SI All-American Candidate Drew Kendall Highlights and Evaluation
Prospect: Drew Kendall
Status: SI All-American Candidate
Vitals: 6-foot-4, 250 pounds
Position: Offensive Guard
School: Dedham (Mass.) Noble & Greenough
Schools of Interest: Michigan, Stanford, Penn State, Duke, Boston College and Virginia, among others.
Projected Position: Center
Frame: Long arms and fairly-wide shoulders. Wide midsection and decent bubble/thighs. Straight calves.
Athleticism: Plays with good bend in stance and gets out with urgency and purpose. Fluid athletic ability when asked to pull and trap. Decent to adjust to targets on the move. Tough at the point and brings his feet to collision points. Climbs to second level with solid pad level. Capable of hitting multiple targets.
Instincts: Takes a good bucket step in zone-blocking concepts to reach his man laterally. Can ace block and climb with consistency. Works with good vision and takes proper angles to seal backside ‘backers. Limited to pass-protection work, though uses a short set with solid accuracy in his initial gap-hand punch prior to his inside stab. Sustains and wins with leverage and toughness.
Polish: Plays left guard, where he executes zone-ace concepts, base blocks and long pulls to the edges in the run game and phone-booth fights in protection. Needs to add bulk and mass, along with strength. Could struggle with man on his head and versus power at the next level in the run and pass game. Likely will benefit from moving to center.
Bottom Line: Kendall’s father played offensive line at Boston College and 13 years in the NFL, thus he has good bloodlines. Although he lacks elite power and strength, the younger Kendall is a solid athlete in the trenches and is tough at the point. He projects best as a center in an offense with heavy zone-blocking concepts in the run game and a quick 3-step and 5-step passing game.