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Two weeks back, 2021 Jefferson (OR) 4-star DE Nathan Rawlins-Kibonge cut down his list to a top 8, and he spoke about what made him feel it was time to start narrowing his options.
“Just how much contact I was having with everybody was really what motivated it, I was getting overwhelmed,” Rawlins-Kibonge said. “I needed to slow down a bit, I didn’t need to be talking to everyone every day. So that was the main motivation there, and then plus kind of getting closer to a better idea of where I want to go, what I want to do, making sure I’m choosing the best universities that are going to represent me and that I can represent.”
Included in his top group was the Miami Hurricanes, a college that Rawlins-Kibonge referred to as his “dream school” after landing his offer in late January. The Jefferson star stayed consistent with that moniker when talking about the Canes and Rawlins-Kibonge sees multiple benefits of attending the university off the field as well, including the marketing potential in a big media market city like Miami. This comes following a recent NCAA announcement in April that the organization now supports a rule change allowing student-athletes to profit from their name, image and likeness, so long as the college or university they attend does not pay them directly.
“I felt like I had to put them in, it’s my dream school,” Rawlins-Kibonge said of UM. “My whole life, I’ve always dreamed about throwing up that U and getting the turnover chain. It’s just something I’ve looked at and evaluated. I’m an academic kid too, I thrive in situations where I can talk to the teacher and be 1-on-1, so it being a private school and the class sizes being on average around 20, from that standpoint, it’s a great place to thrive.
“Also thinking about the new rules on NCAA players being able to make money, it’s a great place to be to market myself to build my brand, to build my image. It’s just somewhere I couldn’t pass up on and I had to put in my top 8.”
When asked to expand more on that thinking regarding the NCAA ruling, Rawlins-Kibonge simply said he has a different thought-process than most of his peers.
"I think [the NCAA ruling] is crazy, but I'm an 'old head', they always tell me I'm a person that does things that people in my generation don't usually do," Rawlins-Kibonge said. "I'm just going to keep my head on my shoulders, do what I can, and make this work the best for me."
The 6-7 240 pound prospect has also made his relationship with the UM staff a priority in recent weeks, and Rawlins-Kibonge said his bond with Miami has never been better.
“Mainly I’m in contact with coach (Stephen) Field and coach (Todd) Stroud,” Rawlins-Kibonge said. “Our relationship has grown, and I want it to continue to grow. I want to be able to put them in my final three, four, or five, and keep building that relationship. We talked about taking an official visit, but due to the quarantine, we’re mostly playing that by ear.”
Other schools included in Rawlins-Kibonge’s top group are Arizona State, Cal, Colorado, Oklahoma, USC, Washington, and Washington State. However, the list grew by one when Stanford came through with an offer last week, and the Cardinal are now squarely in contention to sign Rawlins-Kibonge.
“Stanford is definitely in there," Rawlins-Kibonge said. "I've been waiting on this one, and it’s just a blessing. I never thought I'd be able to be in this position, I now have both my dream offers, Miami and Stanford. I’m just enjoying this while process right now. I’d love to visit Stanford soon, I’ve never been there yet.”
With that being said, Rawlins-Kibonge says that all nine schools are on equal footing and he will continue to evaluate which place will be his best fit as time goes on.
“It’s hard to really say I have a better relationship with one or the other, because I love talking to all of them and it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity that I’m extremely blessed to have, especially after only playing football for one year,” Rawlins-Kibonge said.
Rawlins-Kibonge had his first official visit of the process scheduled to Oklahoma in April, which was subsequently moved to June because of the coronavirus pandemic. However, that June OU visit has now been cancelled as well as Rawlins-Kibonge plays the waiting game until things get back to normal.
“I’m trying to get something in the works with them again, it’s just about how this quarantine goes,” Rawlins-Kibonge said of OU. “I definitely want to take all my visits, that is the plan. I don’t want to have to commit early, but at the end of the day, if where I want to go needs me to commit because they only have one spot, then I’m going to have to do that. I’m definitely trying to enjoy the ride while I can.”
Rawlins-Kibonge says he plans to cut down his list again ahead of a planned December decision so he can sign early, and he has a very complete vision both for how he wants his recruitment to play out and what he plans to accomplish once he gets in school.
“I think the first thing I ask myself is ‘What’s my dream? What do I want to do? How can I make this experience as close to what I’ve dreamt about for my whole entire life?’” Rawlins-Kibonge said. “So that’s the main thing I look at, and I just want to do what’s best for me, what’s best for my career and my future, and how I can enjoy this experience to the fullest.
“I just want to do what I can do at the best level the best way I possibly can. I want to change the dynamic, change the way people look at black people, my family - I want to be that person for people to look at, that standard, I want people to look at me and say ‘That’s the dude you want to be like. He followed the blueprint, he did what he was supposed to do, and he changed the culture, he changed the game, he changed everything.’”
