Some people are born perfectly gifted for a particular sport in which they can dominate and show the world why they can be the best of the best.
Then there are others who are so incredibly naturally talented that they can translate their skills from one sport to another and only need to adapt to the rules of the game before they can truly dominate.
That’s what awaits us in the form of a three-star rated recruit from Texas who just makes the list of the top 50 prospects in the state, yet has 23 Division I offers, including from major schools like Oregon , Florida State, USC, LSU and Michigan.
The best part? A few months ago, he played his first high school football. (And that’s American football, if you’re reading this in Europe, not “soccer.”)
Take the curious case of 17-year-old defensive end prospect Tobi Haastrup – a native of Great Britain who, just months ago, didn’t know the difference between the neutral zone and the end zone.
Now he is one of the most sought-after recruits in the country and has some of America’s most prestigious sporting institutions falling over each other to get his signature.
Tobi Haastrup is a track star turned American football player, and the universities are fighting for him
After learning the game earlier this year, Haastrup has 23 offers from Division I schools
Haastrup was born in South East London and spent his early childhood in Britain before jumping across the pond.
After living in Sacramento, California for a few years, Haastrup’s family moved to football-mad Houston, Texas.
Haastrup excelled on the track as a sprinter and was competing in the shot put at Mayde Creek High School when new head coach Mike Arogbonlo was informed of the potential they had if they could convince the Londoner to switch sports.
“The first thing I was told by the coaching staff was (how big it would be) if I could get this kid out who looks great, is fast – he’s a great athlete,” Arogbonlo said. told The Athletic’s Grace Raynor. “I said, ‘Okay.’ And I went looking for him, and we started talking.”
The pair quickly connected and bonded over their Nigerian roots. Arogbonlo took up the project and told The Athletic that he was forced to plan the game down to the last detail for Haastrup.
“It just takes you back to basics,” Arogbonlo said. “There were a lot of questions he had: ‘What’s a first?’ Where’s the down mark? What is a defensive end, and what is the difference between a defensive end and an outside linebacker?” He knew nothing about those things. But he’s like a sponge, he soaks up everything he can.’
So far, we’ve failed to mention two important things about Haastrup’s athleticism: First is his physique: He stands about 6 feet tall and weighs 240 pounds.
The second is that it is fast. Very quickly. For example, he takes that 6-foot, 240-pound frame and clocks a 10.7 speed in the 100-meter dash. Just watch the game tape below. From the first game you can see what kind of athlete Haastrup is.
Despite coaches simplifying the game as much as possible – even helping Haastrup by making connections to follow along the way – he still had a few hiccups in his first game.
The first time he played, he was so focused on his pass that he was offside about three times.
He also finished the night with five sacks. In one game.
Despite how raw he is, 11 schools sent Haastrup scholarship offers within a week of his very first high school football game.
Two state schools – Texas-El Paso (UTEP) and Texas-San Antonio (UTSA) – were the first. But they were soon joined by many others, including SEC powerhouses Ole Miss and LSU.
Eventually, more offers came through the pipeline, bringing his total to 23 scholarship offers.
So far, Haastrup has made official visits to Boston College, Missouri, Vanderbilt, Florida State, Texas Tech and USC – with visits to Michigan and Oregon scheduled for the end of the month.
Other schools that have offered him include TCU, Tennessee and Texas A&M, where his older sister is currently studying neuroscience.
Haastrup is 6 feet tall and weighs 240 pounds, but runs the 100 meters in 10.7 seconds
Despite his athletic promise, Haastrup says he has plans to attend medical school
Although football could be his true calling, Haastrup is keeping his head down. He tells The Athletic that academics are important to him and that he hopes to pursue medical school to become an orthopedic surgeon.
Haastrup also told the outlet that development will be a major factor in where he goes: “Because I’m still so new to the sport. It will definitely be one of the most important decisions I make in my life.”
His coach, Arogbonlo, sees the potential his prodigy can offer.
“(Whoever gets him), they’re getting a kid with a lot of upside,” Arogbonlo told The Athletic. ‘I suspect that with more time, with nutrition, with the training table at a higher level, with the technical staff, I expect enormous growth.
‘I really believe it’s a Sunday [NFL] player. That’s the kind of kid I think he is. If God could make a football player, he made Tobi.”