Clemson signee Christian Bentancur is the newest addition to the 2024 Polynesian Bowl.
Bentancur is a 6-foot-5, 240-pound four-star from Woodstock (Ill.) Marian Central Catholic who 247Sports sees as the No. 8 tight end in the 2024 class, a top five prospect in Illinois and a top 125 recruit nationally.
He is a top 100 recruit per the 247Sports Composite.
This year’s Polynesian Bowl is the seventh edition of the game. It will be played in Honolulu, Hawaii on January 20, 2024 and will be televised by NFL Network.
The game and week is held during Polynesian Football Hall of Fmae Enshrinement Week and is not only a reward and a chance for high school players to play among the best in the country, but also a celebration of Polynesian culture.
“Well one, I’ve never been to Hawaii so it will be amazing to see the culture and a new part of the country,” Bentancur said. “This is a once of a lifetime experience that only a select amount of people can experience and I’m so grateful to be chosen. It has been my dream to play in one of these games and I can’t wait to compete against some of the best players in the nation.”
Bentancur chose Clemson over 37 total offers including LSU, Ohio State, Texas A&M, Michigan, Penn State and more. He finished his career at Marian with 231 receptions, 3,867 yards and 51 touchdowns while also playing on defense. He is also a standout basketball player who averaged 21.2 points per game as a junior.
He was also a two-time captain and three-tech all-area selection along with being the 2023 Northwest Herald Player of the Year and is an honor roll student.
He is part of a Tiger class that is currently in the top 15 nationally. He was the fourth highest-ranked player to sign with Clemson in the Early Signing Period.
“I am not enrolling early, but when I get to Clemson in June, I can’t wait to start my college career and help bring Clemson back to being contenders for the national championship, and I will push myself and my teammates to the limits to get there,” he said. “There’s so many good things to say about Clemson and now finally signed I’m glad that I am a part of it.”
NFL Ambassadors for the game include Michael Bennett, DeForest Buckner, Marcus Mariota, Haloti Ngata, Danny Shelton, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Ronnie Stanley.
For a look at the 2024 Polynesian Bowl roster, go here.
The eighth Polynesian Bowl is set for January 17, 2025 in Honolulu and will be televised by NFL Network.
For a look at the 2025 Polynesian Bowl roster, go here.
