Michigan Pulling Out All Stops For Top 5 Offensive Guard Drew Kendall

Teammates with 2021 commit Casey Phinney, offensive guard Drew Kendall is one of the top guard in America, and the Michigan program is looking to reel him in.

Over the past couple weeks, Dedham(Mass.) Nobles and Greenough School four-star offensive lineman Drew Kendall has inched closer towards making his college decision, and Michigan is right in the thick of that process.

“It’s a really thoughtful decision, and I’ve been thinking a lot about that recently,” Wolverine Digest.

At the moment, Kendall is listed as the No. 5 offensive guard in the 2021 class and is nearing 6-5 and 260 pounds. Michigan holds a commitment from his teammate, running back and linebacker Casey Phinney, but the Wolverines are pushing hard to go two-for-two at the Massachusetts school.

“I got to meet Coach [Ed] Warriner my sophomore year and Coach [Don] Brown also my sophomore year. They’ve been coming in and out of school, and it’s been good. It started early in the process. It’s picked up from then to now, and I think it was really beneficial getting to know them earlier.”

Right now, Michigan has three offensive linemen committed in the 2021 cycle and looking for another interior blocker. As a result, the U-M staff is putting the full court press on Kendall. In the last week, the four-star player has conducted FaceTime calls with offensive line coach Warriner numerous times along with head coach Jim Harbaugh, Coach Brown and director of strength and conditioning Ben Herbert. This group has helped outline a few positives of the U-M program.

“Obviously, they are very successful,” Kendall said. “They are a very good college team. They’ve been known to be since the beginning of college football. They’ve got a great Business program which I’m really interested. I’ve got to build a good relationship with Coach Warriner, Coach Brown and Coach Harbaugh. I am excited to keep that going and learn more about the school and hopefully get out for a visit.”

As his bond with the U-M staff grows, Kendall admits that it can be difficult to gain a feel for how a coach responds during game or practice situations, but he is working on overcoming that.

“I have watched some film with Coach Warriner and talked about offensive line play,” Kendall said. “It’s nothing like being in person and seeing it, but it’s good to get a sense for what he believes in and what he teaches.”

Throughout these calls, the two parties have covered ground from football schematics to methods for staying active during the coronavirus quarantine. This is where Coach Herbert particularly comes into play.

“He gave me some tips, some good bodyweight stuff I can do for my core,” Kendall said. “Luckily, I’ve got some weights in the garage. I’m just doing what I can. I don’t have full access to everything I’d like, but it’s going well.”

When it comes to eventually choosing a program, Kendall has quite a few options with Penn State, Boston College, Virginia and Duke among a group of schools that could fit the bill. What is Kendall looking for specifically?

“It’s hard to describe,” Kendall said. “It’s just having that feeling of having a really good relationship with a coach and feeling like you’re needed and you’re going to make an impact in the program. A really important thing for me that has shaped my recruiting process is it has to be a really good academic school. Everything I’m coming down to is all really good academic schools, so that’s the first check on the list.”

With Michigan in strong position here, Kendall grades out as a tenacious run blocker that also shows technical refinement in pass protection as well. At Nobles, Kendall’s team runs the ball at a roughly 7:1 or 8:1 ratio by his estimate, and he shows a lot of mobility when pulling in open space.

“I just try to play as aggressive as I can,” Kendall said. “I try and really finish every block I get and make the most of my opportunities. I have a really good initial punch, and I am good at keeping my feet behind me, underneath me and moving with the guy. My dad is the offensive line coach at my school, so he’s helped me a lot of the last couple years getting my technique right and getting really good form on the pass protection.”

Right now, Michigan has nine commits in the 2021 class, one that ranks No. 14 in the country. If Kendall were to join the fold, it would catapult U-M’s ranking to No. 6 in the nation and No. 2 in the Big Ten.

With a potential decision nearing, Michigan is pulling out all the stops to land four-star OG Drew Kendall. How would you feel about U-M’s offensive line in the ’21 cycle with the addition of Kendall? Should the Wolverines work to add another blocker after that? Let us know!