Moving more than 7,250 miles and leaving his home in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to come to a suburb of Atlanta seems like a challenge too grand for most to overcome.
For 2023 three-star offensive lineman Paul Mubenga, there was no other option. This was the only way and Buford High School was his new sanctuary.
Mubenga put on the football pads and worked to become a sensation not just for Buford, but for college programs across the country. Garnering interest and picking up scholarship offers from nearly 50 universities has been a blessing for Mubenga. He recently released a top five that includes Michigan, North Carolina, LSU, Texas A&M, and South Carolina.
"My top five was based on, first of all, the relationships I built with the coaches and how much they want me to be a part of their program," Mubenga told Maize and Blue Review. "Second of all, what they offer academically and athletically. That’s one thing I really took into consideration in this process. It was the one thing I really focused on most throughout this process because I know with football, everybody has the facilities, everybody has the team, everybody has the culture, so I had to focus on the main thing which was academics."
When it comes to Mubenga making his college decision, the two most important factors will be culture and academics.
He is looking for a program to call home and he feels Michigan fits the bill.
"The culture, everything out there reminds me of Buford, which is everything I have been a part of since my freshman year," Mubenga said. "Really understanding that the culture is what drives us here, is the same thing over there at Michigan. Also, the academics of Michigan. They really have a strong academic base with alumni everywhere. You can’t go anywhere without finding someone that goes to Michigan. I felt really comfortable on my official visit and they have got a great chance to get me."
Mubenga took the first of his official visits to North Carolina and followed it up this past weekend at Michigan.
He described it as an amazing experience and went on about how much he enjoyed spending time with both players and coaches.
"Man, it's the people," Mubenga said. "You can have all the facilities in the world, all the coaches that tell you anything, but it’s really the people and players that live that daily life with the workouts and academics. Being able to talk to them and really understand their point of view since I’m going to be in their shoes at some point. Just being able to see that and understand really what it’s all about. That was the one thing I really loved about the visit."
The timeline for Mubenga has always been to take his official visits before sitting down and making his decision.
Following his visit to Michigan, he says there might be some adjustments to that timeline.
"As of right now, I would say that there have been a couple of changes," Mubenga said. "I’m still thinking about taking all my official visits just to make sure I’m not missing anything. I mean, I’m coming off two official visits to UNC and Michigan. Both of them had a great impact on me, how I see things now, and how in-depth official visits go. Seeing what the program has to offer has definitely been something that I have enjoyed."
As of now, his goal remains the same, to use his official visits before making a public decision.
However, his recent visit to Michigan has some thinking a commitment might be coming sooner than originally expected. Mubenga identified his relationship with Sherrone Moore being one of the biggest reasons why.
"It’s amazing. We talk every week." Mubenga said. "He is just that one type of coach that’s just welcoming to everybody and when he has his eyes on you, he won’t let you go, you are a part of his family. Just being able to talk with him and really understand what he is like as a coach and how he treats us like his own children."
Moore is one of the bigger factors in Mubenga's recruitment, but the title for hardest working recruiter goes to fellow Georgian, 2023 four-star running back Benjamin Hall. Hall has worked double time in the recruitment of a handful of prospects and Mubenga is circled in big red lines on his list.
"Benjamin Hall talks to me every day. We have gotten really close lately and he told me the same thing," Mubenga said. "Michigan is a great program with a great culture. That’s really what drives everything up there and that starts with the people. Being able to have someone from Georgia that really loves the school is pretty much unheard of. He really wants me to be a part of that program and I started to see why, especially after my official visit."
Michigan knocked it out of the park with Mubenga during his weekend stay in Ann Arbor. He was overjoyed to talk about his time on campus, reiterating just how much he appreciated the way the staff made him feel like family.
The Wolverine staff also made sure to sit down and clarify the role they see Mubenga playing here at Michigan. With his size and athletic ability, Michigan made it clear they see him being able to play each position across the offensive line.
"They are pitching me versatility. My tape speaks for itself." Mubenga said. "you can see I have the height and the feet for a tackle, but I’m also really flexible, quick on my pulls and everything. That really gives a variety of choices of where I want to play. But ultimately, it’s going to come down to where the team needs me the most and what I can do to help them out."
