3 thoughts on commitment of Bobby Kanka to Michigan football
Michigan football landed the commitment of blue-chip defensive lineman Bobby Kanka on Tuesday and here are three thoughts for the Wolverines.
The Wolverines scored another win on the recruiting trail on Monday landing four-star, in-state prospect Bobby Kanka in the 2025 class.
Michigan football had been trending with the expert projections, but it’s still good to wrap up another commitment, especially for a talented in-state dude.
Kanka just canceled a visit to Michigan State (and Penn State) before committing to Michigan football. Penn State and Minnesota were probably the most prominent offers outside of MSU.
At 6-foot-4, 255 pounds, and out of Howell, Michigan, Kanka is ranked as the No. 4 recruit from Michigan in the 2024 class. He’s also ranked 315th overall and is a four-star in the 247 Sports composite rankings.
Here are three thoughts on what this commitment means for the Wolverines.
More in-state momentum
A few years ago, Michigan football seemed to struggle with in-state recruits. Folks can say what they want about Dante Moore and CJ Carr, but the Wolverines have really done a great job of rebuilding the in-state pipeline.
That’s evident in the 2024 class and with this commitment, Michigan football is off to a strong start in the 2025 class too.
Momentum is a tangible thing in recruiting, especially with in-state kids. Michigan football has prioritized them more and you could tell that Kanka was a big priority too. There was no hesitation in this take and that’s because it’s a good one for the Wolverines.
Another Big Ten D-lineman
Kanka isn’t a five-star prospect, but neither was Mason Graham and he’s going to be an early-round draft pick. Mike Elston knows how to develop defensive linemen and you can bet that Kanka is going to be a solid Big Ten player.
Kanka is an interesting player because he could play at multiple spots. Michigan football loves those kinds of players but he seems more like a five-technique or a big EDGE sort of like Mike Morris was for the Wolverines. He’s 255 now via his 247 Sports profile and I’m sure he’ll be 280-300 by the time he’s a Michigan football player.
Kanka is still a young player and had just one sack and two tackles for loss as a sophomore. This season should see a big leap in production but the in-state defender feels like more of a three/five-technique than anything.
A solid start in 2025
Michigan football now has three commitments in the 2025 class and is ranked sixth in the team rankings by 247 Sports.
It’s really early, but all three of the commitments are blue chips. Chris Ewald is ranked in the top 100. Mantrez Walker, a four-star linebacker, has said his recruitment is still open, so I don’t know exactly what that means, but Kanka is the first in-state commitment.
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Any recruit that’s ranked in the top five in the state, is generally one that you want and so far, the 2025 class looks a lot like the 2024 class. There’s blue-chip talent with some elite mixed in, which has been a pretty good formula for Michigan football over the past two years.