In less than a week, Florida State has struck gold with a pair of 5-star commitments.
The first came on the eve of Christmas Eve as defensive Joshua Kaindoh, a former Maryland commit, pledged his services to FSU. The latest case came on Tuesday night when running back Cam Akers announced that he was leaving Mississippi for Tallahassee.
Landing a 5-star prospect is always a big deal, but what do each bring to the table? How early should each expect to play? We break it down for you right here:
Joshua Kaindoh, DE
A 6-6, 250-pound defensive end out of IMG Academy in Bradenton, Joshua Kaindoh is the No. 21 overall prospect for 2017, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings, and the second-best player at his position. Kaindoh is currently the only defensive end committed for 2017.
What he brings: Kaindoh is a relentless player with a high motor and tremendous quickness out of his stance. Kaindoh also has very good instincts and never seems to give up on a play. At 6-6, Kaindoh really seems to know how to use his long arms to his advantage, whether it’s batting down or disrupting passes, getting off blocks or tracking down ball-carriers.
If there is one area where Kaindoh can improve, it may be getting leverage. At 6-6, that’s not an easy thing to do, but Kaindoh is sometimes too high coming out of his stance.
How he fits: With his current frame at 6-6 and 250 pounds, Kaindoh is probably more suited to play FSU’s “BUCK” position, which is an end/linebacker hybrid role, but with 20 or 25 pounds could probably play with his hand on the ground as a traditional defensive end. With Josh Sweat, Brian Burns and Jacob Pugh all coming back, it is a bit crowded at the “BUCK” position, but with DeMarcus Walker leaving for the NFL, it’s possible that Sweat will move over and play with his hand on the ground.
As for Kaindoh, expect him to see the field early. As was the case with Burns this year, it’s possible the Seminoles could use the 5-star prospect early on a situational basis and make him a bigger part of the rotation as the 2017 season goes on. Kaindoh should benefit immensely from enrolling early.
Cam Akers, RB
The crown jewel of Florida State’s 2017 recruiting class so far, Akers picked the Seminoles over five others schools — most notably Ole Miss. Akers is the No. 4 overall player and second-ranked running back for 2017.
What he brings: Akers is the complete package when it comes to running backs. At 5-11 and 215 pounds, it’s incredible to see Akers move as well as he does. Akers is fast, agile, elusive and strong. With the ball in his hands, Akers is always just one cut away from taking it to the house.
Although Akers can run with power, he rarely needs to, because he’s so difficult for opponents to hit squarely. Much like current FSU running back Dalvin Cook, who he hopes to replace, Akers also has very good vision. As a high school quarterback, Akers throws a decent ball too. Don’t be surprised to see him air one out once or twice while at FSU — either on a trick play or from the wildcat.
How he fits: To put it bluntly, Akers is simply too talented not to play right away at Florida State. With Cook likely gone, it’s possible that Akers is the top guy on the depth chart upon arriving or he could share time with junior-to-be Jacques Patrick or another one of FSU’s talented incoming freshmen.
It’s plausible that Akers sees a similar fate that Cook saw in 2014. As a freshman that year, Cook was worked in slowly behind Karlos Williams and Mario Pender before becoming the team’s primary back midway through the year. Unlike Cook however, Akers will have the benefit of enrolling early. Not only will Akers be in an FSU uniform next season, he’ll be on the field in some capacity.
Mike Ferguson is the editor of The Daily Nole. Follow Mike on Twitter @MikeWFerguson
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