Aug. 9—It was a risk. Randolph Kpai will tell you as much.
Before joining New Mexico this summer, the former top-rated recruit out of South Dakota spent the first three years of his career at Nebraska without playing a single game. There wasn’t one determining factor in his decision to enter the transfer portal; a lingering shoulder injury and “the business side of things” both played a role, but by the end of last December, he knew he needed a fresh start.
Where from, he didn’t know. The jarring differences between his prep recruitment out of Washington High School in Sioux Falls — when Power Five schools inundated him with offers — compared to light recruitment in the portal weren’t lost on him.
“While I was at Nebraska, I really hadn’t done anything, you know?” the 6-foot-3, 221-pound linebacker said. “I was injured my first year, second year (I was on) scout team, third year injury again. So it’s like, I didn’t have much to show.
“There (was) a lot of risk involved with (UNM) taking the chance on me, you know — because I really haven’t been on the field. I haven’t proven anything yet.”
Thirteen practices in, it looks as if that risk is starting to pay off for UNM. After spending spring away from football, Kpai was one of 43 players to earn his jersey number (33) over the first two weeks of fall camp. He’s accrued more and more playing time, making a steady impact at both the Mike and Buck spots in UNM’s defense.
“He’s done a really good job,” special teams coordinator and linebackers coach Shane Hunter said on Tuesday. “I mean, he’s a kid who’s been in college football — he understands it, he knows how to play, does a really good job of running around trying to make plays.”
“He’s a dog right there,” safety Christian Ellis said last Saturday. “He’s gonna run to the ball — like, he’s gonna run all the way from here all the way to Florida, and back. Nonstop. He’s gonna get to the ball, sideline to sideline. That’s just good, that’s great to have.”
“He’s a good player,” defensive coordinator Nick Howell said on Tuesday. “Randolph’s good. He’s going to help us.”
And where there was once uncertainty, there’s now a different feeling.
“Just being able to be where I’m at now but still chasing the dream, doing what I love, (I) could not be more grateful,” the soft-spoken Kpai said.
Born in Ghana and partially raised in Liberia, Kpai and his family emigrated to Chicago before moving to Sioux Falls in 2012. It was there that the long and fast Kpai blossomed into one of the best prep recruits in South Dakota history, earning a four-star rating from 24/7 Sports and an offer sheet that boasted Iowa, Oregon, Kansas State, Iowa State and Nebraska.
The Cornhuskers won out in the end, only for Kpai to spend three years in Lincoln without logging a single game appearance. Not knowing if he was “mentally and physically” ready to join a different program, Kpai moved back home for six months while rehabbing his shoulder.
While there, UNM reached out with a simple offer: “It was really just like, ‘we got an opportunity here for you, we’re rebuilding something,'” Kpai recalled, “‘and we’d like for you to be part of it. And if that’s something you’re interested in, let’s go to work.'”
Two days later, he loaded up his Ford Focus and made the 15-hour drive to New Mexico.
“It was like, okay, they’re willing to take a chance on me,” he said. “And that’s my opportunity right there, to go make a name for myself. I got that right there, and I’m just trying to make the most of it.”
Kpai is getting more reps in camp than he was used to; more “good on good” during practice — first-teamers taking on their counterparts. It’s the true fresh start he was looking for.
And there’s familiarity. Kpai said UNM’s defense, now projected to be more of a 4-2-5 base than the 3-4 showcased in the spring, is what he played in during his freshman season with the Cornhuskers.
“It’s just like learning a new language, you know what I mean?” he added. “But once you understand the core basics of it, it’s pretty easy. I’ve put in a lot of work to understand the defense — just (picking) it up pretty fast and then going out to execute it.
“And I’m still not where I wanna be yet. So I just got to keep putting in the work.”
FRIDAY’S PRACTICE: After getting an unexpected day off on Thursday, UNM was in full pads ahead of Saturday’s second and final scrimmage of camp, so Friday was more or less what you might expect: a regular pre-practice and warmup routine before some seven-on-seven work.
One standout play from the limited window? Cornerback Noah Avinger coming up with a pick from quarterback James Laubstein on a ball intended for wide receiver Michael Buckley. Avinger’s been moving around and getting reps at safety throughout camp, but it’s clear he’s still toward the top of UNM’s cornerback room.
INJURIES: For the first time all camp, Kpai was in a turquoise jersey (meaning limited, non-contact or injured) during Friday’s practice.
Other players seen in turquoise during Friday’s practice: — LB Colby Brewer — S Skylar Cook — DL Tyler Kiehne — S Tavian Combs — OL Matthew Toilolo — WR Evan Wysong — WR Mateo Contreras — CB Victor Villafuerte
