Prospect Spotlight: Joe Kohlbeck – Prior Lake (2021)

Brian Jerzak July 29, 2020 @ 10:26 PM

In today’s game, especially in 6A, you rarely see starting offensive linemen as small as Prior Lake’s <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="23730" first="Joe" last="Kohlbeck"]</strong>. Even more rare are guys his size getting college interest. That is the reality for Kohlbeck. He has turned himself into a top offensive lineman by excelling in every area except size. "I had a pretty good year," Kohlbeck said. "I could have done a few things differently. I was light last year. I only weighed 215 pounds." Kohlbeck was a full-time starter at left tackle and played in some goal-line situations on defense. "I am a gritty player. I wasn’t that big, so my engine, technique, and footwork are what separate me." Physical skill is not the only thing that separates Kohlbeck. "For me, it was more mental. I study a lot of film on my opponents to see what their tendencies might be. I try to use those tendencies to my advantage." During his junior year, the Lakers started the season 3-1 but ended the season with a record of 5-5. "I thought we had a lot of talent," Kohlbeck told prepredzone.com. "We just couldn’t get it going for some reason. We had a good offensive line and some good skill position guys." "We have always had a strong, hard-nosed defense," Kohlbeck continued. "Our offense is hard-nosed as well. We pound the football." After years of playing smashmouth football, two years ago, the Lakers switched to a spread offense. That lasted one year. "For most of the players, (changing the offense back) wasn’t that big of a deal because we had been playing that style of offense our whole lives," Kohlbeck said. "Since my freshman year, we have changed each year, so it will be nice to have the same offense for a couple of years in a row." This offseason has been a balance of putting on weight without losing explosiveness. "I have been trying to keep my quickness and speed because I have put on thirty pounds," the now 6’4" 250-pound lineman said. "I just need to keep my speed for my pulls and stuff." The soon to be second-year starter changed his workouts once the virus hit. "I lifted in the winter and played intermural basketball for fun," Kohlbeck explained. "When Covid hit, I moved all my weights to my friend’s house. I got my workouts done there. We worked mainly on bench and squat." One year of play has been enough to start colleges looking at Kohlbeck. "Recruiting has been good. I have some schools looking at me. I expect it to pick up in my senior year. I have been to the University of Mary, Concordia-St. Paul, St. Olaf, Minnesota-Duluth, and Sioux Falls. I have an offer from Mary and a vocal offer from Concordia-St. Paul." Schools seem to like Kohlbeck’s potential. "They like that even though I am not the biggest guy, I give it my all. They like that they will be able to build me and put on some good weight." Kohlbeck seems like he has the technique and mindset to play college football. Some more good weight will make college football a lock.