ASHEVILLE — Shiloh Mukendi is a running back by trade, but that's hardly the only place Asheville School football can use him.
In 2025, Asheville School coach Shawn Bryson asked Mukendi to play cornerback. He looked like a natural defensive back instantly, intercepting three passes and returning two for touchdowns.
"If you ask him to kick, he could probably kick," Bryson said. "We wouldn't ask him to do that unless we had to. But a guy that you can use at multiple positions is very valuable, especially Asheville School being a smaller roster."
That versatility and athleticism helped the Blues win three out of the last four North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association Division II state championships, and Mukendi is now the No. 1 player
in the Citizen Times 2026 Super Six rankings, which recognize the top college football prospects in Western North Carolina's Class of 2027.
But Mukendi's biggest impact still comes on offense.
As a junior, he rushed for 1,106 yards and seven touchdowns, averaging nine yards per carry. He also caught eight passes for 146 yards and a touchdown.
Senior wide receiver Isiah Wallace has played with Mukendi since Wallace was 7, dating back to their time in Ottawa, Canada and vision is Mukendi's biggest strength, according to Wallace.
Wallace said Mukendi's vision allows him to anticipate where space will open before everyone else sees it.
“It’s like foresight," Wallace said. "He can see where the play is going, how the play is gonna go and just get there."
Mukendi's ability to see the bigger picture extends beyond his role on the field.
The concentration wasn't where Asheville School needed it to be during its practice on Aug. 6. Mukendi then got everyone's attention.
"'Listen, we have a game coming up next week'," Wallace recalled Mukendi saying. "'We need to lock in. Everyone bring the energy up, and let's get fired up'."
Mukendi organized team workouts during the spring. He also helped his new teammates get acquainted Aug. 2, the day before their first official practice.
"Next thing, they're calling me, and they're out on the field, running and playing around," Bryson said.
Mukendi also has an outgoing personality.
It's an asset for Asheville School, that one of its leaders can quickly make friends. For the Blues, most of their new players are international students from Canada and other parts of the world.
"I'm not afraid to talk to people," Mukendi said. "I'm really open to people. Getting to know me is easy. Relationships are a big thing for me."
Mukendi holds FBS offers from Miami (Ohio), Old Dominion, Eastern Michigan and Delaware as well as an FCS offer from Gardner-Webb. He would be the second player in his family to play college football.
His older brother, Fabrice Mukendi, played collegiately at Bryant from 2021 to 2024. He was also a running back.
Shiloh Mukendi sees himself as more of a Jahmyr Gibbs-type player, capable of making an impact in multiple ways, while he compares Fabrice to the more physical Marshawn Lynch.
Now Shiloh Mukendi wants to bring the versatility to another state championship run.
Zachary Huber is a high school sports reporter for the Hendersonville Times-News. Email him at zhuber@gannett.com or follow him on X @zacharyahuber.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: How Shiloh Mukendi's vision could lead Asheville School football to a state title
