Highlight Reel: DeLaSalle, OT, Jalen Travis

High School football in Minnesota now kicks off in only 31 days. I thought why not a better time to look at DeLaSalle Senior offensive lineman Jalen Travis' highlight tape. Jalen is one of the most talented players in all of Minnesota regardless of position. He has already picked up a plethora of offers including: Yale, Princeton, Indiana State, Northern Iowa, Iowa State, and Minnesota. After watching only a few plays of Jalen's highlights, you can see why he is one of the most coveted recruits in the state of Minnesota. &nbsp; <em><strong>**</strong></em><span style="text-decoration: underline"><em><strong>(full 10:56 Junior season highlights)</strong></em></span><em><strong>**</strong></em> &nbsp; <span style="text-decoration: underline"><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt">Size:</span></strong></span> To be an elite offensive lineman there are some traits that you just can't teach. Jalen Travis is 6'7" 280 pounds, which would be the ideal size for any college offensive tackle. Already being 6'7" Jalen would have the ability to be on a college weight program, and within a year already have the 6'7" 320+ "NFL-like" frame. &nbsp; &nbsp; <strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;font-size: 14pt">Athleticism:</span></strong> If you didn't know Jalen is the brother of former DeLaSalle, Stanford, and Kentucky big man on the basketball court Reid Travis. Jalen also contributes on the hardwood for DeLaSalle in the winter. You can clearly tell that Jalen's footwork on the basketball court carries over to the football field. His pass-blocking footwork is some of the best I have seen from a high school offensive lineman. Size will only get you so far as an offensive lineman. At some point you have to be able to keep up with the freakishly athletic defensive lineman you go up against, and Jalen does just that. [caption id="attachment_9762" align="aligncenter" width="230"] <em>Photo by Mark Hvidsten, SportsEngine</em>[/caption] <span style="text-decoration: underline;font-size: 14pt"><strong>Pass Blocking:</strong></span> Watching almost any high school offensive lineman you are able to see that their pass blocking could use a little cleaning up. Don't get me wrong Jalen has beautiful pass sets for a high schooler, but if he wants to be successful at the next level he will need to become even better. What makes a great offensive tackle, is the ability to set create the pocket. Jalen has shown the ability to do that very effectively, which is why he is going to be a division one lineman, but he just needs to show more consistency. There are times where he leans a bit too much forward, which he is able to do because he can rely on his size to recover. If Jalen is able to just clean up the already great skills he does have he can be a great pass-blocker at the next level. &nbsp; <span style="text-decoration: underline;font-size: 14pt"><strong>Run Blocking:</strong></span> Although the majority of Jalen's highlights are from pass blocking, you can still clearly tell that he has the ability to open up holes for any ball carrier. The big man has ability to get off the ball at an elite speed. Jalen sometimes already has his hands on his defender before they even get out of their stance. This now gives him full control of his defender, and he is now able to push him in what ever direction that he would like to. His brute strength gives him the ability to just dominate defensive lineman. DeLaSalle's running backs will often have very favorable holes to run through in thanks to Jalen's dominance. &nbsp; <span style="text-decoration: underline;font-size: 14pt"><strong>Finishing Ability:</strong></span> What separates Jalen Travis from any other offensive lineman in Minnesota is his motor. Once he gets his hands on a defensive lineman, he will not stop moving his feet until the opposition is lying in the dirt. His finishing ability is almost reminiscent of Michael Oher in the movie "The Bind Side." Jalen dominates defensive lineman every time he steps on the field almost making his competition look like children. [caption id="attachment_9756" align="aligncenter" width="256"] <em>Jalen on his official visit at Minnesota.</em>[/caption] <span style="text-decoration: underline;font-size: 14pt"><strong>Team Success:</strong></span> In 2018 DeLaSalle struggled to find their rhythm in the regular season. The Islanders finished with a three and five record, and fell to Saint Louis Park in the first round of the section tournament. Sometimes there is only so much than an offensive lineman can do to help with their teams success. Although DeLaSalle struggled to add wins to their record last season, they definitely showed potential. They averaged nearly 25 points per game, as well as eclipsing 30 points in three separate games. DeLaSalle's youth in 2018 led to inconsistency which I expect to fade away in 2019. I expect the Islanders and their 13 Juniors returning from last season will be hungry for better success in 2019.