Interview: 2021 4-Star Oregon DE Nathan Rawlins-Kibonge is an Unbelievable Natural

Written by Ryan Wright

Twitter: @RyanWrightRNG

What was scary for 6A Oregon teams during the 2019 season was seeing Nathan Rawlins-Kibonge walk onto the field. The 6-7, 245-pound, defensive end/tackle impressed during his junior season coming up with 80 tackles, 44 solo, with 38 tackles for a loss. Beyond the productivity on the field, what is amazing about Rawlins-Kibonge, it was his first season playing football. Jefferson High School’s rising star was able to dominate the game in the trenches off sheer athletic ability aided by a growing understanding of the game along with some added technique. The possibilities for Rawlins-Kibonge are through the stratosphere, and college coaches concur. The four-star recruit has notched 13 scholarship offers bolstered by his cumulative 4.0 grade point average.

In an RNG first-look, Rawlins-Kibonge steps into the lab impressing with his tone, maturity, and determination. The four-star ranking and 13 offers have not blinded him to his goal of becoming the best student-athlete possible.

Interview

Nate, opposing 6A Oregon teams did not have an answer for you in the trenches during the 2019 season. What were some of the attributes to your game that made you so destructive to offenses?

“My run stop; I stopped the run well and set the edge well. If I could not get to the quarterback, I did a great job pressuring him. But my main thing was my run stop.”

What was the base defense the Democrats were running last season?

“We ran a 3-4, then we went 4-3. They had me drop back into coverage at middle linebacker, but that was rare.”

Within the scheme, what were your responsibilities?

“My coach told me for that year, do your best. He told me that this was a developmental year for me. This was my first year playing football. He told me to just win your match-up. That was the main thing for me, to impose my will and win the match up.”

Mission accomplished. Going back to what you just said, the 2019 season was your first year playing football?

“Yes, sir.”

Considering how well you did, that had to help, but do you like playing football? What do you think about your playing experience last season?

“I love football for the team aspects. Growing up, I was a basketball player. Basketball can be individual, set for one person. I am not that type of person with the need to be in the limelight. Out there on the football field, no one has to know that I did well. The only thing that is important is if we did well as a team. No worries about who got the ball and points scored but focus on how we played and our abilities getting to the ball.”

Being your first season, everything improved. What were some of the biggest improvements to your game made throughout the 2019 season?

“I went from focusing on the quarterback to stopping anything that comes my way. Much of the season was learning the position, learning the hand movements and footwork. I had to learn and progress at that. My hands and being aggressive with them improved a lot. You use your body the most in the trenches; I was getting my body acclimated to the movements of a defensive lineman.”

Are you adding new moves to your game this spring?

“Trying to, but with the virus it is hard to get out there to train right now. I’ve been watching a lot of film on players like Reggie White, Von Miller, and Lawrence Taylor. I am trying to get a feel for what they are doing. I watch 30 minutes of a highlight reel to see how they did it.”

Are you adding any new roles to your game in 2020?

“Yes. I will play some tight end; I talked to coach about it. My main thing for 2020 is letting everyone know who I am. People see my offers, and they see that I have potential but they do not see me as a dominating player. I want to come in heavier, faster, and stronger, to dominate and get better before college.”

With schools and gyms closed, what have you been doing for a daily workout routine during this time?

“I am doing 200 push-ups, 200 calf raises, eight minutes of plank, and 200 crunches a day.”

Nice. Turning to recruiting, where colleges have responded to your talents in a hurry. Which schools are showing interest?

“Northwestern and I was on the phone with Stanford today (Monday).”

How many offers are in your possession?

“I have 13 offers.”

Rawlins-Kibonge’s Offer Sheet: Arizona State, Boise State, California, Colorado, Oklahoma, Indiana, Miami, Nebraska, Oregon State, Tennessee, USC, and Washington

Fantastic. Did you get a chance to take any unofficial visits over the last couple of months?

“We have been to Oregon State a couple of times.”

Overall, how have the Oregon State visits gone for you?

“They went well. I love Oregon State, the guys there, the campus, and it is close to home, which is good for my mom. They treat us well and feed us well.”

When the visits start happening again, do you have any planned?

“A visit to Oklahoma. I have not rescheduled that visit to Oklahoma yet, but we are looking at June. Nothing else is concrete right now.”

When the time comes to make that commitment to the school of your choice, what does that ideal fit look like to you?

“The main thing I look at with football is how will they develop me. I know I am raw, but I will get better before I get there and I know there are others who are more skilled than me because they have played the position longer. But I want to get on the field. I want to play and develop. Trust with the coaches and developing good relationships is important to me. Some coaches can be disingenuous. The vibe I get from coaches is important, their vibe on how they are recruiting me.”

A few minutes ago, you mentioned playing basketball, which other sports are you playing?

“Basketball and I was going to do track but the virus cancelled the season. I might do it next year.”

Last question for the interview. I’ve been calling this my Virus Buster Question. What have you been doing for fun during this time to entertain yourself? Which games have you been playing or which movies have you been watching?

“Modern Warfare; I have been playing it nonstop for the past four days. I’ve been making beats too. Our online school is not up yet so I’ve had time to do other things.”

Nate, thanks for your time today and good luck with the rest of your spring workouts until we talk again.

“Thank you.”

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Photo credit: Rawlins-Kibonge family; Nathan Rawlins-Kibonge at Oregon State

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