Miami Hurricanes 50-1 Countdown: Ranking the top 50 post-spring players … No. 1 Kam Kinchens
CaneSport is breaking down the top 50 post-spring players on the Miami roster, a list that doesn’t include any post-spring roster additions. Today we are finally at No. 1, Kam Kinchens.
NO. 1 MIAMI S KAM KINCHENS
Why he’s No. 1
Well, for starters he’s the only current Miami player with his name up in the rafters at the Indoor Practice Facility after earning First Team All-American honors last season. Last year, of course, marked Kinchens’ breakout season. And it wasn’t just a breakout, it was a demolishment. He ended the year as the nation’s highest graded safety per Pro Football Focus at a ridiculous 90.0 percent. That bested No. 2 Brian Branch out of Alabama, who was at 89.5 percent. His highlight game? That was against Georgia Tech, when he grabbed a program record-tying three interceptions, including one for a 99-yard touchdown, and led the team with eight tackles, including four solo and a half-tackle for loss, adding one pass breakup. Kinchens led the ACC with six interceptions, and the scary thing for opponents is Kinchens should be even better this year – he was a true freshman in 2021, starting the final five games and finishing with 44 tackle, a forced fumble and four pass breakups, then in Year 2 showed huge progress. If you go inside his Pro Football Focus grades you see an elite 90.7 cover grade, 71.3 run defense grade and 56.4 tackle grade. He also moves all over the field with 173 reps in the box, 404 at free safety and 118 in the slot. Kinchens is a guy that is athletic enough to do it all.
What he needs to do to move up this list
Well, there’s no moving up on the list for Kinchens to do. So holding onto the top spot is about where we see this one heading. Kinchens is a workaholic who is always in the film room studying opponents and simply working to better his craft. He doesn’t have the same length and athleticism of a James Williams, who was a 5-star recruit for a reason, but Kinchens’ instincts and preparation are second to none. Some view him as a possible first round NFL draft pick, and another strong season should cement that. There’s no reason he won’t again be an All-American, although opponents will no doubt he wary to throw anywhere near his direction. It’ll also be interesting to see what tweaks new coordinator Lance Guidry makes to Kinchens’ role. Guidry likes to be very aggressive with his safeties, so more blitzes could be in store here … and maybe some welcome sacks from Kinchens.
Realistic season objective
Miami’s opponents are going to be very aware of his presence this season, which could cut down on his interception chances. Kinchens led the team last year with 59 tackles and the six interceptions, adding six pass breakups. We can see him pushing past 70 tackles this year with a similar number of interceptions (other teams are going to be a lot more wary of where he is on the field). He’s an elite talent and Lance Guidry will put him in position to continue to make plays. Kinchens’ take on the new defensive system, gleaned this spring? “It’s very different (from last year), I feel,” Kinchens said. “A lot more, definitely, things we can do. Last year there wasn’t too much we did. This year I think it’s like all over the place, we have a little bit of everything. It’s kind of easy to grasp, just takes repetition.”
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