Kyle Hergel

Early life

Hergel was born on October 7, 1999, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. From Mississauga, he attended Clarkson Secondary School, where he was team captain, but had no offers to play Division I college football. He initially committed to play for New Mexico Military Institute, but received a last-minute offer from the North Dakota Fighting Hawks which he accepted.

College career

Hergel redshirted his first year at North Dakota, 2018, appearing in one game. He became a starter in 2019. He described his biggest strength as "My nastiness – I pride myself on being the meanest guy on the field at all times." That year, he started all 12 games at right guard and was chosen the FCS Independent Newcomer of the Year. He started the first five games in the 2020–21 season before entering the NCAA transfer portal.

Hergel transferred to the Texas State Bobcats for the fall 2021 season. In his first year, he started all 12 games, mainly at right guard, and was selected honorable mention All-Sun Belt Conference. He was named a team captain entering the 2022 season. He started all 12 games in 2022 and was named first-team all-conference by Pro Football Focus (PFF). He transferred to the Boston College Eagles for a final season of college football in 2023. He started all 13 games and was chosen honorable mention All-Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). He ended his collegiate career with a total of 54 starts, allowing only five sacks on 1,774 snaps. He was invited to the 2024 East–West Shrine Bowl.