Joshua Kaindoh thrust himself into a college lifestyle when he left his family and home in Maryland for his junior year of high school. Students at IMG Academy, a sprawling boarding school and training ground for promising young athletes in Bradenton, Fla., must adjust to waking themselves around 6 a.m. on weekdays and doing their own laundry. Kaindoh joined a football team that touted players from six countries and 25 states and a program that churns out Division I prospects at an increasingly rapid rate.
But his mind never wandered from his home state. Kaindoh, ranked by ESPN as the country's second-best defensive end prospect, announced his decision to commit to play for Maryland and new Terrapins Coach DJ Durkin last Saturday. While the oral commitment is not binding, it is considered a boon for Maryland, an auspicious overlap between Durkin's recruiting efforts in talent-rich Florida and his staff's focus on keeping players with local ties close to home.
Maryland, which signed 10 players from the Washington area and seven recruits from Florida as part of its 2016 recruiting class, has gained seven commitments for 2017. Each one has ties to Maryland, including Cam Spence, a four-star defensive tackle at IMG Academy who began his career at Gilman (Maryland) and visited Maryland with Kaindoh earlier this spring.
Kaindoh first sprouted as a promising recruit during his first two years at Mount Carmel in Baltimore County. The school's varsity coach, Daryl Jackson, took notice right away. Kaindoh started on varsity as a freshman and has since grown into a 6-foot-5, 235-pound blue-chipper who has been lauded by coaches and recruiting analysts for his length and athleticism, his time of 4.7 seconds in the 40-yard dash and his lateral mobility.
"His freshman year, he put on the equipment, he jumps out to you right away when you meet him," Jackson said. "We used him at wide receiver, punter, he played inside linebacker his freshman year. He wanted to put his hand in the dirt. He wanted to be a pass rusher. He's physical enough. We moved him around to just about anything we could with him."
Kaindoh's place on the recruiting pedestal belies his nature as one of the quietest, most reserved players on IMG's roster. Coach Kevin Wright has yet to see a definitive vocal moment from Kaindoh. He prefers to pick and choose his spots when to speak up, and often it's not about football. Wright and Kaindoh were eating dinner together a few weeks ago, and instead of talking about football or the countless schools recruiting him, Kaindoh brought up the topic of bone density. He's an aspiring medical school student, according to Wright, and among his favorite classes at IMG is biology.
"He doesn't talk a lot. When he does talk, he's very cerebral," Wright said. "He's a guy that kind of goes out and let's his play speak for him."
For all of Kaindoh's physical gifts, his awareness on the field stands out most to Wright. "He knocks a lot of balls down. I mean, he's tough to throw the ball over," said Wright, who has specifically schemed to throw more out-screens and bubble screens during practice when throwing Kaindoh's way. The vocal piece of Kaindoh's game will eventually come, Wright believes.
By the time he arrives at Maryland, barring a change of heart before signing day next year, he will be one of the most celebrated recruits in program history. He has a chance to be a transcendent recruit for Durkin's new program, in the same conversation as past five-star athletes Stefon Diggs (Good Counsel, 2012) and Melvin Alaeze (Randallstown, 2005).
"Looking at his progression from his freshman to sophomore year in Maryland, to this year down at IMG Academy . . . you see this monster running around on the field," said Adam Friedman, a mid-Atlantic recruiting analyst for Rivals.com. "He took his production to another level, and against some excellent competition. He's just an outstanding football player, someone who I think has almost limitless potential."
Kaindoh pledged last week after tweeting out a top four list that included Ohio State, Penn State, Notre Dame and Michigan but not Maryland. Saturday's announcement came as a stunner to some, but not to those plugged into recruiting circles, according to Friedman.
While Kaindoh's commitment appears firm, Maryland's staff will likely have to fend off aggressive suitors until he signs later this year. The staff will also try to use the commitment as a foundation to build upon, with plenty of targets still on the board. That includes DeMatha defensive end Chase Young, who is currently rated as the fourth-best defensive end in the country by ESPN.
"There's a buzz around the program, not just with one or two coaches, but the entire coaching staff," Friedman said. "They've got so many connections and they are so high-energy, it's hard for players to not gravitate towards guys like them."
About the Author
