Kenneth Grant is heading down the home stretch of his pre-NFL journey. In just days, he will embark on a new chapter that could last for the next decade or longer. There are 32 possibilities, but one caused him to light up.
Speaking on ESPN’s SportsCenter on April 21, the Michigan star talked about his opinion of Jim Harbaugh and the potential to reunite with him at the professional level. Grant could be on Harbaugh’s radar when the Rams go on the clock.
Kenneth Grant on Jim Harbaugh: ‘He’s a Great Coach’
Grant and Harbaugh won the National Championship in Harbaugh’s final game at Michigan. The pass rusher went on to play one more season under his successor, Sherrone Moore, and continued to thrive on the defensive side. He registered 6.5 sacks, along with 69 total tackles (12 for loss), in 41 games at Michigan.
“He’s a great coach, great person in general,” Grant told ESPN. “I mean, there’s so much to relate to, you know, just listen to him, listen to him talk. I mean, you can learn so much from him, but also, kind of, like, get a laugh out of it, too.
“It was just all about winning, for him, all about winning that national championship, winning rivalry games. And, I mean, that’s something I want to be a part of.”
Meanwhile, Harbaugh famously heaped praise on Grant back in 2023 after the athletic defender raced down Penn State running back Kaytron Allen to stop him from exploding for what would have been a 75-yard gain.
“Kenneth Grant running down the running back in that game, I was up off my feet,” Harbaugh said of the play, via Sports Illustrated. “One of the best plays of the season, that play by Kenneth Grant. Maybe one of the best plays ever.”
Will LA Chargers Draft Grant?
The Los Angeles Chargers have multiple positions of need heading into the 2025 NFL Draft. They finished the 2024 campaign ranked 17th in PFSN’s Offense Rankings, so they need help on the offensive side of the ball.
Los Angeles is ranked fourth overall in PFSN’s Defensive Rankings, so the priority is likely the offense, especially early in the draft. However, if Grant slips for an unforeseen reason out of the first two rounds, the connection between Harbaugh and Grant might be too enticing to pass up.
Grant earned 6.5 sacks in his final two seasons at Michigan and managed to produce more under Harbaugh in 2023 than in 2024. As such, if he becomes available at a decent time in the NFL Draft, the Chargers might have a more practical reason than a nostalgic coach to reunite the two.
As it stands, the Chargers have the conventional stipend of one pick in each of the first five rounds, so they don’t have extra picks to burn if they want to take an extra swing. If Grant slips into the fifth round, the Chargers have four sixth-round picks they can use to trade up to get him. Of course, the odds of Grant sliding are slim to none.