McIntosh was recruited to Miami in the 2015 class as a jumbo defensive end out of Cardinal Gibbons in Fort Lauderdale, FL by D-Line coach Jethro Franklin on Al Golden’s staff. He was regarded as a middling defensive end prospect, being ranked #784 nationally, #43 at strongside end, and #95 in the state of Florida by the 247 Composite. As a result, McIntosh mainly had offers from non-Power 5 teams apart from Miami, UF, and Louisville.
Franklin saw what others couldn’t, though. From the beginning of McIntosh’s recruitment, Franklin projected McIntosh would grow into a tackle and move inside, where his athleticism and quickness would become a plus attribute against slower offensive guard types.