James Faminu has the type of eye-catching measurables that would cause any Division I football coach to salivate.

He’s 6-7 and 350 pounds. He has 10-inch hands and a 7-foot, 1½-inch wingspan.

Yet he does not have a star rating on any of the major recruiting websites.

There might be a reason you’ve never heard of him.

He’s from London.

“I’m a realist,” Faminu said recently by phone. “At the moment, I know I’m good. But at the level I’m at, I’m nowhere near elite or pro level. Maybe not even near D-I level. But one thing I will say: I’ve got a lot of potential and (am) willing to learn.”

Faminu has a scholarship offer from the University of Houston and made a verbal commitment Monday morning after an official visit to campus this past weekend. He plans to sign Dec. 18 — the start of the early signing period — and enroll in school in January.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Recruiting sales pitch remains the same after tough season

A former rugby player, Faminu has been focused on American football for only the past two years, playing for the London Blitz, an under-19 team in the British American Football Association. He played nose tackle his first season before shifting to offensive line.

“I’ve always been told I would be good at contact sports, whether that be rugby, boxing or American football,” Faminu said. “I started with rugby about five years ago. I enjoyed it a lot … but could never reach my peak. Although I was good, I wasn’t reaching elite standard, so I started to lose my love for it after a while.”

About that time, Faminu came across a player for the Blitz on Instagram and reached out about attending a practice.

Eventually, Faminu took part in a camp in Amsterdam in 2018 and this past summer joined a dozen European prospects who made stops at recruiting camps in Fort Worth, Waco and Houston. The DreamChasers Tour, organized by Premier Players International, gives the players the opportunity to compete against American prospects in front of Division I coaches, hopefully get noticed and land a scholarship.

Faminu admitted to being “a bit nervous” at the TCU camp, where he did not fare well. On the next stop, the group arrived late to the UH camp. Faminu had about five minutes to warm up, then went through two drills and quickly began one-on-one drills.

“I was focused from the beginning to end,” Faminu said. “It was a good day.”

Faminu performed well enough to impress UH co-offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Brandon Jones and earn his first Division I scholarship offer.

The UH coaching staff is not permitted to discuss recruits until they sign national letters of intent.

“I told him to stop acting cool and laid-back and start being hungry, as you need to take your family out of a bad environment,” said Brandon Collier, founder of PPI. “Yes, it was his first camp, but once I told him to get his act together, then it was over from there. He went out there and dominated.”

Collier added that Faminu’s size and mobility make him a “no-brainer” for schools.

Collier, a former standout at the University of Massachusetts who now lives in Germany, has played matchmaker between European players and U.S. colleges. Since 2017, PPI has had 50 players sign with Division I schools, among them Notre Dame, Penn State, Michigan, West Virginia, TCU, Florida and Nebraska.

“The floodgates are open,” Collier said of U.S. interest in players from Europe.

This is not the first time the Cougars have crossed international waters in search of a prospect. In 2004, UH signed German tight end prospect Sebastian Vollmer, who transitioned to offensive line and won two Super Bowl rings with the New England Patriots. More recently, the Cougars signed Australian punter Dane Roy, a Ray Guy Award finalist this season. The Aussie pipeline continues with Roy’s replacement, Laine Wilkins, set to join UH next season.

Coming to the U.S. has long been a dream for Faminu. A few years ago, he received a half-scholarship to play rugby at a small school in Missouri but was unable to come up with the additional money required.

“I always kind of kept that dream alive,” Faminu said. “But it’s hard to keep it going when you don’t see anything or see any development. I put in a lot of work for this.”

The moment he made the decision to pursue a college football scholarship came last year during the national finals with the London Blitz.

“Hearing the music, seeing the crowd, (the game) was streamed on television,” he said. “That’s when I knew I wanted to go to college. It felt different. It made me realize I actually have a passion for the sport.”

Football is not played in high school in the United Kingdom and is regarded as an amateur sport, which means players must find options elsewhere. Along with paying a fee, players practice between three and five hours per week and must do their own weight training and conditioning because of a lack of resources and funding.

Jason Henry, Faminu’s under-19 coach with the Blitz, said the team has produced close to 30 players who have attended prep school, high school, junior college or college in the U.S. in the past decade, including Francis Bongwalanga, who played offensive line for two seasons at Houston Baptist.

“We know the UK has talent to play college football but lack the exposure and opportunity,” Henry said. “British players are more about potential.”

Henry said Faminu arrived with an immediate appreciation for playing offensive line.

“His commitment and dedication grew as he became more invested with the sport,” Henry said. “Most who arrive want to play quarterback or wide receiver, with nearly all linemen wanting to play defense rather then offense. James was one who soon built an appreciation for playing offensive line.”

In the past months, Faminu began the process by filing transcripts — he has a 4.0 grade-point average at London Academy and a 1020 SAT score — and other documents with the NCAA. He was cleared to play by the NCAA in mid-November.

“Running up and down from my high school for months to try and get my stuff sorted on time, it was worth it,” Faminu said.

Faminu said he has been impressed with the UH coaching staff and has developed a strong relationship with Jones. Faminu also received offers from UMass, Maryville State, Missouri Southern State and Southwest Minnesota State, according to 247Sports.

“I liked the vibe I got from them, especially with the offensive line coach and strength and conditioning staff,” he said.

Faminu said there is no concern about moving so far from home and embarking on the biggest adventure of his life.

“One thing us European athletes really have is the drive to learn and get to where we need to be,” he said. “We’re not going to leave our country, leave our family and girlfriends, just to not get anywhere. I’m ready to put the work in. I’ve got potential, but I’ve got a lot of work when I get there.”

joseph.duarte@chron.com

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