On Monday, the NFL announced the Class of 2025 athletes who will be involved in the league’s International Player Pathway program.

What is the NFL IPP program?

The NFL established the IPP program in 2017 as a way for foreign athletes to have an opportunity to potentially play in the league. The athletes selected typically come from other sporting backgrounds like rugby, Gaelic football, basketball, and track and field. The program identifies global talent and places selected athletes in a 10-week training camp, which will take place in Florida at IMG Academy in January. There, they can develop their football skills through on-field and classroom sessions, and have a chance to earn a spot on an NFL roster.

After the training camp, the athletes will showcase their skills in front of several NFL scouts as part of the University of South Florida’s Pro Day in March, ahead of the next year’s draft. Players will also be eligible to be selected as free agents if they are not selected in the draft.

Each NFL team is given one roster exemption for a qualifying international player from the start of its offseason program through the 53-man roster cut deadline. After that, the qualifying players can be signed to a 17th practice squad roster spot reserved for international athletes across all teams.

“Focusing on our global football development efforts and fostering international talent is crucial to growing our game globally,” said NFL executive vice president of international, events, and club business Peter O’Reilly. “The IPP program offers life-changing opportunities for international talent, and we look forward to following their progress in the weeks and months ahead.”

Since its establishment in 2017, 41 international players have joined the NFL, with 23 currently on an NFL team and six on an active roster, including Philadelphia Eagles offensive tackle Jordan Mailata, from Australia, who started out as a rugby player.

The NFL’s IPP program Class of 2025

The NFL’s IPP program Class of 2025 features 14 athletes from 13 different countries.

“The Class of 2025 is an exciting one, and we are delighted to welcome these talented athletes from around the world to the International Player Pathway program,” O’Reilly said.

This year’s class includes Olympic discus throw champion Roje Stona, who won the gold medal in a throwing event in Paris this year for Jamaica, as well as rugby union players Jordan Petaia from Australia, Dante Barnett and Mapalo Mwansa from the UK, and Aaron Sexton from Ireland.

Some international kickers and punters will also join the Class of 2025 in the coming weeks.

NFL IPP program Class of 2025:

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