When Archbishop Carroll is mentioned for football, it’s hard for the conversation to center around anyone other than 6-foot-5 speedster Nyckoles Harbor, but they’ve got a new playmaker in Joseph Mupoyi who is set to make a name for himself in the WCAC. The 6-foot-6, 227-pound defensive end moved from Congo to Capital Christian (DC) for his freshman season before transferring to Carroll last year. But with COVID wiping away last season, Mupoyi is just months into his development as a potential college prospect.
Head coach Robert Harris added Mupoyi has only started practicing “not even four months ago,” but the natural athleticism and fluid range of motion is evident as he learns the fundamentals for a defensive end. “This is the first time I’ve seen football so I was watching the Washington [Football Team] game and I saw Chase Young and I said, ‘I think I can play football.’ I talked to my coach, he said come out and play, he saw me and said you’re good, just keep going,” he told Inside the Black and Gold. Mupoyi will line up on offense to give Carroll a pair of towering targets in the passing game, but it’s defensive end that he’s also settled into early on.
“I can get better, I just need to keep working every day.”
Mupoyi may not have realized that his recruitment could begin this quickly, but that’s exactly what happened after Maryland extended him the first verbal offer back on August 20. “I feel like very happy. When my coached texted me saying I got an offer from Maryland, I called my mom and she cried. I was just thankful for coach [Elijah] Brooks for doing that, it was so great.” With no expectations for what his first college game would look like, the eventual three-star prospect took in Maryland’s second home game as he basked in the 62-0 thrashing of Howard. “Oh my God. I felt great when I saw them. Number 7 [Dontay Demus] and number 5 [Rakim Jarrett], I told [Nyckoles] that he looked like 7. He’s big and tough. I want to go to all the games, go to the practice sometimes.”
While Boston College has also shown interest since September 1, Mupoyi said Penn State reached out for the first time last week ahead of his first trip to Happy Valley. “I think Penn State, they just reached out so I’m going to the game with Nyckholes [Harbor].” But with so much time left in his recruitment, Mupoyi is working with his coaches to navigate through his recruitment.
“No rush, just want to learn about everyone and see as much as I can.”
Mupoyi is unrated by 247Sports.