MORE: Josh Kaltenberger | Tirek Murphy | Kydran Jenkins | Collin Sullivan
Purdue is looking to develop an edge on defense. And Ben Kreul could be a future cornerstone.
The Catholic Memorial (Waukesha, Wis.) linebacker was the first commitment in the Boilermakers' 2020 recruiting class, pledging on January 30, 2019. And he plays a position of need. Kreul could have a chance to impact this fall, but who will be his position coach? Who will be the defensive coordinator? Uncertainty looms with the recent firing of Nick Holt. Whoever fills the role will be getting a promising prospect in Kreul, a three-star recruit.
GoldandBlack.com spoke with long-time Catholic Memorial coach Bill Young to get a recap on Kreul's senior season.
GoldandBlack.com: Give an overall impression of Ben's career?
Young: He was on special teams as a freshman, we won the state championship. Sophomore year, started at inside backer and we were 9-3. As a junior, we won the state championship and went 13-1. This past year, we were 12-2 and won another state title.
GoldandBlack.com: How good of an athlete is Ben?
Young: He is a football, basketball, track athlete. He runs the 200 and 4 X 200 for us. He is a power forward on the basketball team. Just finished my 46th year coaching high school football and my 43rd as head coach at Memorial. And he is as good as any linebacker I ever have coached.
GoldandBlack.com: What type of player is Ben?
Young: He is a real smart player, has a great feel for the game. Plays with great pad leverage. Very instinctive. Just a lot of things you really can’t teach. He has a great feel. We are a school of 589 and we are playing against schools with over 2,000 students.
Story continues below photo
GoldandBlack.com: What is his work ethic like?
Young: Ben is an impact player for us at all times. We look at a lot of film and expect our kids to do the same. He is the type of kid who does the extra work, the mental reps. We used him on offense. We are a spread team. He was a tight end, and we used him as a blocker and a flat-route runner. Very well respected by his coaches and his teammates and teachers. He’s just a great kid.
GoldandBlack.com: What type of honors did Ben win in 2019?
Young: He was first-team all-state this past year, honorable mention as a junior. Two-time all-conference. He is a great kid, a great student. He treats people right. He demands excellence out of himself. You can coach him hard. A real instinctive player. Real physical.
GoldandBlack.com: How did Ben hold up this past fall?
Young: He is almost 6-3 and weighed 232 at the start of the season. He finished the year at 230. A real physical, dominating player. We work a lot on our fits. At the next level, he just has to keep working on his speed. Has to be able to be a bender. He is very physical and instinctive when he plays the game.
Membership Info: Sign up for GoldandBlack.com now | Why join? | Questions?
Follow GoldandBlack.com: Twitter | Facebook | YouTube
More: Gold and Black Illustrated/Gold and Black Express | Subscribe to our podcast
Copyright, Boilers, Inc. 2019. All Rights Reserved. Reproducing or using editorial or graphical content, in whole or in part, without permission, is strictly prohibited.
