Prospect Spotlight: Cheick Kaba – Fridley (2021)

The more things changed, the more things stayed the same for Fridley’s [player_tooltip player_id="18054" first="Cheick" last="Kaba"]. What stayed the same was the Tigers’ excellent football season – highlighted by a defense that was anchored by a dominating defensive line that included Kaba. What changed was Kaba’s role and his football future. The Tigers finished an undefeated season – a season in which they only had one game decided by one score. "It was a great season," Kaba said. "We were a senior-led team. Coach emphasized practicing hard and maintaining focus – not giving up. Off the field, he would make sure we wore our masks. Other than that, we had a lot of returning starters, so we knew what to do – we just had to go out and execute each drive." It was a season in which the defense pitched four shutouts and never gave up more than nine points. "Our <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2020/08/defensive-lines-to-watch-in-2020/">defensive line</a></span> was good this year with [player_tooltip player_id="18085" first="Josh" last="Franklin"], <strong>Davion Mitchell-Curry</strong>, [player_tooltip player_id="18093" first="Charles" last="Rice"], and me. We studied hard and watched film and then we just balled out. We had two good defensive backs – <strong>Christian Crockett</strong> and <strong>Micah Niewald</strong>, I think each had six interceptions." While the defense was the Tigers’ strength, their offense scored at least 34 points in over half their games. "On offense, we had a good offensive line," Kaba said. "Running back, <strong>Michael Ude</strong> is a great football player, and he stepped it up this year. Our first-year starting quarterback, [player_tooltip player_id="23741" first="Tra’vione" last="Stevenson"], didn’t throw any interceptions and was really good for us." One of Kaba’s changes came on the offensive side of the ball. "Last year, I played guard. This year I moved over to center to help the team. I played center when I was younger, so it wasn’t a hard transition. I just tried to help the new guys out. I made the calls on the line. Other than that, I just came off the ball hard." Defense is where the 6’1" 270-pound senior excels. "I played the four technique - the outside shade of the tackle," Kaba explained. "I think I am good at reading and reacting. I watch a lot of film, so I can pick up queues on what the offense is doing." Defense is where Kaba will be spending his time at the college level. "I need to focus on my technique. I need to work on my first step and playing physical football. In high school, I could rely on my speed and strength, but in college, I am going to focus on my technique." This offseason, football will remain his focus. "I used to wrestle, but I am going to focus on my craft this winter," Kaba told prepredzonemn.com. "I am going to Gameface, and I will keep lifting and keep working on things like footwork and lateral quickness. This spring, I will continue to throw shot put and discus while I am doing my football workouts." Kaba – who has recently taken up golf - is being recruited strictly as a defensive player. "Recruiting has gone good. With the NCAA granting extra eligibility, it is hard for kids to get offers. I have been taking it day-by-day. I have some schools who are interested and waiting to see where they are going to be defensively to see if they will be giving me an offer." The Tigers’ two-way player committed to Air Force last summer, but change has come to Kaba here too. "With Air Force, I feel like I committed too early. I committed in July. As I got more information, I decided to open back up my recruitment to look at my options." "I still talk to Air Force," Kaba continued. "I have been talking to St. Thomas, Minnesota State-Mankato, Minnesota-Duluth, Minnesota as a preferred walk-on, and schools like Northern Colorado, Hawaii are looking at where they are with scholarships." As he waits for the schools to find out where and, more importantly, if he fits into their plans, Kaba at least knows what position he will be playing. "I am being recruited mostly as an interior lineman. They like my quickness, size, and ability to move. I am agile for a defensive lineman. They like my run-stopping ability on the inside." The more things have changed for Kaba, the more they stay the same.