Bio Blast: Meet three-star defensive line signee Bobby Kanka
Three-star Michigan Wolverines defensive line commitment Bobby Kanka (Howell, Mich) officially signed with the program on Wednesday.
Here is everything you need to know about the in-state defender.
The Skinny
Height: 6-5
Weight: 290 pounds
Senior Stats: N/A
Industry Ranking: No. 49 defensive lineman, No. 11 in Michigan, No. 498 overall
Interesting Facts: Kanka and his team scored a 30-29 victory over Belleville HS on Oct. 25 over fellow Michigan commit and No. 1 overall recruit Bryce Underwood.
Recruitment
Kanka comes in as the longest-tenured commitment in the class, pledging to the school on Aug. 1, 2023, under Jim Harbaugh’s staff and former defensive line coach Mike Elston. Current line coach Lou Esposito took the baton and built the relationship from there, allowing the Wolverines to hang on to his commitment. Other schools in the mix for Kanka included Penn State, Michigan State, Tennessee, Syracuse, Minnesota, Kansas, Northwestern, Louisville and more.
He Said It
“Just trying to do what I can to help the team win. I was telling the guys all day, ‘I don’t care what anybody’s stat line looks like, as long as we have a W at the end of the day.’ That’s not my focus at all.”
They Said It
“When a school offers you without having other schools offer you, that speaks volumes about what they think of you as a player,” Lewis said. “I can’t say that enough. Michigan was one of the first schools to offer Bob. They didn’t need anyone else to offer him. They liked him and offered him. I think that speaks volumes for any coaching staff to do that for any kid. It just so happened to be Michigan here with Bob being extremely fortunate.”
– Howell HS head coach Brian Lewis
Scouting Report
“You just love Bobby Kanka‘s toughness and physicality. He plays with a really high energy level on both sides of the ball. He’s very active and finds ways to affect the game. He’s active as a pass rusher, strong against the run, gets off blocks, sets the edge and makes a bunch of plays. You flip over to offense and he’s playing tight end. He looks to have gotten bigger and more athletic over the past year, which is encouraging. It’s easy to see why Michigan would like him based on his sophomore film. He projects as a big defensive end. I think this guy has a lot of qualities that fit the style of play of Michigan.”
– On3’s Charles Power
