Interview: 3-Star 2019 Arkansas Talent Kendall Young is That True All-Purpose Outside Linebacker

Written by Ryan Wright

Twitter: @RyanWrightRNG

There are certain players at the high school level that are just so talented already, yet one can see the tremendous amount of upside left in their game – Kendall Young is one of those guys. Young spent the 2017 season terrorizing opposing Arkansas offenses and is now on a fast track to doing the same at the collegiate level.

There are a lot of different types of outside linebackers, but Young has to be the true definition of that position. At 6-5, 215-pounds, he can stop the run, rush the passer, and drop back into coverage filling all the demands of the position without question. His size, speed, and abilities led to an 85-tackle season during his junior campaign with 55 solo stops, 17 tackles for a loss, 13 sacks, one interception, five passes defended, and one forced fumble against Class 7A competition for Bentonville West.

The wealth of productivity on the field has led to 12 offers on the table from Arkansas, Missouri, Louisiana Tech, Tulsa, Southeast Missouri, Army, Texas State, Tulane, Rice, Louisiana-Lafayette, Princeton, and Arkansas State. With a college camp circuit under way, I sat down with the three-star recruit ahead of his camp performance at Kentucky for an overview on his skills, offseason work, and recruiting process.

Interview

Kendall, looking back on last season, what are you most proud of with your play on the field?

“My productivity, I was able to make stuff happen. I tackled well and my ability to get to the quarterback, I did not do a lot of that my sophomore year. I had 13 sacks last season, I was proud of that. I worked a lot on my pass rushing in the offseason. I am proud of helping my team win.”

You are that true outside linebacker able to drop back, rush the passer, and stop the run, how did your overall skillset grow in 2017?

“My sophomore year, I had a good year with 70 tackles in six games. I’ve always stopped the run well. My pass rush improved a lot. I worked on getting stronger and dropping back; I worked a lot on that in the offseason. I can do a little bit of everything, I can run out to the flats and make a play.”

Was there a weakness in your game to start the season but by the end of the year you had turned that into a strength?

“Shedding blockers; I am still working on that. Getting stronger will help me with shedding blockers.”

What are you working on this offseason?

“My strength. I am doing a lot of benching and squats. I am getting faster and stronger, and I am gaining weight.”

How have spring practices gone with the Wolverines?

“We are having a good offseason. We lost some key seniors, but I think we will be good again this year. Jadon Jackson and our quarterback Will Jarrett are good – we have great skill players. We have young guys stepping up to the plate. We will be good again this year.”

Did any college programs come by your school to meet with you or watch you workout this offseason?

“Yes, sir. Tulsa, Mizzou, Memphis, Arkansas, Louisiana Tech, Rice, and Arkansas State, all the schools that offered me all came by school this offseason.”

Which schools are showing recruiting interest but have not offered yet?

“Bama, Baylor, and Mississippi State are the main ones.”

How many offers do you have now?

“I have 12 offers.”

Which schools were the most recent to have offered?

“Arkansas offered me at a camp on June 3 and Tulsa offered at a team camp as a tight end.”

Which position do you like best, tight end or defensive end/outside linebacker?

“I just started playing tight end. I played receiver growing up until 10th grade. When I got to outside linebacker, I really like it. Catching the ball is fun, and I like scoring touchdowns. That was fun at the Tulsa team camp playing tight end; they saw my potential there.”

Which schools have you visited in 2018 so far?

“Mizzou, Arkansas, Louisiana Tech, Oklahoma State, Mississippi State, and Memphis.”

Who did the Mizzou visit go?

“It was great. Jadon and I went up there my sophomore year. We got to see the apartments the players stay in. I really like the staff, and their defensive line coach (Brick Haley) and their head coach (Barry Odom). I know some of the players there. There are some of the guys from Northwest Arkansas at Mizzou. There is a tie-in there. I thought the school was very welcoming and had a family atmosphere. A lot of schools talk about having a family atmosphere, but they honestly have that family feel up there.”

What about Arkansas, how did that visit go?

“I am very familiar with Arkansas, they have been recruiting me for two years. I have been there about four times. I like what Chad Morris (head coach) is doing. I like Coach (Steve) Caldwell (defensive line) and Coach (John) Chavis (defensive coordinator), they put people in the NFL. I liked working with Coach Caldwell at the camp.”

Do you have any planned visits upcoming?

“I am going to a camp at Kentucky right now, camp is tomorrow (Thursday). I am probably going to a Louisville camp and to a Vanderbilt camp and for a visit. Bama recently asked me to go to their camp, that is undecided if I am going there yet or not. I will probably also visit Arkansas State and Baylor coming up.”

You mentioned attending camps at Tulsa and Arkansas earlier, how did the Arkansas camp go?

“It was good. We did a lot of conditioning. Everything went well. Coach Caldwell gave me some tips and stuff to work on based on my film. I performed well there.”

Last question. When the recruiting process starts to get a little more serious for you with official visits, what will be some of the key things you look for during those visits that will influence you one way or another?

“My top things that will influence me, what I am looking at is the coaching staff – how they interact with the players. Do they have a family feel, is there a brotherhood with the teammates? I also look at where the program is heading – are they getting better?”

Kendall, it has been fun interviewing you today. Good luck with all the upcoming camps.

“Thank you.”

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Photo credit: Young family; Kendall Young at Arkansas and Oklahoma State