The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1532537
2025 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ ❱ 46 THE WOLVERINE ❱ MARCH 2025 BY CLAYTON SAYFIE Bobby Kanka earned a scholarship of- fer from Michigan in March 2022 — and a lot has transpired since then. At the time of his commitment in August 2023, Kanka spoke of his love for head coach Jim Harbaugh, defen- sive line coach Mike Elston and coordi- nator Jesse Minter, a l o n g w i t h h ow impressed he was with the strength and conditioning program under Ben Herbert. M i c h i g a n wo n the national title with a 15-0 season in 2023, and Kanka enjoyed watching as a commit. Coaching changes followed, w i t h H a r b a u g h , Elston and Minter all moving on to the NFL's Los Angeles Chargers. Sherrone Moore was quickly named to succeed Harbaugh, and de- fensive line coach Lou Esposito and co- ordinator Wink Martindale joined the Wolverines. (Greg Scruggs was briefly U-M's defensive line coach in spring 2024, too, before resigning.) Kanka, a 6-foot-4, 289-pound in- state prospect, remained a constant, though, not wavering on his decision to play in a winged helmet for his home- town team, which is just a hop, skip and a jump away. Moore, as he's known to do, had a re- lationship with Kanka before getting the head coaching job, so their bond only grew stronger. "I love Coach Moore," Kanka said. "He was one of the guys that offered me freshman year. I'm just looking forward to playing for him." Kanka loved the atmosphere within Schembechler Hall and at The Big House, including after the new staff took over, and he attended every game he could during the 2024 season. "It's like a family there," Kanka said. That includes Esposito, a former offensive lineman with a large per- sonality. The as- sistant worked at Western Michigan from 2017-23, be- fore a brief stint at Memphis and then l a n d i n g a t U- M . The New Jersey na- tive has been in the state and Midwest most of his coach- ing career, and he's had no problems building relation- ships with recruits. B e fo re e n ro l l i n g early, Kanka said he and Esposito texted every day. "He's just a great guy," Kanka said. "He's just a straight shooter, and that's all you can really ask for as a coach if you want to get better. So, Kanka left one "family" for an- other. He was a leader on his Howell (Mich.) High team that went 11-1 his senior season, led by his efforts in the trenches. Kanka has great deter- mination and loyalty, having played through a knee injury at the beginning of the year because, well, his teammates needed him. "I just want to be out here with my boys," Kanka said then. "We're playing a kids' game. It's hard not to have fun doing it, with all the work we put in. … It's hard to want to sit out when you're around all your boys." The massive defensive lineman brings a tenacity and love for the game to a Michigan defensive line group that has a proud tradition. ❏ Michigan Is 'Family' For In-State Defensive Lineman Bobby Kanka Kanka, who committed to U-M in August 2023, subsequently developed a strong relationship with defensive line coach Lou Esposito (left) after his arrival in 2024. PHOTO COURTESY TOM KANKA STATISTICS Year Tackles Sacks 2024 79 11.5 2023 38 8 2022 36 4 HONORS • Earned a spot in the 2025 U.S. Army All- American Bowl. • Sports Illustrated, Detroit Free Press, The Detroit News, MLive and the Michigan High School Football Coaches Associa on all tabbed him as first-team all-state in 2024. • Led his team to a 11-1 record with a regional championship appearance as a senior. RECRUITMENT • Commi ed to Michigan Aug. 1, 2023. • Chose the Maize and Blue over Penn State, Tennessee, Northwestern, Michigan State and others. DID YOU KNOW? • On top of starring on the defensive line, he saw ac on at ght end and offensive line in high school. • Also played baseball, basketball and track and field. • Son of Tom and Beverly Kanka. • His father played defensive line for Hillsdale College and in the NFL for the Pi sburgh Steelers and Detroit Lions. • Born July 29, 2006. THEY SAID IT Howell Head Coach Brian Lewis to The Detroit News: "He's a high-character person who makes great decisions on and off the field. His high football IQ allowed him to play fast. He u lizes his mind as a weapon on the field. That goes along with his length and athle cism that are hard to match." BOBBY KANKA DEFENSIVE LINE 6-4 • 289 HOWELL HIGH HOWELL, MICH. RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ✪ ✪ ✪ 526 57 10 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 66 13 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 44 10 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 62 15 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ — 14 4 INDUSTRY 2025 Projection Michigan signed four defensive tackles in the 2024 class — Manuel Beigel, Ted Hammond, Deyvid Palepale and Owen Wafle — all of whom redshirted last season. Kanka seems bound for the same path as a freshman, but that's not to say he can't contribute down the road. The Wolverines brought in mul ple defensive line transfers ahead of the 2025 campaign and have depth on the interior of the line, allowing Kanka and others to develop their strength, condi oning and technique behind the scenes.