Michigan Set To Ramp Up Pursuit Of 2021 OL Drew Kendall

With Rocco Spindler off the board, Michigan is likely to put all its eggs in the Drew Kendall basket as U-M searches for another OL commit in 2021.

Throughout the 2021 cycle, Michigan has done a sound job in identifying its top targets early and really allocating a lot of effort into landing those prospects. From the get go, Clarkston (Mich.) High offensive guard Rocco Spindler was one of those players, but the SI All-American candidate opted to commit to Notre Dame yesterday, leaving hats from Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State and LSU still on the table.

Shortly after Spindler's announcement, his family's joy in his decision to pick the Fighting Irish was evident, and he'd long made a promise to his late grandfather to play for Notre Dame, so Michigan was essentially behind the eight ball from the onset. However, Spindler gave Michigan a quality chance to make its pitch, but the out-of-state ND program eventually won out.

But even with Spindler off the board, Michigan has put itself in a very positive position for 2021 Dedham (Mass.) Nobles and Greenough offensive guard Drew Kendall. Throughout the cycle, Kendall has been looked at as a potential take for quite some time but generally as a player the staff would pursue if things go south with Spindler. And now that Spindler did not pick Michigan, the Wolverines' longstanding relationship with Kendall is of paramount importance.

“I got to meet Coach [Ed] Warriner my sophomore year and Coach [Don] Brown also my sophomore year,” Kendall told Wolverine Digest. “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.”

With over two years of history laying the groundwork for Kendall's relationship with the Michigan coaching staff, the four-star recruit has long heard about what his future in Ann Arbor could look like. Over the past couple months, the U-M staff has not been able to visit Kendall in Massachusetts, but that hasn't stopped Warinner, Brown and head coach Jim Harbaugh from hopping on Zoom or FaceTime to deliver a virtual face-to-face pitch for the interior lineman.

In fact, Kendall has spent quite a bit of time on Zoom breaking down blocking schemes and play designs with Coach Warinner, and Coach Brown has conducted similar chalk talks with defensive prospects as well. This strategy helps to build a bond and keep the lines of communication open between the two sides.

Now into August, Kendall is expected to make his collegiate decision before the beginning of his senior season-- or at least when it was supposed to start. Fall training camps have begun across the country, but Kendall is still mulling over his decision. One aspect that he has to consider is which school will also fulfill his academic needs. Like Spindler, Kendall is looking to major in Business, so the Ross School of Business and its high-ranking nature is another aspect that Kendall is considering.

In addition to U-M, Kendall is also considering offers from Boston College, Duke and Stanford, and he also has family ties to the Eagles' program in BC, so there are several suitors that are in the mix. Kendall stressed how an academically prestigious program is very important to him, so these schools certainly check that box for the 2021 prospect.

Kendall also has a teammate who is committed to Michigan in linebacker Casey Phinney, so the possibility of playing college ball with his current classmate is another appealing aspect to consider. However, other Michigan commits, such as quarterback J.J. McCarthy and offensive lineman Giovanni El-Hadi, have also made an effort to convince Kendall to commit to Michigan, so the four-star is receiving the treatment of a top prospect, which makes sense because he wants to go to a school where he is needed.

And without Spindler in the fold, Michigan needs another guard commit to round out the offensive line class. So far, Michigan has two tackles in El-Hadi and Tristan Bounds, a guard who can also play center in Greg Crippen, and a pure center prospect in Raheem Anderson. So, the addition of Kendall to that contingent would give U-M a strong class of blockers and a balanced group of commits from a positional standpoint.

Do you think Michigan can close on Kendall? If Kendall picks Michigan, do the Wolverines go after another lineman or stand pat at five? Let us know!