International Students Have Joined New England Football
A nonprofit is placing global athletes into American boarding schools to bolster offensive and defensive rosters.
Updated on Sept. 25, 2026 in Football
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Nonprofit organization Gridiron Imports has placed 355 international student-athletes into United States boarding schools. These recruits are helping New England prep programs address a specific need for offensive and defensive linemen.
Why it matters
Coaches in the New England Prep School Athletic Conference increasingly look abroad to fill specialized positions on their football teams. This pipeline provides international players with a path toward NCAA collegiate opportunities.
Gridiron Imports operates in 36 countries and has secured $37 million in scholarship funding for participants. Among those placed, only three of the 355 student-athletes have paid full tuition for their schooling.
The players
Gridiron Imports
This nonprofit organization facilitates the placement of international football players at American boarding schools.
Botond Varga
The 6-foot-8, 310-pound lineman from Tabor Academy plans to play football at Syracuse University next fall.
Bjöern Werner
The former Salisbury School student co-founded the recruitment organization in 2016.
Chris Adamson
He is a co-founder of Gridiron Imports who works to identify athletic prospects globally.
Tabor Academy
This school is one of several New England institutions that recruit international players for their football teams.
The details
The organization recruits prospects through international training camps and social media outreach in countries like Hungary, Germany, and China. Tabor Academy lineman Botond Varga, who stands 6 feet, 8 inches and weighs 310 pounds, is among those using the program to prepare for a career at Syracuse University.
Timeline
Bjöern Werner joined the Salisbury School program in 2006.
Chris Adamson and Bjöern Werner co-founded Gridiron Imports in 2016.
Between 2022 and 2024, the nonprofit placed 150 athletes in American schools.
Jakob Witt arrived in Byfield, Massachusetts, on September 3, 2026.
Season Trajectory
The infusion of international talent is reshaping the roster composition and competitive balance within the New England Prep School Athletic Conference. This shift suggests a more global recruitment strategy that could influence future collegiate scouting pipelines across the region.
Recruitment of international linemen is filling critical roster gaps, which directly alters the depth charts for these specific prep programs. Fans of collegiate football may track these players' progress as they transition into the NCAA system from the boarding school level.
The takeaway
The successful transition of hundreds of international players into American schools highlights a growing global interest in the U.S. high school football pipeline. Student-athletes interested in these opportunities should monitor the specific eligibility requirements for the New England Prep School Athletic Conference.
Further reading
Learn more about the evolving landscape of high school athletics in our Football section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Boston Globe.
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