Randolph Kpai knows a lot of things in his day-to-day life will change in a couple of weeks when he moves to Lincoln and officially begins his career in the Nebraska football program.
Included? The number he sees on the scale.
The Husker signee and four-star prospect checks in at about 194 pounds on his 6-foot-3 frame, but he’s got no worries about being what some might consider on the light side for an incoming Big Ten linebacker.
“That’s something that’s going to come once I get in the weight room,†he said. “I have a pretty big frame and I’m going to fill up once I hit the weight room hard and start getting on the meal plan. That’s not something I’m worried about at all. A lot of people ask me about it. I’m 195, but that doesn’t determine if I’m a good football player or not.â€
This is a starting point, after all.
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For Kpai, though, moving to campus is more than just a new beginning. His family moved from Liberia to Chicago when he was 6, then eventually on to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where his aunt lived and where his mother figured they could be in a quiet community with steady work.
He didn’t even start playing football until the seventh grade. He didn’t move from running back to linebacker until his sophomore year at Washington High.
Not long after that, recruiting attention started pouring in. He verbally committed to Nebraska on Jan. 2, 2020, making him one of the longest-tenured members of NU’s incoming 2021 recruiting class.
So, yeah, the closing days before moving to campus do bring up just a little bit of reflection along with the excitement of what’s to come.
“Not a lot of people get an opportunity like this,†Kpai said. “I’m just grateful to have this chance. I’m going to miss my family and my close friends and I’ve made so many memories here, but I’m ready and I’m grateful for the opportunity. …
“I’ve been through trials and tribulations and it hasn’t been easy. If you’d have asked me at the beginning of my sophomore year, I wouldn’t even think it. I’d just say you’re crazy, you know? I never thought I’d be in this position, but I’m grateful that I am. It’s just about hard work, a bunch of dedication, and I just try to put in a lot more than the average and stay consistent.â€
When Kpai verbally committed to Nebraska, Chad Stadem, the former head coach at Washington, said his staff used him all over the field because of his athleticism.
“He was defending wideouts. He was running up the pipe chasing tight ends,†Stadem said then. “We had him do everything and he’s just so talented. We played a team that was a pure power football team and he was up on the strong side taking on the double teams and making tackles. He can come up and play physical, too.â€
Under a new coaching staff, Kpai put that on display again in his senior season. He finished with 79 tackles (9.5 for loss) and four sacks in 10 games plus four interceptions — two of which he returned for touchdowns — and three forced fumbles, according to MaxPreps.
He’s one of five linebackers in the class for the Huskers, at least four of whom could potentially end up either inside or outside depending on how they develop physically and how the depth chart falls. Kpai said he’s gotten to know each of them pretty well already except for Wynden Ho’ohuli, who just verbally committed last weekend and hasn’t been able to visit Lincoln from Hawaii yet.
“I’ve seen all those guys’ film and they’re freaks, in my opinion. They can run fast and hit hard and they love the game,†Kpai said. “Just athletes. They can play different positions. Our class and this linebacker group, we’ve been keeping in touch and I’m going to be rooming with Seth (Malcom).
“We’re going to build that relationship from the start and just try to help the team out as much as we can.â€