He left England to fulfill a football dream. Now Midlands star nears college decision

It’s an early June morning at Heathwood Hall, and Onis Konanbanny and a few of his teammates are on the practice field getting in some extra work.

Konanbanny, a senior, catches passes from quarterback Patrick Belk and then switches to defensive back drills. He and his teammates just finished lifting weights but wanted to get in some reps on the field.

After his workout, Konanbanny, who is wearing yellow LSU shorts, heads to the bench to sit down. There on the bench are Florida State- and Tennessee-colored gloves, a few of the things he’s picked up over the past several weeks while on official visits to colleges.

First, it was Utah in late April, followed by FSU, North Carolina, LSU and then Tennessee.

Konanbanny hasn’t taken an official visit to South Carolina but has made several trips to the school, which is a five-minute drive from Heathwood. He went there with his team for a 7-on-7 tournament and returned a few days later. The Gamecocks offered him in March.

“I can just drive there,” Konanbanny said. “I got all the information I have. I can go and look at facilities. Coach (Shane) Beamer’s message has been that I don’t have to leave the state to play great SEC ball and be right at home.”

The 247Sports Composite, which factors in all recruiting services, ranks Konanbanny as a four-star prospect and fifth-best recruit in the state for the 2025 class. Not bad for someone who’s still relatively new to the game of football and moved to the United States from Europe to fulfill a sports dream.

With more than 30 offers from Power 4 schools, Konanbanny has been taking it all in but says he’s getting closer to making the call of where he will play his college football.

“I am going to drop my final two schools soon. Once I drop my final two, it is just those schools I am going to be focusing on,” Konanbanny said. “I think sometime in August I will make my decision and I am going to be all in.

“It has been a roller coaster of emotions, but it is almost to the end now. I have matured and it has been a fun experience. Not everyone gets to do this. I made the most out of this process.”

Journey from across the pond

Konanbanny didn’t envision being a Division I college prospect when he started playing the game of football just a few years ago. He was born in France but lived most of his life in London, something that’s evident by his British accent.

He grew up loving and playing soccer, but that changed when he was in middle school.

He was introduced to American football by Kofi Taylor-Barrocks and Darren Agu, a pair of England natives and future Division I prospects. Taylor-Barrocks signed with Colorado but has since transferred to UTEP, while Agu is at Vanderbilt.

Konanbanny took the train two hours to work out with his uncle and Taylor-Barrocks. It was there he developed a love for football. His favorite NFL players growing up were defensive back Jaylen Ramsey and receiver Odell Beckham.

Konanbanny’s plan was to continue to train and then go to the NFL Academy in the United Kingdom when he turned 16 years old. But that plan changed when Agu encouraged him to go to the United States and play with him at Rabun Gap-Nacoochee High School.

Rabun Gap-Nacoochee is a private boarding school in the mountains of Georgia that has produced several Division I players in recent years.

Leaving England was a tough decision, but Konanbanny believes it was best for him and his future.

“I see this whole thing as a business trip,” he said. “If I do this right, execute, I will be in a position to bring my whole family out here.”

Any time Konanbanny gets homesick, he picks up the phone and calls his mother and stepfather. His mother joined him in the United States on his official college visits, the kind of recruiting trips that are paid for in full by the schools.

“She doesn’t really understand the game (American football) but really looks at the vibe of the people and coaches and if they are being honest and truthful or lying. That’s what she is good at,” Konanbanny said.

Coming to Heathwood

After two years at Rabun Gap, Konanbanny transferred to Heathwood Hall when Rabun assistant Rick Reetz took the Highlanders’ head coaching job. Konanbanny stayed at Heathwood even though Reetz stepped down in the middle of last season. (Reetz is now the offensive coordinator for Heathwood rival Hammond.)

Tymere Zimmerman was promoted to Heathwood head coach. He’s forged a strong relationship with Konanbanny, who lives with a host family but spends a lot of time with Zimmerman and his family.

“He has adapted to the Heathwood culture and it has embraced him and made him want to stay here,” Zimmerman said.

Division I coaches were frequent visitors to Heathwood’s campus in the spring. On the field, Zimmeran said Konanbanny’s talent stood out right away. His 6-foot-2 frame is ideal for the cornerback position, and his footwork from playing soccer has helped with the transition to American football.

Konanbanny played soccer in the spring for Heathwood and earned SCISA all-state honors.

“His footwork is bar none better than anyone I have ever coached. And for having only been playing football for five years, he is raw but has awareness of football,” said Zimmerman, the former Newberry College Hall of Fame receiver. “When he is playing defensive back in practice or the game, you might as well not worry about that side of the field because a pass won’t be thrown.”

Zimmerman said Konanbanny also will get plenty of opportunities on offense this season at receiver. He caught nine passes for 208 yards and two touchdowns in 2023. On defense, he recorded 20 tackles and six pass break-ups.

“My goal is just to leave it all on the field this season and help set the standard for the next class,” Konanbanny said.

Midlands’ top-ranked senior prospects

A look at where some of the top Columbia-area high school football seniors are in the 247Sports Composite rankings in South Carolina:

Onis Konanbanny, DB, Heathwood Hall — Uncommitted

Will Wilson, QB, Richland Northeast — Committed to NC State

AJ Brand, QB, Irmo — Committed to Virginia Tech

Mike Tyler, TE, Hammond — Uncommitted

Elgin Sessions, DB, Dutch Fork — Committed to West Virginia

Josh Smith, DB, Dutch Fork — Committed to Coastal Carolina

Jo Jo Crim, DB, Camden — Uncommitted

Stephen Collier, WR/S — Committed to East Carolina