Kendall Dearth Scouting Report | Tarleton State OG | 2023 NFL Draft
Player Bio
Kendall Dearth is a 6-foot-4, 320 Left Guard prospect from Tarleton State University in Stephenville, TX.
The son of longtime NFL Long Snapper James Dearth, Kendall began his football career at Atascocita High School in Humble, TX, where he started on the Eagles’ offensive line from 2015-2017. Dearth also earned two varsity letters as a shot putter for the Atascocita Track & Field program.
As a high school senior, Dearth led Atascocita to a 10-2 record and helped the Eagles reach the third round of the 6A D1 playoffs against Katy. Despite being an unranked prospect in the Class of 2018, Dearth received five official scholarship offers from Howard Payne, UT-Permian Basin, West Texas A&M, New Mexico Military Institute, and Tarleton State.
On National Signing Day, Dearth signed his letter of intent to continue his football career at Tarleton State to play under Head Coach Todd Whitten.
As a true freshman, Dearth appeared in ten games on the Texans’ offensive line and helped Tarleton State win its first outright Lone Star Conference Championship in 2018.
In Dearth’s second season at Tarleton State, he started 10 games at Left Guard in an 11-1 campaign. Tarleton State boasted one of the most productive offensive line units in Division II, helping the Texans finish the season ranked second in total offense, fourth in scoring offense, and twelfth in offensive first downs. The Texans won the Lone Star Conference Championship for the second-straight year and Dearth earned Second Team All-Lone Star honors for the first time in his career.
The following season, Tarleton State had its season shortened to eight games due to the Coronavirus Pandemic in 2020. In the Texans’ final season in Division II, Dearth received First Team Preseason All-Independent recognition and started all eight games at Left Guard. Dearth anchored an offensive line unit that only allowed 1.38 sacks per game and committed five holding penalties throughout the season in a 5-3 campaign.
In Tarleton State’s inaugural season in Division I, Dearth started 11 games on an offensive line unit that allowed the 12th fewest sacks and 14th fewest tackles for loss in the FCS. The Texans finished their first FCS season with a 6-5 record, which included victories against in-conference foes, Utah Tech (formerly Dixie State) and Lamar.
With an extra year of eligibility provided by the Coronavirus Pandemic, Dearth returned to Tarleton State for his fifth season in 2022. For the fourth consecutive season, Dearth started every game at Left Guard for the Texans and established himself as one of the most experienced offensive linemen in FCS football. After leading the Texans to a 6-5 record, Dearth became one of two Tarleton State offensive linemen to receive First Team All-WAC honors.
Overall, Dearth made 50 appearances on the Texans’ offensive line and started 40 games at Left Guard during his five-year career at Tarleton State.
Scouting Report
Kendall Dearth is an experienced Left Guard prospect with strong run & pass-blocking abilities, intriguing athleticism, fluid mobility in open space, and sharp mental instincts.
At 6-foot-4, 320 pounds, Dearth possesses ideal NFL guard size, proficient body control, and great ankle/knee bend. Dearth’s body control and ankle/knee bend enable him to maximize his lower-body flexibility by establishing a leverage advantage at the line of scrimmage; He boasts an athletic, comfortable three-point stance, smooth hip unlock, and low pad level when firing off the ball. Combined with a powerful lower half and notable play strength, Dearth is a quality run blocker with good hand placement and leg drive at the point of attack.
Dearth is at his best when he can utilize his athletic ability to pull along the line of scrimmage or climb up to the second level. Dearth is a smooth mover who pulls with little wasted movement. He has the mental instincts to locate targets on short pulls and understands the importance of staying tight to the line of scrimmage to get from point A to point B more efficiently.
Dearth has strong hands and punch location, making him a difficult blocker to shed once he positions himself within a defender’s frame. Additionally, he possesses exemplary toughness and a mean streak to finish off run blocks with physicality and force.
Dearth’s ankle/knee bend, athletic ability, and solid use of hands make him a reliable pass blocker in the interior. When pass blocking, Dearth has some inconsistency with his initial foot and body quickness of the ball but makes up for his average reactionary athleticism with a sturdy pass set to anchor against powerful interior pass rushers. He also moves well laterally, allowing him to mirror defensive linemen to keep them within his peripheral vision.
As an NFL Draft prospect, Dearth boasts high athletic upside, viability as a run blocker & pass protector, and advanced football intelligence coming from the Division II and FCS levels. Dearth is not receiving a ton of buzz leading up to the NFL Draft, but he can compete for a practice squad spot if he makes it to training camp in August. Dearth would benefit from a season on an NFL practice squad to sharpen his overall technique and adjust to the speed & power of NFL interior defensive linemen.
Draft Projection
Priority Undrafted Free Agent
