Heathwood Hall football standout flips commitment from Tennessee to new SEC school
Onis Konanbanny had a change of heart a day before signing day.
The Heathwood Hall defensive back flipped his college choice from Tennessee to Florida on Tuesday, a day before the final second signing period for football begins.
Konanbanny revealed his new school by pulling out a Florida Gators sweatshirt and hat under the table and then did the Gator chomp symbol.
“I just had more of a home feeling in Gainesville than in Knoxville,” Konanbanny told The State. “It is a better fit for me in my career. It has different types of perks that can really help me in my future even after football.”
South Carolina also was in the mix for Konanbanny, who committed to the Vols on Aug. 23. But he didn’t sign during the first signing period in December and made an official visit to Florida in November.
All signs pointed to Konanbanny switching schools, as several national recruiting analysts predicted the change in the last few weeks.
“I feel we will bring that DB swagger, that swamp swagger to the program,” Konanbanny said. “I am going to be a hard worker that could play nickel, cornerback or wherever coach needs me.”
247Sports Composite ranks Konanbanny as a four-star prospect and 35th-best cornerback in the country. He is relatively new to the game of football.
Konanbanny was born in France but lived most of his life in London. 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 original plan was to continue to train and then go to the NFL Academy in the United Kingdom when he turned 16. But that plan changed when Agu encouraged him to go to the United States and play with him at Rabun Gap-Nacoochee High School.
“I see this whole thing as a business trip,” Konanbanny said in the summer. “If I do this right, execute, I will be in a position to bring my whole family out here.”
Konanbanny played at Rabun Gap in Georgia for two years and transferred to Heathwood just after the season started in 2023.. He appeared in six games for the Highlanders, recording 20 tackles and six pass break-ups.
In the 2024 season, Konanbanny had 45 tackles, one interception returned for a touchdown. He had three passes completed against him. On offense, he had 38 catches for 526 yards and five touchdowns.
This story was originally published February 4, 2025 at 12:49 PM.
