Interview: 2019 LB Kendall Young Talks Playing for Vanderbilt Coaches and Previews Bentonville Rivalry Game
Written by Ryan Wright
Twitter: @RyanWrightRNG
Kendall Young Profile
Height and Weight: 6-5, 215
Position: Linebacker
Classification: 2019
Recruiting Ranking: 3-Star
High School: Bentonville West – Bentonville, Arkansas – 7A West
2018 Wolverines Record: 6-3
2018 Stats (2 games): 73 tackles, 39 solo, 11 tackles for a loss, 8 sacks, two passes defended, one forced fumble, and one blocked field goal
2017 Wolverines Record: 9-3
2017 Stats (10 games): 93 tackles, 58 solo, 17 tackles for a loss, 13 sacks, one interception, five passes defended, and one forced fumble
Commitment: Vanderbilt on Sept. 20, 2018
Reported Offers (13): Arkansas, Missouri, Louisiana Tech, Tulsa, Southeast Missouri, Army, Texas State, Tulane, Rice, Louisiana-Lafayette, Princeton, Vanderbilt, and Arkansas State
Top Schools: Vanderbilt, Arkansas, and Missouri
This part of a season-long interview series with Class of 2019 linebacker Kendall Young. In this interview, we cover Bentonville West’s win over Van Buren with a look ahead to the Bentonville showdown for the 7A West Conference title. We also talk about the experience for Young playing in front of Coach Tarver and Coach Mason last week.
*Click link for previous game preview with Kendall Young
Interview
Kendall, you got that rare opportunity to play in front of your future college coaches in the Van Buren game. What was it like for you to play a high school game with members of the Vanderbilt staff watching?
“It was a great experience. My outside linebackers coach, Coach (Jason) Tarver, came with Coach (Derek) Mason (head coach). I was playing my hardest. I always play hard but having them there pushed me to play even harder so I can show what I will offer to the team next year. It was a great environment to play in and having them there to watch.”
How did the Van Buren game go for you inside the lines?
“It went well. For the past couple of games, we’ve been blowing teams out. I have been out of the game by the third quarter. Credit to our defense and our offense for doing so well.”
What did the Vandy coaches say to you afterwards?
“They texted me after the game, they could not talk to us after the game in person. They texted me and wrote that I played a good game, they liked the way I run, and they way that I hit. They also wrote that we can’t wait to have you in a Vandy uniform next year.”
After the way the season started with three consecutive losses, the No. 12 Wolverines (MaxPreps) are now in position to claim the 7A West Conference title with a win over rival No. 7 Bentonville (6-3, 6-0) on Friday. For the readers out there who are not from the area, how big of a rivalry is this game?
“I have lived in the area since sixth grade. We were all supposed to go to Bentonville High School. Before my ninth-grade year, they broke up the schools adding Bentonville West. I was on the borderline cut, I was one street down from the cut.
“We grew up with all the guys on Bentonville’s team. We’ve been playing against each other since Little League. It is all love between us, but it will be a war out there. It is a crosstown rivalry. We came into the year thinking about Week 10. We’ve been waiting for this. We will play our hardest to come out with the win.”
What are you expecting from Bentonville’s offense?
“What they are showing on film is they like running up the gut. They try to run it down the throat of the defense. They are about 60-40 run-pass. They will try to run against us and then try to pass it. We want to stop the run and have them pass it so we can get pressure on their quarterback.”
Since everyone basically knows everyone, will there be a lot of fun trash talking on the field during the game?
“There will definitely be a lot. Last year, there was not that much. I was talking last year, but I always talk. I try to get in your head. But, there was not that much last year. After we lost the game, it hurt us for the rest of the season. It is a must-win game for us this year.”
Based upon the outcome of the game, what is the team looking at with seedings for the playoffs?
“We are looking at a No. 1 seed and a bye, a home game in the second round with a win. A lot is being laid on the line, our playoff seeding a conference championship. If we lose, last year when we lost we still had a bye and a home playoff game, but we were in a harder part of the bracket.”
With so much up for grabs, do you have a message for the Wolverines’ fan base?
“For all the Wolverines out there, please come out and support us. We will not let you down. #ForTheTen.”
Kendall, thanks for your time today and good luck tomorrow night.
“Thank you.”
2018 Bentonville West Schedule
Week 1 – at Owasso (56-40 loss)
Week 1 stats – 12 tackles, seven solo (44-31 loss)
Week 2 – vs. Fort Smith Southside
13 tackles, seven solo, and a sack
Week 3 – vs. No. 4 Bryant (17-10 loss)
10 tackles and one sack
Week 4 – bye
Week 5 – at Fayetteville (won 31-28)
15 tackles, two sacks
Week 6 – vs. Springdale (won 35-22)
15 tackles and 3.5 sacks
Week 7 – vs. Rogers (won 41-14)
DNP
Week 8 – at Har-Ber (Springdale – won 45-0)
1 tackle
Week 9 – at Rogers Heritage (won 42-0)
3 tackles, one tackle for a loss
Week 10 – vs. Van Buren (won 46-10)
8 tackles, 3 solo
Week 11 – at Bentonville
Photo credit: Young family; Kendall Young at Vanderbilt