Few have the drive and attitude of Bobby Kanka, a 4-star player from Michigan

MLive is spending the summer reviewing Michigan’s top 2025 football recruits. Today we’re taking a look at Howell defensive end Bobby Kanka, who committed to Michigan last August.

ORGANIC

Height: 1.95m

Weight: 285 pounds

Position: Defensive attack

Recruit Rating: 4 stars at 247Sports Composite, Michigan’s third-best recruit and 41st-best defensive lineman in the country

Recruitment status: Verbal commitment for Michigan on August 1, 2023

Scholarship offers: Syracuse, Miami (OH), Michigan, Michigan State, Central Michigan, Tennessee, Toledo, Penn State, Hillsdale, Kansas, Bowling Green, Louisville, Minnesota, Northwest

Year: 2025

HOWELL, MI — It was about a decade ago, on a late summer day in Pinckney, a town for outdoor enthusiasts, elementary school students were arguing and interrupting football practice over which team would be lucky enough to get then-second-grader Bobby Kanka on its roster.

“They flipped a coin and it was like draft day,” Bobby’s father, Tom, recalled. “I looked at my wife and said, ‘That boy is in the second grade, he is not the second coming (of Christ).'”

As far as football goes, maybe not.

Still.

Bobby made his first touch as a football player and scored a 43-yard touchdown that marked the beginning of a brilliant career on the football field – a career that continued even during his high school years in Howell.

These days, the quick, dominant and physically imposing big man can be seen wreaking havoc in the trenches, especially along the Highlanders’ defensive front, where he has turned into a nightmare for opponents, often requiring double coverage from offensive linemen.

And honestly, Bobby is one of the best young talents in Michigan.

“I fell in love with the game at a young age,” said Bobby, a rising senior from Howell. “Growing up, I played everywhere from center to tackle to tight end to defense. I’ve always been athletic and big, and now that I’ve moved to (defensive line), I just play inside for a living.”

Thanks to his exceptional size, athleticism, speed and agility, coupled with an outstanding mindset, Bobby has suddenly risen to become Michigan’s third-best young talent for the class of 2025 and the 41st best defensive player in the entire country – which culminated in his commitment to the University of Michigan last August.

Having burst onto the state’s football scene before his freshman season, Bobby is now a four-star prospect with traits that are highly sought after by big-name Division I schools. And at 6’4″ and 280 pounds, his size makes him easy to spot on and off the field.

It is also his makeup that speaks for itself.

“Bob’s determination and decisiveness have made him a great leader,” said Howell football coach Brian Lewis. “Bob has a lot to do with what we’re trying to do when it comes to establishing a tireless work culture. He represents not only himself as a highly motivated guy, but also what we do at Howell.”

“Addicted to getting better”

From a young age, Bobby loved competition, but he never liked being the average person.

Not much has changed at the start of his final season at Howell – even though he has not yet found his true calling in football.

“I don’t know if I’ve ever really realized what my ‘why’ is, except for right now. I just feed off of being different than people and doing unusual things,” he said. “I think I have enough confidence to get to a great position if I keep doing those unusual things that not everyone else is doing. I love learning the game and dominating, and I really feed off of being better than other people.

“I’m just addicted to getting better.”

In a junior season marred by injuries and transfers, Bobby still managed to record eight sacks, nine tackles for loss and 38 total tackles in just five and a half games for a Howell team that finished 3-6.

Bobby moved from Pickney to Howell after his freshman season and has battled a series of knee injuries since then, suffering three dislocated kneecaps.

All these adversities only reinforced his grim attitude.

“The many doubters have made me different,” he said.

Being different is simply in Bobby’s DNA.

“He’s very self-driven and has this inner drive,” said Tom. “He told me he’ll never fail because he’s worked more than enough. That’s what sets him apart and he never misses an opportunity to get better. He has this inner drive that he won’t let anything get him down, it’s almost manic.”

Football lineage

Tom was a standout defensive player for Hillsdale College in the 1980s and played briefly in the NFL before moving up the coaching ranks. He was also inducted into the Chargers Hall of Fame in 2017.

But he never pushed his eldest son to play football.

“Bob has always been a great athlete and I was cautious at first because we wanted to expose all of our kids to every sport and let them do what they were passionate about,” Tom said. “But when he started playing football in second grade, it didn’t take long for us to realize that Bob just had something special and that something special. Within days, they wanted to move him up to fourth grade.”

Tom coached Bobby through middle school, but Bobby said it wasn’t until fifth grade that he truly understood his father’s football legacy. For Bobby, that fifth-grade year was almost an epiphany moment.

“We had a playoff game and used his NFL alumni coin that they sent us, and I think that was the moment it all clicked into place,” Bobby said. “After that, I started doing my own research on my dad and found out who he was, and that really motivated me to keep the family name alive. He doesn’t express it often, but he really has a lot of knowledge about football and just that kind of experience that you can’t get from other people.”

Tom is currently coaching Howell’s defensive line, and with his youngest son Frank joining the Highlanders as a new defensive lineman and freshman, the 2024 season has all the makings of a special one in the Kanka memory bank.

“With my brother out there with me, I try harder knowing he’s out there looking up to me,” Bobby said. “I’ve never been able to play on a team with him and I’m trying to soak it all in with my dad.”

In that sense, Bobby has the knowledge, attitude and physical attributes to consistently disrupt opposing defenses. That’s why college recruiters were so impressed with him a few years ago and why he’s so versatile on the defensive end.

“He’s big, long and has good reach,” Lewis said. “He’s got a really quick first step and is great at getting to kids at the rim – you really have to decide what you want to do with him. The game is slow for him and he can move and play multiple positions at a very high level.”

For Bobby, all of this culminated in an arsenal of skills in pass rush and defense with fruitful results.

“The ability to hone my skills and ability is addictive, but especially at defensive tackle, I like to get my hands off people and be able to dictate what happens,” Bobby said. “I think very few people know that I can move the way I do, and I pride myself on my agility and athleticism. I think it’s pretty cool to be able to keep that in reserve and pull it out when needed.”

A man from Michigan

The University of Michigan has always been in Bobby’s backyard.

It’s only a 25-minute drive from The Big House, and his memories of his time with the Wolverines are fresh – a big reason why choosing Michigan was a no-brainer.

“I grew up there and went to the spring games, and it always felt like home,” he said. “When I found out they were interested in me, it was a no-brainer for me. We’ve always been Michiganders and had Michigan stuff all over our house.”

But there has been some reluctance recently. After Michigan won the 2023 National Championship and head coach Jim Harbaugh left for the Los Angeles Chargers, Bobby said he had to reevaluate his commitment.

“I love Coach Harbaugh and his culture, but when the staff left, I honestly had to rethink things because obviously sometimes when there’s a coaching change, things change,” Bobby said. “I had to go there and see for myself what it’s like. I’ve known Coach (Sherrone) Moore since my freshman year and I’ve known (defensive line) Coach (Lou) Esposito and the combination of a great school, great people and great football really solidified it all for me.

“And to get a first-class education and play for the best football team in the country, have the best opportunity to develop my body and reach my ultimate goal, which is the NFL, Michigan is the best opportunity I have to get there.”

Kanka is the fifth-best prospect in Michigan’s 2025 recruiting class, a class that is currently ranked 22nd nationally. For sure, though, Bobby is an up-and-coming young Wolverine talent with a high-powered motor.

And a way of thinking that only a few have.

“When everyone else is tired, I’m ready to go out there and play if I need to,” Bobby said. “I don’t know what you would call it, but I know I can make things happen, and that gives me the strength to be different.”