Josh Kaindoh turned heads his first day on the gridiron at Mount Carmel. Cougars football coach Daryl Jackson said Kaindoh's size was "shocking" the first time he saw him.
Defensive coordinator Dave Conroy didn't believe Kaindoh's age.
"When I first met him, I thought he was a transfer 11th grader," Conroy said. "He told me he was a freshman, I thought he was messing around with me. There was no way this kid was a freshman."
The 6-foot-6, 235-pound defensive end has dominated during his first two seasons with Mount Carmel, which is in just its fifth year as a program. The class of 2017 recruit is ranked second nationally at weak-side defensive end and second among all position players in Maryland, according to 247Sports.com.
As a result, Kaindoh was one of 33 underclassmen of the 118 total participants invited to this weekend's Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge at M&T Bank Stadium.
"It's an honor," Kaindoh said. "Not too many have been invited, so I mean I'm making an impact at a young age."
Aside from the recognition, the camp allows Kaindoh to compete against the top high school players from across the country, something he doesn't get playing in the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association C Conference with Mount Carmel.
"This is going to be a great barometer for him," said Adam Friedman, the Mid-Atlantic recruiting analyst for Rivals.com. "He hasn't seen guys like this. These guys are just as physically talented as he is. And this is really going to show him how good he is at certain things and the others things that he really needs to work on."
Kaindoh said he thinks the weaker competition has impacted his recruiting. His list of offers isn't as long as some of the other top recruits, but he still has garnered attention from some of the powerhouse programs.
The sophomore mentioned Penn State, Maryland and Florida State as his favorites, and he also has offers from eight other schools, including Alabama and defending champion Ohio State.
"I see him being one that can make a difference," Jackson said of Kaindoh's potential impact at the next level. "He's somebody that I think people will have to game-plan for."
Kaindoh's time in Maryland might be cut short before college, though. He has been accepted to the IMG Academy, a private athletic training institute in Bradenton, Fla., and is still deciding whether he will move down there.
If he does leave Mount Carmel, he would be following in the footsteps of Rahshaun Smith, who was in a similar position last year. Smith, who attended St. Frances and participated in last season's Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge, announced over the winter he would be transferring to IMG.
"He hasn't gotten a ton of exposure," Friedman said of Kaindoh.
Kaindoh has been a unique situation for Jackson and Conroy. He is easily the highest-rated recruit during the program's short existence, and the coaches have had to design practices specifically with him in mind.
He is so big and strong compared to his teammates that they can't let him hit certain kids during practice. They attempt to pair him up with the better players, but it's tough to simulate game action for him let alone what he will see in college.
"It's a special case," Conroy said. "If he really wanted to tear some teams up, then he could really do some damage."
Mount Carmel has allowed Kaindoh to develop his versatility, however. The Cougars' need at multiple positions paired with his combination of size and athleticism has seen him drop back in coverage in some schemes and bull rush the quarterback in others.
While Kaindoh has played some linebacker for the Cougars, he sees himself strictly as a defensive end in the future.
"That's where I feel the most comfortable," he said.
But in order to do so full-time, both Jackson and Friedman expect Kaindoh to put on some weight to solidify his frame on the line.
"He could probably put on another 40 or 50 pounds and you probably wouldn't even notice it," Jackson said. "I'd like to see him improve in that area. We'd also like to see him work on putting his hand in the dirt a little bit more."
Kaindoh has done more than just man the defense for Mount Carmel. When Jackson was in search of a punter, he didn't have to look any farther than his soft-spoken giant of a lineman.
It isn't done as a joke, either. In fact, the only problem with him back there is sometimes his leg is so strong that he outkicks his coverage.
"It's a distinctive sound when he kicks the ball," Conroy said. "There's a bigger thud."
But Kaindoh knows that is just a temporary, fun activity until he moves on to increased competition. For now, the aspiring kinesiology major will continue to prove himself whether it's at Mount Carmel or IMG.
He had his chance to showcase his skills at the Rivals challenge, and wherever he ends up, the kid who looked like an 11th grader at his first practice will look to continue turning heads.
"Watching him play these last couple years, there's not really anything he can't do," Conroy said.
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