The highest-rated South Dakota football recruit for the Class of 2021 is off the board.
Sioux Falls Washington 4-star linebacker Randolph Kpai announced on Thursday night he is verbally committed to playing college at the University of Nebraska, joining current NFL linebacker Nate Gerry and the Farniok brothers as Warriors who have become Huskers in the last decade.
The Big Red beat out regional rivals Iowa, Minnesota, and Iowa State, Kpai’s other finalists. He is the No. 73 overall recruit (No. 7 at his position) in the country for the cycle.
Having called several of his games the last few years, I can attest how electrifying a player he is. A heat-seeking missile with combined force of speed and power who can provide a WOW moment in pursuit of quarterbacks, ball carriers, and receivers anytime.
The best way to deacribe him is this: As a play-by-play announcer, I am mostly watching the ball. In 15 years doing this in four different states at all levels, I have never seen a high school player burst into my vision as fast as he does to disrupt or obliterate a play. This may happen when watching him on your TV sets in years to come. All of a sudden, bam, there he is!
What impressed me the most this past season was Kpai’s ability to add to his Hudl highlight reel on a young and struggling team that finished with a losing record. Washington won five state titles this past decade and finished runner-up twice, but was an almost entirely new team this past season.
When your entire team is a powerhouse of talent around you, it is easier to make plays. Kpai proved he didn’t need that. The Huskers sure need more wrecking balls like him.
“I (would) like to thank everyone who have given me a chance to continue my education and do what I love at the next level,” Kpai wrote in a tweet, which included an image of Kpai’s likeness sporting the “skull and crossbones” gesture Husker defensive players make after big plays.
“With that being said, I’m happy to announce that I’ll be attending the University of Nebraska.”
The Hawkeyes were the first to offer Kpai a scholarship. Former WHS All-State linebacker Seth Benson just completed his redshirt freshman season in Iowa City.
But the 6-foot-3, 195-pound senior-to-be Kpai knew after visiting NU linebacker coach Barrett Ruud — the school’s all-time leading tackler — last March in Lincoln that he was “N” on the Huskers.
“All these other places are great,” Kpai told WHS coach Chad Stadem, according to the Omaha World-Herald. “I enjoyed all those visits and all the coaches. But Nebraska’s my fit.”
Added Kpai: “I picked Nebraska because of the people there. I don’t really care about the facilities or any of that stuff. It was about the people and the education and opportunities.”
The feeling was mutual, considering Kpai was voted student of the year as a sophomore in a school of over 2,000.
Of the commitment, veteran Omaha World-Herald Husker football reporter Sam McKewon wrote:
“Kpai’s competition in South Dakota isn’t exactly elite, but he’s the faster player on his highlight tape, consistently grabbing ball carriers behind the line of scrimmage and knocking them down with force. At times, Kpai knifes through untouched. It won’t be that simple in college, but some of Kpai’s play echoes that of current Husker Nick Henrich or future Husker Keyshawn Greene. He just has a burst. At 185 pounds, he’ll need to gain weight, much like Henrich and Greene will.”
