Initial look: Top offensive linemen from Class of 2022
Football has moved to the spring, and some of the top prospects in the state are using the fall as an additional offseason to prepare for the season or to get ready to enroll early in college. For the Class…
Access all of Prep Redzone
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingFootball has moved to the spring, and some of the top prospects in the state are using the fall as an additional offseason to prepare for the season or to get ready to enroll early in college.
For the Class of 2022, it will be a unique season, and one they hope to take advantage of the extra time away from the field so they can put together a strong spring season.
Offensive line is a strong group for the Class of 2022 and many of the top prospects are sharing their offseason workouts and recruiting offers they are receiving on social media. With the extra offseason, here is a look at some of the top junior offensive linemen to watch this offseason and next spring.
George Fitzpatrick George Fitzpatrick OL Cherry Creek | 2022 State CO , 2022, 6’6, 245, OL/TE, Cherry Creek
Currently ranked the top offensive line prospect for the class by Prep Redzone Colorado, Fitzpatrick already has plenty of FBS offers his way. So far on social media, he has shared 14 offers, hailing from the Pac 12, Big 10, Big 12 and independent Notre Dame. With great height at 6-foot-6 and long arms, Fitzpatrick is an athletic, versatile right tackle that has a quick first step off the ball. When engaged, he drives his feet and can move opposing defensive ends with his length and leverage put to good use. His highlight film also shows a nasty, mean streak in finishing blocks and putting defenders on their backs in the run game. Another quality trait with his game is how well he moves in space pulling to the left or getting out in the screen game to block defenders on the outside.
Braden Miller Braden Miller 6'7" | 290 lbs | OL Eaglecrest | 2022 State CO , 2022, 6’6, 240, OL/DL, Eaglecrest
Another tall, lengthy tackle standing 6-foot-6 and weighing 240 pounds, Miller moves very well in space and was asked to do a variety of blocks in the Eaglecrest offense. His athleticism allows him to pull and get to the next level quickly, and he also has good reach with his arms, a key trait for many linemen. In the passing game, he can get engaged with defenders and stonewall them in their tracks. So far, Miller has received a handful of FBS offers that he has shared on social media, including local schools Colorado and Colorado State, Kansas, Michigan State, Arizona State, Kansas State, Iowa State and Nebraska.
Travis Gray Travis Gray 6'6" | 300 lbs | OL Cherokee Trail | 2022 State CO , 2022, 6’8, 305, OL, Cherokee Trail
You can’t miss Gray on the field. His presence alone is impressive at 6-foot-8 can be intimidating, but watching the film is just as scary. With his size and strength, he is a bruiser of a run blocker from his tackle spot, and his highlight film features plenty of pancakes overpowering smaller defenders. This offseason, he has been working at Six Zero Strength + Fitness at both right and left tackle and has shown good footwork in pass sets to stay in front of edge rushers, and once his hands get on you, he tends to win and overpower smaller rushers. But don’t let his large size fool you: he also plays basketball and brings plenty of athleticism to his frame. His first FBS offer he shared was with the University of Kansas back in January, and a strong offseason and 2021 spring season should lead to more for Gray in the near future.
Kaden Weatherby Kaden Weatherby 6'6" | 270 lbs | OL Eaglecrest | 2022 State CO , 2022, 6’7, 270, OL, Eaglecrest
Another top offensive lineman for Eaglecrest to watch is Weatherby in the interior of the line. He played left guard and was very good in the run and passing game. He can complete a down block and drive interior linemen into different gaps to create running lanes thanks to his ability to stay low and drive his feet when he makes contact, and he works to finish his run blocks with putting defenders on the ground. As for protecting the quarterback, he has great vision and can find blitzing linebackers to hit and not allow a free pass through his gap as well as hold down defensive lineman in front of him. There have been a handful of FBS schools to already send an offer to Weatherby per his Twitter account
Connor Jones Connor Jones 6'7" | 290 lbs | OL Palmer Ridge | 2022 State CO , 2022, 6’6, 280, OL, Palmer Ridge
The skill players get a lot of love on the recruiting trail for Palmer Ridge, but don’t forget about their top offensive lineman prospect in Jones as well. He has spent time at both guard and tackle last season and look comfortable at both positions. He did well in the passing game as he engages with a violent punch with his hands. He does a good job keeping a solid base that allows him to stay engaged and hold his own with defensive lineman and linebackers. His size and strength makes him a versatile run blocker who can get up to the second level and drive defensive linemen off the line of scrimmage. Jones recently shared that he had talks with the University of Michigan and should receive plenty of FBS offers on the horizon.
Honorable mention
Jake Maikkula Jake Maikkula 6'6" | 265 lbs | OL Valor Christian | 2022 State CO , Valor Christian; Grayson Stovall Grayson Stovall 6'4" | 295 lbs | OL Hamilton | 2022 State AZ , Regis Jesuit; Alec Falk Alec Falk 6'5" | 275 lbs | OL Palmer Ridge | 2022 State CO , Palmer Ridge; Kaiden Parrish Kaiden Parrish 6'3" | 255 lbs | OL Valor Christian | 2022 State CO , Valor Christian; Jothan Lozano, Falcon.