Five-star OT Immanuel Iheanacho commits to play in Polynesian Bowl
Five-star offensive tackle Immanuel Iheanacho will head to Hawaii in January to play in the next installment of the Polynesian Bowl.
Blue chip offensive tackle Immanuel Iheanacho heard plenty about last month's Polynesian Bowl experience from fellow class of five-star prospect Zion Elee and he wanted to experience it himself.
So once asked to play in the 2026 version in January, the Bethesda (Md.) Georgetown Prep star jumped at the chance.
The 6-foot-6 1/2, 345-pound Iheanacho committed to play in the prestigious Polynesian Bowl, which is set for Jan. 16.
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"I saw that it was a very interesting game this year," Iheanacho said. "On top of that, I wasn't able to play in it this year due to academic demands from my high school so I thought it would be another way to expand my level of competition.
"There are some guys who didn't play in it last year so there will be different competition there."
Iheanacho, who is the No. 5 player and No. 2 offensive tackle in the 2026 class, has a top group of schools that includes Maryland, Alabama, Penn State, Oregon, Georgia, LSU, Florida, Auburn and Texas A&M. He told 247Sports he has a new leader as well.
Iheanacho watched Elee, who is committed to Maryland, play in the 2025 game and they spoke about the experience.
"I really like the tribal stuff," Iheanacho said. "I saw the (haka) dancing before the game and I thought that was really cool."
Experiencing the culture associated with his first trip to Hawaii is one thing Iheanacho is looking forward to but not the only thing.
He played in the Under Armour All-American Game last month in Florida, and it left him thirsty for more high-level competition.
"There were a couple of UA All-Americans who came back to coach," he said. "It was interesting to see how they went and played collegiately. They gave some advice."
By then, Iheanacho will be signed with a school and all the craziness of recruiting will be over.
However, much of his time away from school and training is devoted to recruiting, and there is a lot for him to tackle.
He has official visits locked into Maryland, Alabama, Penn State and Oregon, and an official to either Georgia, LSU or Auburn is in the works.
"My grades are pretty high at Georgetown Prep," he said. "Trying to keep that balance has been tough but I think it's been a little easier because I am getting a bigger push toward a certain school.
"I plan on committing in August but from the looks of it I might commit before that. I am trying to contemplate whether I commit to the certain school on the OV or if I wait until after all my OVs and commit then."
