In a couple months, Kendall Griffin will travel a thousand miles to his new home for the next four years.
But the transition from Chicago to Laramie, Wyoming, will be eased by the presence of a familiar face.
Griffin, one of four Morgan Park players named to the All-Public League team by the conference’s coaches, is a senior defensive back committed to Wyoming.
He’ll be the second Mustang on the roster, joining current sophomore receiver Chris Durr Jr.
“That’s a good friend of mine,” Griffin said of Durr. “He just told me it’s a great program. It’s great [for] development and great coaches.”
Griffin carries a 3.7 grade-point average and will graduate in December before joining the Cowboys in January.
His good grades, which helped land Ivy League offers from Yale and Cornell, are no accident. Academics has always been a point of emphasis at home, as his mother is a Chicago Public Schools teacher.
“It opened up my recruitment a lot,” Griffin said.
The 6-1, 170-pounder started playing football with the Morgan Park Jaguars youth program and always has been a defensive back. He’s just the latest Morgan Park standout at that position to earn a FBS scholarship, following in the footsteps of Wisconsin’s Jahmare Washington and Illinois’ Tysean Griffin (who now plays wide receiver).
“They really taught me how to, technique-wise, stay sound,” Griffin said.
Morgan Park coach Chris James said Griffin’s success is no accident.
“He’s been a consistent leader since he’s been here,” James said. “He worked his tail off to be able to play Division I and he’s a pillar of the program. … The consistency he has, the discipline he has — .all summer he came in and worked out on off days. He would actually turn on the lights [on the practice field] at night.”
Griffin’s leadership helped the Mustangs stay on track, according to James.
“[After] games that we felt we should have won, Kendall was the first one to show up and be positive,” James said. “I’ve never seen Kendall have a negative moment.”
Griffin has one more game with the Mustangs (9-4), who play St. Ignatius (4-7) in the Prep Bowl at noon Friday at Hanson Stadium.
“It’s been great,” he said of his time at Morgan Park. “Coaches always got our back. Teammates [are] great, couldn’t ask for better brothers to be on the field with.”
Other Mustangs making the All-Public League first team are senior wide receiver Nasir Rankin, an Illinois commit; senior defensive lineman Carmelow Reed (Mississippi) and junior defensive back Darrell Mattison.
Kenwood has five first-team picks: senior quarterback Kenyonte Louis, junior receiver Lawrence Carr, senior offensive lineman Ajani Brown, senior defensive lineman Kingston Watson and senior defensive back Nicholas Segura.
Young and Simeon both have three players on the 23-member first team. The Dolphins are represented by senior running back Max Warner (Missouri), senior defensive lineman Markius Woods and senior linebacker Joseph Gray. The Wolverines’ first-teamers are senior receiver Cornell Conely, senior offensive lineman Giovanni Thomas and senior linebacker Tommy Rivers.
Rounding out the first team are senior offensive lineman Cornelius Moore and senior defensive lineman Pharoah McThune of King; senior linebacker Lucas Schaffrath and senior kicker/punter Ethan Attanasio of Payton; junior offensive lineman Kanye Williams of Lane; senior offensive lineman Deonte Clemons of Phillips; senior athlete Elliott Turner of Corliss; and junior linebacker Daesean Gafford of Westinghouse.
2025 All-Public League First Team
Offense
QB Kenyonte Louis, Kenwood, senior
RB Max Warner, Young, senior
WR Nasir Rankin, Morgan Park, senior
WR Lawrence Carr, Kenwood, junior
WR Cornell Conely, Simeon, senior
OL Cornelius Moore, King, junior
OL Ajani Brown, Kenwood, senior
OL Kanye Williams, Lane, junior
OL Giovanni Thomas, Simeon, senior
OL Deonte Clemons, Phillips, senior
Athlete Elliott Turner, Corliss, senior
Defense
DL Pharoah McThune, King, senior
DL Markius Woods, Young, senior
DL Kingston Watson, Kenwood, senior
DL Carmelow Reed, Morgan Park, senior
LB Tommy Rivers, Simeon, senior
LB Lucas Schaffrath, Payton, senior
LB Joseph Gray, Young, senior
LB Daesean Gafford, Westinghouse, junior
DB Darrell Mattison, Morgan Park, junior
DB Kendall Griffin, Morgan Park, senior
DB Nicholas Segura, Kenwood, senior
K/P Ethan Attanasio, Payton, senior
Second team
Offense
QB Roidell Sanders, Lincoln Park, senior
QB Anthony Crooms, Simeon, senior
RB Jamar Lewis, King, sophomore
RB Treyshaun Strong, Prosser, senior
WR Kendall Lucas, Corliss, senior
WR Drake Harris, Kenwood, senior
OL Juelz Baker, Richards, senior
OL Dameon Norman, Kenwood, senior
OL Devin Fields, King, senior
OL Joshua Porcayo, Curie, senior
OL Kayden Jordan, Simeon, junior
Athlete Herman Yancey, Perspectives, junior
Athlete Quaylen Dobbs, Goode, senior
Defense
DL Javair McCain, Morgan Park, senior
DL Kobe Ferguson, Payton, junior
DL Kameron Love, Kenwood, senior
DL Kevin Johnson, Phillips, senior
LB Wyatt Kelly, Amundsen, senior
LB Darrieon Beck, Prosser, senior
LB Paul Smith, Corliss, senior
DB Kenyia Benbow, Simeon, senior
DB Armari Grant, Kenwood, junior
DB Taeshaun Smith, South Shore, senior
Athlete Thomas Fitchett, Payton, senior
K/P Atticus Whitted, Lane, junior
Honorable mention
Athlete Trevon Williams, Ag. Science, junior
Athlete Andre Boone, UIC Prep, senior
Athlete Tyrone Townes, Lake View, senior
DB Demetrice Davis, Corliss, senior
DB Terrell Johnson, Curie, senior
DB Lavar Butler, South Shore, senior
DB Sean Souter, Payton, sophomore
DL Jakese Pearson, Marshall, senior
DL Brenden Dollison, Perspectives, senior
DL James Reshoft, Amundsen, senior
DL Deandre Smith, Morgan Park, senior
DL Roberto Carrasco, Rauner, senior
LB Darius Townsel, Curie, senior
LB Jakennen Ellis, Crane, senior
OL Jayden Camacho, Taft, senior
OL Jackson Glascott, Payton, junior
OL Amarje Divine, Clark, senior
RB Aedan Cleveland, Goode, junior
RB Jaleel Bryant, Comer, senior
RB Reggie Mitchell, Amundsen, senior
RB James Bell, Simeon, junior
RB Eric Henderson, Bulls Prep, sophomore
WR Gavin Tillman, Lindblom, junior
K/P David Solarczyk, Kennedy, senior