Position Coach Of Kaden Snyder Does A Deep Dive On 2026 OL Recruit
Kansas recently extended an offer to an in-state 2026 offensive lineman prospect who has visited the Jayhawks multiple times in the past.
Kaden Snyder is a 6-foot-5 255-pound lineman from Salina Central High School. Following his offer his position coach (Tony Chesney) broke down Snyder on and off the field with Blue Wings Rising.
“The first thing that people notice about Kaden is his length,” Chesney stated when talking to Blue Wings Rising. “He is well over 6’5 and has a really impressive wingspan. His frame will afford him to add the needed weight without affecting his mobility.” His position coach also added, “What he does with his length is what will impress you the most as a coach. He has great awareness in the sense of how to build and use leverage for easy wins at the line of scrimmage. He is a really fast learner in the aspect of technique because of his above-average sense of kinesthetic awareness. You would expect some mental lapses and some instances of shaken confidence from a 15-16-year-old kid, but those are far fewer cases for Kaden than the typical sophomore.” Chesney talks about his growth a bit more by saying, “As he matures into his body and his own playing style, I am excited to watch how he grows as an offensive lineman. He accumulates plenty of violent blocks, but that physical and mental maturity is going to make him a real nightmare on the field for opposing defenses.”
Chesney dove deep into what he believes to be the best on-field trait for Snyder. “Kaden would never lose a rep in pass protection without having a mental lapse. He is very adept at using independent hands to take defenders where they want to go.” Chesney also talks about protecting the quarterback a bit more by saying, “Our quarterback was plenty comfortable in the pocket knowing that Kaden was on his blind side. Kaden has grown up being a basketball kid and playing at least 9 months out of the year, so he has exceptional feet and spatial awareness.”
Diving deeper into Snyder’s in-classroom ability Chesney mentions his G.P.A. “Kaden is a 3.6-3.7 GPA student. By all appearances, he is an attentive kid who puts his head down and gets his work done.”
Chesney helps us learn more about Snyder off the field. “Kaden is always a participant in our extra film and opportunities to get more work. I don’t really know how much free time Kaden really has.” He also states, “He just picked up throwing in track last year and was our top discus thrower. He placed 14th at state in 2023 and qualified with a huge PR of ‘143 the week prior at regionals to go from tied for 8th to 3rd and a state championships qualification.” “Kaden seems to have a large group of friends around him and his standing as a 3-sport athlete puts him in the company of a lot of different peer groups.”
Being a leader is always a great trait for a player. “Kaden has to ability to be a really great leader in his position group, on our football team, and in the school,” Chesney states. “Not all people are born with the physical blessings of Kaden, so his work ethic and accountability will go a long way in helping him develop into a fantastic leader as he moves on to being an upperclassman. We have had some strong leadership in the past few years on the field, so he has learned some valuable lessons on how to lead. Kaden is a really strong competitor and he hates to lose. When he matches that competitive fire with his ability to lead, we will certainly have something even more special with Kaden Snyder.”
Going more in-depth about Kaden Snyder heading to the next level and being a Kansas target Chesney stated, “Kaden is checking all of the requisite boxes of power 5 schools as a 16-year-old. His potential ceiling is playing on Sundays, so the opportunity to add a kid like Kaden to their roster will really be beneficial to them.” He also goes on to say, “It’s hard to talk about a 16-year-old kid knowing that his biggest jump in ability, mindset, and confidence is coming in the next 12-18 months. He is going to shine in pass protection, as he is already a plus protector in the passing game. He will get to the right place and own his individual playing style to match the demeanor and philosophy of his college offensive line coach.”
Chesney finishes his statement by saying, “We are excited to see him step up as a leader on the field and take over games on the line of scrimmage for us.”
Take a look at what Kaden Snyder had to say about his Kansas offer. Click HERE.
