Heard it at the Barbershop
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AUBURN, Ala. | It wasn't at the stadium or the practice fields or even the winding hallways at First Academy that Leroy Kinard first heard the name.
No, it came at a far more eclectic venue.
"The guy that cuts my hair has been telling me about Daquan Newkirk ever since the kid's been in Pop Warner. He's been telling me Daquan Newkirk is the best player in central Florida, and he probably is," said Kinard, who has served as the Royals' head coach since 2008.
It wasn't until late last August that Kinard finally understood how right his barber was. After transferring from Evans to First Academy right before the start of the season, Newkirk helped the Royals to a 10-2 record.
"What I want you to realize when you watch his film is that kid is out of shape. We got him two days before the season started," Kinard said. "You're looking at a kid that couldn't play a series or two on that film. He had flashes of greatness in there."
Newkirk had 42 tackles, three tackles-for-loss, three sacks, two forced fumbles and one interception in eight games as a junior. He also rushed for 164 yards and three touchdowns on 14 carries and caught a 12-yard touchdown pass.
A much more seasoned and in-shape Newkirk was a terror on the field this spring.
"For the first time in my coaching career, I've told our guys not to tackle him," Kinard said. "In our spring practice, and he's playing running back and linebacker for us, we had four shoulder injuries and a neck injury trying to tackle this guy and I'm like, 'Forget it, don't even bother.'
"In our spring game he had nine touches and four touchdowns. He would have had a fifth but one of our guys fell down and we tripped him. He's just really blessed with talent."
Newkirk, 6-foot-3 and 252 pounds, committed to Auburn Thursday following an overnight visit. He plans to play defensive end or Buck linebacker for the Tigers.
"He has a real passion for the game and he's extremely powerful," Kinard said. "He's explosive and powerful. He's like a cobra -- he strikes, he attacks. I think that's the biggest thing about him as an athlete that's so shocking.
"He's a monster. I know Auburn recruits some good players but he's a good player as well. If he puts it all together, he might have a chance to play on Sundays."
Not a lot was known about Newkirk in recruiting circles until this spring. Auburn's interest was piqued following a visit by assistant coach Scott Fountain in May.
"We weren't sure because of his academics whether he would be 2016 or 2017," Kinard explained. "We initially said it might take him an extra semester so let's go ahead and put him in as a 17.
"What happened is, he's done better than we expected and he's taken some classes over the summer so that allowed us to reclassify him as a 2016. That happened right before recruiting in May. Within three weeks of people knowing, the kid had 17 offers."
Kinard expects Newkirk to attend a couple of Auburn games this fall and return for his official visit in January. He believes Newkirk made a good, reasoned decision in picking the Tigers.
"It's a really good fit," he said. "Auburn is not only getting a great talent, but a great kid."
