Spartans Offer Versatile Three-Star '26 Prospect, NFL Legacy

He later posted on his social media that he would be coming to East Lansing for an official visit on June 13.

Umenyiora now holds over 25 total offers, with most of the latest offers by Power Four schools. He is currently ranked the No. 76 cornerback and No. 80 class of 2026 recruit in Georgia, per the 247Sports Composite rankings. While he is listed as a cornerback, he does play on both sides of the ball at Blessed Trinity Catholic High School,

Umenyiora has been recruited by MSU defensive back coach Blue Adams for some time, and it's easy to see why. He fits the mold of what Coach Adams likes to see out of his defensive backs. Umenyiora possesses good size, great closing speed and the aggression to play a physical brand of football.

If that last name sounds familiar, you're correct. TJ is the son of former NFL player Osi Umenyiora. Osi played defensive end at Troy before being drafted in the second round of the 2003 NFL draft by the New York Giants, eventually becoming a Pro Bowl selection.

Prospects seem to get a major bump in stock when their parents have played professional sports. The kind of wisdom they can give as someone who has lived it can be invaluable, and the lessons they can instill can lead to elevated success. These prospects always seem to have an edge about them that just comes naturally.

MSU has mainly focused its recruiting efforts in the Midwest and West Coast regions, but there's just something special about what Umenyiora has to offer. It will likely be a challenge to pry this prospect from the clutches of the area as he holds offers from more local schools like Georgia Tech, Georgia State, Georgia Southern and Kennesaw State, among other southeastern schools.

With the 2026 class starting to take shape, you can tell that the Spartans staff making a big push to continue to rebuild a secondary that has largely struggled in recent memory. The staff is looking high and low for high-character guys who fit their system and will buy in.