Buford High offensive line coach, Matt Winslette, had this to say about Mubenga's preparation and versatility when it comes to the college level.
"“(Buford) runs a college style offense. We don’t run a style of offense that is going to hold him back from being able to play immediately when he goes to the next level." Coach Winslette said. "There’s not a part of the college game that he hasn’t learned already. The way we teach it is you don’t just learn one position, we teach you how to play guard, tackle, and center so when you get to college you are able to play at all three spots. His transition will be seamless.”
Jim Harbaugh has also put his stamp on this recruitment. It's nice to see the head man involved with priority recruits like Mubenga, who is clearly feeling the love from the top dog. The two were really able to connect during the official visit this weekend, spending time talking in Harbaugh's office.
"First and foremost, Coach Harbaugh is just a down to Earth guy. He doesn’t even know he is famous." Mubenga said. "That’s how crazy he is. He keeps everything simple ever since he has been there. He played for Michigan and ever since then he has brought that culture with him and the players love him. I love him and the way he approaches things and how simple he keeps everything. That’s something you rarely see."
Mubenga explained to me how his conversation with Harbaugh helped him understand in what ways college football is a business but that he really believes Harbaugh would do this for fun, backing up comments he made following the 2021-22 season.
Being coached by one of the best offensive line coaches in America is something Mubenga is looking for and he is aware that there is no better option than Coach Moore. Winning the Joe Moore Award in just his first season as offensive line coach is something that really stands out to the three-star lineman.
"It means a lot, it means he takes his job seriously and he wants us to be the best in any type of situation we are put in," Mubenga said. "He told me that there is definitely a chip on his shoulder now. He came into the program and everybody thought he wasn’t going to do a great job, but he got the group to believe in him, he got everybody ready and they just enjoyed the ride from there and were able to win the Joe Moore Award. It’s definitely a great feeling to know that type of coach, especially in his first year, doing something like that is just amazing."
Mubenga came to Buford as a twelve-year-old who had never played football in his life and will be leaving in less than a year with an opportunity to play college football. He says his recruitment has always been fun for him but that it has really snuck up on him that it's almost over.
"Well at first, I was enjoying it and everything," Mubenga said. "Then I got going into my senior year and I realized now it’s time to find that place I call home for the next four to five years. From there on, I took it seriously upon me to figure out what school was really the best fit for me. Now I have a goal in my head for when I make that final decision, and that’s the weighing down part of it."
He recognizes the success that former Georgia players have had at Michigan, like Chris Hinton, DJ Turner II, Jalen Perry and Trente Jones. He says it 's something he really thinks about.
"Nowadays in recruiting everybody has the same mindset about getting to the big league and all that, but once you really break football down as it is, you can see that there is a high level everywhere," Mubenga said. "Seeing the Georgia kids take a chance, giving Michigan all their time, going over there playing in the B1G, and having so much success shows that the program has the right tools to build a player into an NFL guy. It’s definitely a plus for Michigan."
His coach at Buford said Mubenga is a humble kid, that he leads by example, and is a great student both on the football field and in the classroom. However, he noted that he wasn't always this way. Having no prior football knowledge meant Winslette and the Buford coaching staff had to start at ground zero and teach him everything he knows.
"Paul didn’t start playing football until he got here, which is great because it meant he didn’t have any bad habits," Winslette said. "He only knew one way to do it and that was our way. It made it really fun to be able to work with a guy that has only heard it one way. He immediately started absorbing the information and took the coaching. It’s been a pleasure to coach him.”
Mubenga says others would describe him as always happy, a great leader, someone who enjoys spending time with others, and brings good energy to everything he does. When it comes to the football field though, he credits Buford High School with making sure he is ready for the next level.
"Buford is a college level program and it's comparable to lots of different colleges. Just based on the simple thing of discipline," Mubenga said. "Our discipline and standards are really high and it’s not just us, it’s the people before us that set that standard. It is something that has been driving us since then and just being able to go through that and understanding really what it takes to be a man both on and off the field. That’s what separates us from everybody else."
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