He was an overlooked Idaho prep star. Now he’s an NFL Draft prospect waiting for the call
Brandon Kipper heard the laughs all of his life.
The Columbia High graduate made no secret of his goal to play in the NFL. He said it coming out of high school. It drove him to transfer from Hawaii to Oregon State.
Even at 5 years old, he told anyone who would listen that one day he’d play on Sundays.
No one is laughing now.
The 6-5, 326-pound offensive lineman enters this week’s NFL Draft, which begins Thursday night, as a projected late-round pick or an undrafted free agent. The Oregon State grad said he’s not worried about when he gets selected. He’s just focused on the next step: making an NFL team and silencing all those laughs one more time.
“I’ve always had a desire to do the things that most people didn’t think I could do,” Kipper, 24, told the Idaho Statesman this week. “Even in high school, winning wrestling matches, winning state, winning All-American (honors), the thing that always drove me was nobody thought I could do it.
“Once I learned that I’m capable of doing things that others think I can’t do, it kind of became an addiction. So, for me, this whole journey has not necessarily been a warpath to prove people wrong, but more so to prove myself right.”
Kipper graduated from Nampa’s Columbia High in 2017 with a sparkling resume. He started all four years on the football team. He won a pair of heavyweight state wrestling championships. He was even the student body president.
All that resulted in just three FBS scholarship offers (Hawaii, Army, UTEP). National wrestling powers tried to sweep in late and convince him to stay on the mat, but Kipper had that lifelong goal to fulfill. So he signed with Hawaii, where he played in 11 of 12 games as a true freshman.
The road from the islands to the NFL remains a long one, though. So Kipper transferred to Oregon State after one year, betting on himself one more time.
He sat out a season due to NCAA transfer rules before becoming one of the most steady linemen in program history. He entered the starting lineup in 2019 and never left. He finished his career with 45 consecutive starts, the fourth-longest streak in Oregon State history, and was a three-time All-Pac-12 honorable mention selection.
He toyed with declaring for the NFL Draft last season. But after spending his entire college career at tackle, scouts told Kipper they viewed him as a guard at the pro level. So he returned to the Beavers for one last season to hone a new position, become a team captain and take another step toward that lifelong dream.
His last go-round in Corvallis resulted in Oregon State’s best season in decades. The Beavers finished 10-3 and ranked No. 17 in the final AP poll. Both were Oregon State’s best marks since 2000, and Kipper continued to catch the eyes of NFL scouts.
He earned an invite to the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl in January, which brought in scouts or coaches from all 32 teams. He said most of the teams he’s talked to see him as someone who can swing between guard and tackle, providing flexibility to a roster spot.
Between the all-star game and predraft workouts, Kipper estimated that he has spoken with nearly every NFL team. But he’s avoiding the draft hype and all the projections.
He said it doesn’t matter whether he’s drafted or signs as an undrafted free agent. He noted that undrafted free agents often end up with a better chance to make an NFL roster because they can pick their best possible landing spot.
“Ultimately, there are some things in this process that are out of your control,” Kipper said. “I’ve always said the past six years of my life have been completely in my control so that I can feel comfortable being out of control now.”
Kipper called the past few months a whirlwind. He got married last month, then moved back to Boise temporarily this week, all while working out for NFL teams and talking with executives.
Growing up, he would spend an entire weekend breathlessly following the draft. But now that his time is here, he said he plans to focus on his time with a small crew of family and friends, the ones who supported his NFL dreams all along — or, at least, didn’t laugh too hard.
“A lot of guys are drafted in the first round, and they are out of the league in a year. A lot of guys don’t get drafted, and they end up as Hall of Famers,” Kipper said. “So for me, it’s not necessarily just about the draft.
“I want to have my loved ones there so that when I do get that call, that life-changing call, I’m surrounded by the people that have been with me through it all.”
The first round of the draft, being held in Kansas City, is Thursday night. Rounds 2-3 are Friday and rounds 4-7 are Saturday.
