Recruiting Spotlight: Aidan Kingsbury – Concordia Academy (2021)

Not long ago, Concordia Academy big man <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="22928" first="Aidan" last="Kingsbury"]</strong> did not have college football on his mind. Now, he has committed to one of the most prestigious universities in the country. "I wasn’t looking at playing at the Division I level," Kingsbury admitted, "so when I started to get interest, I was flattered that coaches were interested in me." In the end, COVID-19 had a hand in Kingsbury’s decision. "Due to COVID, I could only visit two Division I schools – North Dakota State and Princeton. Those were the two schools that offered me that I was able to see. That gave me a better feel for things and a better mental picture of what life would be like. I feel I have a great relationship with the coaching staff. Of the schools that offered me, Princeton had the best academic fit for what I am looking to pursue." The classroom has always been more important to Kingsbury than athletics. That distinction drove his decision to attend Princeton. "Academics have always been a big thing for me – not just for a career, but to become more of an educated person. A lot of programs are going to say they value your academic life and your athletic life. Princeton has a great football program, but I don’t think everyone is going to Princeton because of their football program. People are going there because of the school." Along with NDSU, Kingsbury considered Wheaton College in Illinois. "Princeton seems like they are always contenders in the Ivy League," Kingsbury – who likes hiking and canoeing, said. "I like their strength program, and I was able to talk to a lot of the players, and they seemed like the kind of guys I could be around." "They see me as an offensive tackle, but they like to rotate guys in throughout drives," Kingsbury continued, "as I am younger, I might get some snaps on the interior line. Due to my height and length, I think they see me on the outside long-term." The 6’6" 305-pound senior feels the Tigers’ coaching staff liked his work ethic and athletic ability. "I am a big weight room guy," Kingsbury – who was also on the robotics team as a junior - said. "I think they like that. In my junior film, they liked how I get to the second level." The 2019 season started great for the Beacons but ended much earlier than Kingsbury expected. "We had a strong senior and junior class last year – it led to a lot of success. We had some young guys on the offensive and defensive lines and seniors in the backfield and the secondary. We built a culture of excellence as the wins piled up. It ended too quickly, we got off to a bad start in the first quarter (of their first-round playoff game), and we couldn’t recover." Despite the early out in the playoffs, the team won seven games. "Offensively, we took advantage of having the biggest and strongest offensive line in the conference," Kingsbury explained. "We shoved the run down our opponents’ throats. Defensively, our coaches put us in good position. We weren’t the biggest on defense." A two-way player, Kingsbury, is most effective on one side of the ball. "I was usually at left tackle. I think I only gave up one or two sacks. I am solid on down blocks, reach blocks on the outside, and getting to the second level to help break big plays. I am not as comfortable on the defensive side of the ball, but I played nose tackle and would sometimes move to defensive end." "I have spent a lot of time in the weight room and get a lot bigger," Kingsbury continued. "I think my strength, power, and my quick feet are my strengths." Kingsbury would have been a three-sport athlete as a junior. "This winter, I played basketball and lifted weights. I am not a great basketball player, but it kept me in shape and helped me with my footwork. I play center and use my strength to box out and rebound. I set some nasty picks. I got pancakes in football and basketball. In the spring, I would have thrown shot put. My offensive line coach is the throwing coach." Kingsbury, who will be a three-year starter on offense, and a two-year starter on defense, did what he could to deal with COVID. "For the first month, I could only do bodyweight workouts. It helped me with my mobility – getting more depth in my squat, getting my stabilization muscles working. I did some running. Then I was able to get some weights, and I would usually bench, clean, incline bench, deadlifts, that kind of stuff." He also worked on specific skills. "I worked on my defensive technique," Kingsbury said," offensively I worked on the basics – just keeping my foot quickness there." He worked on technique and the basics to improve for the Beacons and – although he did not expect it a year ago – a college football career.