Germany, and Efe Obada from the United Kingdom.