Mike Kudla attended Highland High School in Medina, Ohio where he played football and basketball. Kudla was a three-year starter on the Highland defense, totaling 115 tackles as a sophomore and 170 tackles as a junior. As a senior he finished with 210 tackles and 6 sacks, on his way to division III defensive player of the year and first team all-Ohio honors. He finished his career with 495 tackles. He accepted a scholarship to Ohio State where he became an immediate contributor, finishing his first season with 12 tackles. He missed practices the following spring due to a shoulder injury he suffered during winter workouts. As a sophomore, Mike was again a backup defensive lineman. He totaled 9 tackles on the season. As a junior he was a backup the first six games of the season before taking over as the fulltime starter in week seven, totaling 41 tackles, 4 sacks, and 1 forced fumble on the year. Mike Kudla has his best season as a senior-his first full season as a fulltime starter-finishing with career highs in tackles (41), sacks (9.5), and forced fumbles (1).

Mike Kudla really came on as a senior, his first full season as a fulltime starter. He is a hard worker with a non-stop motor. He is a physical defensive end who is very strong at the point of attack. He is a great run defender who hits hard and displays solid tackling technique. He overpowers his opponents and makes alot of plays behind the line of scrimmage. He isn't a great pass rusher, but he can still get to the quarterback. He lacks ideal size for a defensive end and doesn't have the frame to get much bigger. He has only been starting for a little over a year so he doesn't have a great deal of experience. He has been plagued by injuries his entire career at Ohio State, making durability a big question for him. Mike Kudla is one of many undersized defensive ends who could move to outside linebacker at the next level. He should be a second day pick in the 2006 NFL draft.