Interview: 5-Star 2020 RB Kendall Milton Talks Recruiting and Football

Written by Ryan Wright

Twitter: @RyanWrightRNG

There are few new ways of saying all the prolific talents at the disposal of Class of 2020 running back Kendall Milton – he has it all. With his size (6-2, 210), speed, and productivity on the field rushing for over 1,500 yards with 23 touchdowns as a sophomore while hauling in eight passes for 117 more yards with two more trips into the end zone he caught the attention of the nation on the recruiting trail. His junior season is rolling along with another 438 yards on the ground off 67 touches with 11 touchdowns in stats posted through six games. All the activity on the field coupled with his five-star ranking and upside going into the future has every other college football program in the nation after him.

If there is a college coach out there with a legitimate shot at landing the 2017 MaxPreps Sophomore All-American but has not offered, where have you been and what are you thinking? Milton holds 39 offers to date from a very long list of fantastic schools: USC, Georgia, Alabama, Miami, Washington, UCLA, Ohio State, Oregon, Arizona State, Baylor, Oregon State, San Jose State, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Michigan, Mississippi State, Colorado State, Fresno State, Arizona, Utah, Notre Dame, Texas A&M, BYU, Colorado, Washington State, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Penn State, Florida State, and Florida (partial list).

On July 9, Milton released a Top 10 list in alphabetical order of Alabama, Florida State, Fresno State, Georgia, Miami, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Penn State, Texas, and USC. I caught up with Milton for an in-depth interview covering his unofficial visits to UCLA and Fresno State this season, his junior campaign thus far with Buchanan (5-2), and his overall recruiting process.

*Click link for previous RNG interview with Kendall Milton

Interview

Kendall, what is your weekly preparation like getting ready for every game?

“One of my main things is to make sure I hydrate so I can go out there to do what I can for practice and a game.”

What is your mental approach to any game during the week and on game day?

“I want to win and have fun with my team. I want everyone to execute so we can get the win. For me personally, I watch film throughout the week to see the defense’s tendencies – do they overrun plays or do they play flat footed.”

What is Kendall Milton like on game day, say the hour or two leading up to kickoff?

“I have my head phones on to get into the zone. I get into the dog mentality to get ready for the game.”

The Bears have competed in seven games so far this season, of the seven which has been the most challenging for you?

“I’d say the most challenging game would have been Liberty (Bakersfield – won 28-13). They loaded the box heavier against us, it was harder to get the yards against them.”

How did that challenge help improve your game or maybe even your understanding of the game?

“That challenge lets me know I have to work harder for the yards. I have to lower my shoulder to be my own blocker sometimes.”

Which game has been your best thus far and why do you consider that game to be your best?

“My best game was against De La Salle (Concord – lost 31-21). I broke a 70-yarder against them and scored three touchdowns. That was a great way to show out against one of the top teams in the country.”

I feel overwhelmed with requests day to day, week to week, I can’t imagine what your inbox looks like with 39 offers. About how many messages, calls, or correspondence do you get per day or per week?

“Every morning I wake up to 10 to 15 messages from coaches telling me to have a good day, stay focused – that kind of stuff. It is a lot but nothing too crazy.”

As a top recruit, what approach or message gets through to you above the others?

“I like when coaches want to talk to me about things other than just football… life and education. Being with them at the next level, it will be about more than just football. I like breaking that wall of normal football talk.”

I’m asking for the other 128 Division-I FBS teams out there that may not be at the top of your list right now, what will influence your final decision?

“I am looking for early playing time, I want to get on the field early. I want to be a three-and-out player in college. The strength of the business school and the alumni base will play a big part too in my decision.”

Which schools have you unofficially visited so far during the season?

“UCLA and Fresno State.”

How did the UCLA visit go?

“It was a good visit. I was able to see a lot of my friends. I was able to rekindle relationships with a lot of friends; it was a good visit.”

How did the hometown Fresno State visit go?

“It was a good visit as well. Being able to watch the guys play, I am close to a lot of the players on the team that are from the area. It was great to see a lot of my friends ball out. That was a good experience.”

Back to football. You guys just got a big 35-7 win over Clovis West (0-7), how did the game go for you?

“It was good. I was able to break some runs. Not sure of the yardage, but I had two touchdowns. I had fun with my boys.”

You get Clovis (5-2) on Friday, what kind of challenge are you expecting from the Cougars?

“The Cougars defense – I feel that we are more athletic and physical than they are. If we execute the way we should, we should do some big things.”

Last question. There were a lot of thrilling games yesterday, which college games did you watch yesterday and what stood out to you or surprised you the most?

“I was able to watch the Miami verses FSU (Florida State) game; they battled to the end. Miami had a strong run game to lead them to victory. I also saw the Texas verses Oklahoma game. Texas got the upset win. That showed a lot about Coach (Tom) Herman (head coach). He is turning the program around. The Florida verses LSU game was crazy too.”

Kendall, always great catching up with you. Good luck on Friday against Clovis.

“Thank you.”

Photo credit: recruitingnewsguru.com; Kendall Milton

Photo credit: Twitter.com; No. 2 Kendall Milton in action