Player Profile: Jonathan Kongbo
Jonathan Kongbo, rated by some publications as the No. 1 JUCO prospect in the country, will add another terror to Tennessee’s defensive line.
Photo by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District. Courtesy of creative commons.org.
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Biography
Jonathan Kongbo is a defensive end from Surrey, British Columbia (Canada) and is currently attending junior college at Arizona Western College in Yuma, Arizona.
Rankings
247Sports: No. 1 DE, No. 1 overall player in the JUCO class of 2016
Rivals: Not available
ESPN: No. 1 DE, No. 4 overall in the ESPN JC50 for the JUCO class of 2016
Offers
Of Kongbo’s 25 offers, eight (Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Kentucky, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Tennessee, South Carolina) were from the SEC. Some of his most notable other offers came from Arizona State, Florida State, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon, and USC.
Film Review
Jonathan Kongbo’s high praise is well-deserved. His ability to shed blocks is unlike any other player in the junior college class. He tosses offensive linemen aside like over-sized plush dolls. When tackles engage him, Kongbo uses quick hands or quick steps to beat them and get into the backfield. He is a nightmare one-on-one matchup with an inexperienced or smaller offensive lineman. Another quality that makes Kongbo so highly touted is his motor. He is always chasing the play. There are multiple clips from his highlights where he runs from the backside of the play to help bring a ball carrier down. Once the ball is snapped, Kongbo goes full-throttle until the whistle is blown.
With the depth that Tennessee already has on the defensive line, Kongbo likely won’t see bulky playing time until late in the 2016 season. However, he has the ability to contribute from day one and be another force in the trenches for defensive line coach Steve Stripling.
Nathan is a junior at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. He spends most of his free time eating meaningless foods and watching sports. If you wish to contact Nathan, you can email him at wodom3@vols.utk.edu or find him on Twitter, @NathanOdom11.