In his first season of playing football as a junior in 2019, Rawlins-Kibonge put up an impressive line in just 10 games - 74 tackles, 28 TFL, 5 sacks, and 1 FR.
“Just how much contact I was having with everybody was really what motivated it, I was getting overwhelmed,” Rawlins-Kibonge said. “I needed to slow down a bit, I didn’t need to be talking to everyone every day. So that was the main motivation there, and then plus kind of getting closer to a better idea of where I want to go, what I want to do, making sure I’m choosing the best universities that are going to represent me and that I can represent.”
Included in his top group was the Miami Hurricanes, a college that Rawlins-Kibonge referred to as his “dream school” after landing his offer in late January. The Jefferson star stayed consistent with that moniker when talking about the Canes and Rawlins-Kibonge sees multiple benefits of attending the university off the field as well, including the marketing potential in a big media market city like Miami. This comes following a recent NCAA announcement in April that the organization now supports a rule change allowing student-athletes to profit from their name, image and likeness, so long as the college or university they attend does not pay them directly.
“I felt like I had to put them in, it’s my dream school,” Rawlins-Kibonge said of UM. “My whole life, I’ve always dreamed about throwing up that U and getting the turnover chain. It’s just something I’ve looked at and evaluated. I’m an academic kid too, I thrive in situations where I can talk to the teacher and be 1-on-1, so it being a private school and the class sizes being on average around 20, from that standpoint, it’s a great place to thrive.
“Also thinking about the new rules on NCAA players being able to make money, it’s a great place to be to market myself to build my brand, to build my image. It’s just somewhere I couldn’t pass up on and I had to put in my top 8.”
When asked to expand more on that thinking regarding the NCAA ruling, Rawlins-Kibonge simply said he has a different thought-process than most of his peers.
"I think [the NCAA ruling] is crazy, but I'm an 'old head', they always tell me I'm a person that does things that people in my generation don't usually do," Rawlins-Kibonge said. "I'm just going to keep my head on my shoulders, do what I can, and make this work the best for me."
The 6-7 240 pound prospect has also made his relationship with the UM staff a priority in recent weeks, and Rawlins-Kibonge said his bond with Miami has never been better.
“Mainly I’m in contact with coach (Stephen) Field and coach (Todd) Stroud,” Rawlins-Kibonge said. “Our relationship has grown, and I want it to continue to grow. I want to be able to put them in my final three, four, or five, and keep building that relationship. We talked about taking an official visit, but due to the quarantine, we’re mostly playing that by ear.”
Other schools included in Rawlins-Kibonge’s top group are Arizona State, Cal, Colorado, Oklahoma, USC, Washington, and Washington State. However, the list grew by one when Stanford came through with an offer last week, and the Cardinal are now squarely in contention to sign Rawlins-Kibonge.
“Stanford is definitely in there," Rawlins-Kibonge said. "I've been waiting on this one, and it’s just a blessing. I never thought I'd be able to be in this position, I now have both my dream offers, Miami and Stanford. I’m just enjoying this while process right now. I’d love to visit Stanford soon, I’ve never been there yet.”
With that being said, Rawlins-Kibonge says that all nine schools are on equal footing and he will continue to evaluate which place will be his best fit as time goes on.
“It’s hard to really say I have a better relationship with one or the other, because I love talking to all of them and it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity that I’m extremely blessed to have, especially after only playing football for one year,” Rawlins-Kibonge said.
Rawlins-Kibonge had his first official visit of the process scheduled to Oklahoma in April, which was subsequently moved to June because of the coronavirus pandemic. However, that June OU visit has now been cancelled as well as Rawlins-Kibonge plays the waiting game until things get back to normal.
“I’m trying to get something in the works with them again, it’s just about how this quarantine goes,” Rawlins-Kibonge said of OU. “I definitely want to take all my visits, that is the plan. I don’t want to have to commit early, but at the end of the day, if where I want to go needs me to commit because they only have one spot, then I’m going to have to do that. I’m definitely trying to enjoy the ride while I can.”
Rawlins-Kibonge says he plans to cut down his list again ahead of a planned December decision so he can sign early, and he has a very complete vision both for how he wants his recruitment to play out and what he plans to accomplish once he gets in school.
“I think the first thing I ask myself is ‘What’s my dream? What do I want to do? How can I make this experience as close to what I’ve dreamt about for my whole entire life?’” Rawlins-Kibonge said. “So that’s the main thing I look at, and I just want to do what’s best for me, what’s best for my career and my future, and how I can enjoy this experience to the fullest.
“I just want to do what I can do at the best level the best way I possibly can. I want to change the dynamic, change the way people look at black people, my family - I want to be that person for people to look at, that standard, I want people to look at me and say ‘That’s the dude you want to be like. He followed the blueprint, he did what he was supposed to do, and he changed the culture, he changed the game, he changed everything.’”
In his first season of playing football as a junior in 2019, Rawlins-Kibonge put up an impressive line in just 10 games - 74 tackles, 28 TFL, 5 sacks, and 1 FR.
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