Michigan Football: Interview with De La Salle Rising Star OL Brendan Dignan
Written by Charlie Beuttel
Twitter: @charlie_cds3
Brendan Dignan burst onto the scene during his sophomore season as he became a wrecking force on the offensive line of De La Salle Collegiate High School. Dignan and the rest of the offense helped lead the Pilots to a 7-4 record and an appearance in the Division II state championship where they fell to Mona Shores 25-19.
This 6’6″, 285-pound, big man has good size and strength and also possesses tremendous footwork and quickness. Dignan also plays with high intensity. This Class of 2023 prospect is currently working hard to earn his first college offer but is currently drawing interest from several big-time college programs including Michigan State and Columbia.
Not only does Dignan star on the gridiron but is also featured on the basketball and baseball teams.
In an exclusive Recruiting News Gur interview, I caught up with Brendan to talk about his sophomore season and get an update on his recruiting process.
Interview
Brendan, what are your thoughts on your sophomore season?
I thought I had a very good season.
What would you say was your best game and why?
My best game would have to be when we played Detroit Cass Tech. I had an opportunity to step up against the best defensive line we saw the whole season and I took full advantage of this. I played extremely well against their multiple Division I commits.
What are your strengths on the football field?
My strengths on the football field are my size, power, quickness, and strength.
Did you receive any individual honors?
I’ve received Honor-Roll for my first three semesters of high school, so I’m extremely proud about that.
What were some of the challenges that you faced this season?
I faced the challenge of COVID-19, not knowing if we were going to play that next week; it was pretty stressful and my coaching staff and my teammates were scared not knowing if we would shut down at any time.
How did you overcome this challenge?
I “control the controllable”, as my head coach Dan Rohn preached. We followed the safety guidelines and were very fortunate to have played every single game.
What do you like most about playing on the offensive line?
I love playing the offensive line. My favorite thing is a good pancake block where you absolutely dominate a defensive lineman or a linebacker.
Is there an NFL player that you try to model your game after?
The NFL player I model my game after is Joe Thomas.
What are your maxes in the weight room?
My weight room maxes are a 355 squat, 405 deadlift, and 255 bench press.
What is one area of your game that you saw improvement in over the course of the season?
I noticed a good amount of improvement during the season with my ability to reach the second level. With our zone blocking scheme, I had a bit of difficulty adjusting to it but I did it. I improved by being able to reach the linebackers, corners, and safeties and finishing them to result in large run plays.
What do you like most about playing at De La Salle?
The things I like the most about De La Salle Football are the coaches and brotherhood. We have extremely talented coaches that are culture builders like Coach Rohn, Coach Bush, Coach James, Coach Dixon, Coach Short, Coach Campbell, Coach Zimmerman, Coach Kalani, Coach Light, Coach Featherstone, and Coach Roskop. They’re the people that make us so great. They come in every day trying to put us in the best position to win every single game. The second part is the brotherhood. I love my teammates and our chemistry is amazing that is a huge part of our success.
Do you play any other sports in high school?
I play baseball and basketball.
What is your favorite subject in school and why?
My favorite school subject is math. I love numbers and it comes extremely easy to me.
Who is your biggest role model?
My father. He motivates me to be a better person and teaches me valuable life lessons. He always has my back and I truly appreciate having a guy like that in my corner.
What are your goals for the offseason?
My goal for the off-season is to continue to grow into a better lineman physically and mentally. I want to take more steps to improve every single day.
Are there any colleges showing interest in you?
I have multiple Division I coaches following me on Twitter from Columbia, Michigan State, Eastern Michigan, Akron, Eastern Illinois, and Alabama A&M.
What is your GPA?
3.7.
Do you have a favorite quote or Bible verse?
My favorite quote is “Every day you get better or you get worse. You never stay the same” – Bo Schembechler.
Thank you for your time today.
Thank you, sir.
Photos credit: Twitter.com; De La Salle OL Brendan Dignan