Hurricanes All-American Kam Kinchens drafted by Los Angeles Rams

Kam Kinchens, once dubbed “Slow-Jo” by his high school coach, is headed to the NFL.

The Los Angeles picked the All-American Hurricanes safety with the 99th pick in the third round of the NFL draft on Saturday. Kinchens is the first Hurricane to be picked in this year’s draft.

Kinchens, a star at Miami Northwestern High, is the 41st player from the high school powerhouse to reach the NFL. The last Northwestern player to be picked in the draft was defensive lineman Caljah Kancey, who went in last year’s draft.

Kinchens came to Miami as a four-star prospect after starring for the Bulls and quickly became a key player for UM, starting the final five games of the 2021 season.

Although he was promising as a true freshman, Kinchens established himself as a top safety as a sophomore. He racked up six interceptions, which tied for second in the nation, and earned All-American honors (and a banner inside UM’s indoor practice facility). His 90 defensive grade from Pro Football Focus was No. 1 in the nation among safeties with 100 or more defensive snaps.

Kinchens returned for the 2023 season and had another solid performance, notching 59 tackles with five interceptions despite missing two games with a concussion. He also stepped up as a key leader on the team.

“He’s the best leader that I’ve ever had on any sports team, on any kind of organization,” UM safety Jaden Harris said before the 2023 season. “He’s the best leader that I’ve ever had, I ever came across. He does things right every single day, no matter what the circumstance is. He’s just a great guy to be around. I just want to compete with him, no matter what we’re doing. In the weight room, I try to catch him slipping up and stuff so I can get on him like how he gets on me, but it’s hard.”