The 4A Watchlist: Offensive Linemen

The 4A Watchlist is where I list out my top 75 football players coming into this season in Class 4A. This year, I have 8 players who primarily played on the O-Line last season that are worth noting heading into the 2020 season.   [player_tooltip player_id="23937" first="Jamison" last="Bean"], Cedar Rapids Kennedy, SR Usually occupying the left side opposite [player_tooltip player_id="23808" first="Connor" last="Colby"], Bean proved to be a solid OT in 2019. At 6’5 270, his run blocking played a big part in the Cougar’s class-leading rushing game. Currently, Bean has only three offers coming in over the offseason from D-2 Northern State and NAIA’s Graceland & Grand View.   [player_tooltip player_id="23816" first="Jim" last="Bonifas"], Dubuque Senior, SR Bonifas proved to be one of the state’s best-returning linemen for 2020. Standing at 6’5, 255 lbs, what he lacks in weight at the moment he makes up with his footwork, driving opponents to the turf for a pancake. After receiving offers from South Dakota State, Northern Illinois, and even Louisville, Jim would instead accept an offer from Iowa State in February.   Joe Bream, Urbandale, SR Despite staying under the radar when it comes to recruiting, Bream managed to earn himself a third-team all-state nomination from the IPSWA. At 5’10 215, Bream is deceptively strong at center whether he’s making holes or protecting the QB. Joe hasn’t seen any offers yet, but if he remains good in 2020 and maybe builds up his mass, then you can expect he’ll get some offers coming in.   [player_tooltip player_id="23808" first="Connor" last="Colby"], Cedar Rapids Kennedy, SR Arguably the state’s top offensive lineman, Colby has been dominating in the trenches since he came to Kennedy. The 6’6 280 lb Colby absolutely bullies opposing defenders out of the way as their lead blocker on run plays, showing great strength and athleticism for the position. Heading into his junior year in June, Connor ended up staying close to home by committing to nearby Iowa over Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State, Virginia Tech, and Minnesota.   Cole Doty, Linn-Mar, SR A key part of a resurged Linn-Mar team last season, Doty is looking to take the next step for his senior year. At 6’4 and now 250 lbs, Doty has pretty good agility and footwork as a left tackle, keeping pass rushers from getting passed him. Currently, Cole’s highest offer is coming from D-2 Wayne State, but he also has two D-3 offers from Loras and Rose-Hulman, plus NAIA offers from Graceland and Grand View in the hole.   [player_tooltip player_id="23865" first="Drew" last="Hoth"], Cedar Falls, SR The Tigers always seem to find some quality linemen every two years, and [player_tooltip player_id="23865" first="Drew" last="Hoth"] is one of them. The 6’4 265 lb left tackle used his power and footwork to drive defenders to the ground and earned himself a second-team all-state nomination from the IPSWA. Drew’s got 8 D-2 offers, mostly from Northern Sun Conference schools, plus an offer from Grand View too.   [player_tooltip player_id="24023" first="Kadyn" last="Proctor"], Southeast Polk, SO Proctor hasn’t even played a varsity snap, and he already has the potential to be one of the best offensive linemen to come out of Iowa in awhile. Listed at 6’7, 280 lbs, Proctor completely overpowered opposing players on both sides of the ball with his size, power, and agility as a freshman. Currently, he’s got five offers from Power 5 schools such as Iowa State, Kansas State, Nebraska, Michigan, and even Oregon.   Kane Zemo, Pleasant Valley, SR Another under the radar interior lineman, Zemo was elected by the IPSWA as a third-team all-stater last season. Listed at 6’3 260 lbs, Kane is a powerful blocker who can take d-linemen out of the play for the Spartans triple-option offense. It doesn’t look like he has any offers yet, but don’t expect him to be without one for long.   Other notable names [player_tooltip player_id="23994" first="Liam" last="Becher"], Iowa City West, JR [player_tooltip player_id="23986" first="Cade" last="Borud"], Southeast Polk, JR [player_tooltip player_id="23874" first="Aidan" last="DeVolder"], Marshalltown, SR [player_tooltip player_id="23979" first="Callan" last="Grant-Morris"], Sioux City North, JR [player_tooltip player_id="23900" first="Sawyer" last="Springer"], Fort Dodge, SR Ty Tompkins, Cedar Falls, SR