Sleepers On the O-Line

You can’t have an explosive backfield without a mean front five. With the season right around the corner, there are some big guys who are looking to accomplish big things. Here’s a look at 5 underrated linemen to start the season: [player_tooltip player_id="42665" first="Jacob" last="Moore"] OL/DL 6’3" 285 lbs.<img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-54480" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2020/09/MF-vs-BC-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> Boulder Creek High School (C/O 2021) Moore is an aggressive player with a ton of potential. He has a good, wide base with excellent coordination. He shows very good power and pad level during both run blocking and pass protection with good peripheral vision. He is athletic and agile as he has shown to get to the second level often and make critical blocks. He has even shown the ability to get out quick to block corners and safeties on screen plays. Moore is very strong and transitions his weight room strength to the field very effectively. He consistently creates easy to run through holes which oftentimes springs his talented RB [player_tooltip player_id="42646" first="Jacob" last="Cisneros"] into open field.  He has made a huge impact on the success of the Boulder Creek offense, and should be a big recruit this season. Maximus Garcia, OL/DL, 6’1" 265lbs. Desert Edge High School (C/O 2021) Do not let his size fool you. Garcia is a violent, mean, two-way starter that every college coach should have on their radar. He plays with a high motor and is a big spark for the Desert Edge O-line. He finishes blocks to the ground and plays til the whistle. Garcia keeps his legs driving and has consistently shown to flatten much bigger defenders in multiple run blocking schemes. He shows good lateral mobility on pulling plays and is extremely athletic. In pass protection, Garcia shows good pad level and technique and is a major asset in keeping his standout QB [player_tooltip player_id="42789" first="Adryan" last="Lara"] healthy. Although we saw him primarily at tackle last season, Garcia can play anywhere on the offensive and defensive lines. His athleticism is very impressive which gives him a high ceiling. Credit Garcia for being a key part in the explosive Desert Edge offense, and get him on your recruiting board ASAP. [player_tooltip player_id="42880" first="Chris" last="Ramirez"], OL, 6’3" 300 lbs. Glendale High School (C/O 2022) Ramirez is a big, versatile player that can play anywhere on the offensive line. He is listed as a guard/center, but we also saw him find success last season at tackle. He possesses impressive strength in the weight room that he transitions on the field to bully whoever is in front of him. He shows good athleticism as he was often a pulling tackle and was able to get off the line and get lateral quickly. He has proved he is a very effective run blocker as a sophomore last season, but shows limited pass protection film. With his strength and athleticism, he should have no problem protecting his standout QB [player_tooltip player_id="42741" first="Rocco" last="Bruney"] in the passing game. Look for Ramirez to establish himself as a top name lineman this season. <img class="size-medium wp-image-32246 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2020/07/PRZSleepersOffensive-300x188.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="188" /> J.D. Klever, OG, 6’5" 315 lbs. Horizon High School (C/O 2021) Klever is a massive kid that will have a huge impact for Horizon. With a new starting QB who saw little action last season, Klever will have to protect him at a high level. As a guard last season, Klever was a strong point in the Horizon O-line.  Klever has a big frame and shows a very good base with good strength. He shows good footwork and hand placement on pass protection. He is unmovable as linebackers and D-linemen are unable to utilize power moves on him. Klever overpowers opponents making big holes for his ball carriers. His size and strength gives him a huge upside on the field and in recruiting as he shows huge potential to develop into a prototypical guard. [player_tooltip player_id="42726" first="Alec" last="Bernardo"], OL, 6’2" 270 lbs. Pinnacle High School (C/O 2021) Bernardo will be a senior leader on the Pinnacle O-line. He shows good leverage and pad level often, and has shown to be effective when pulling as a both guard and tackle. He possesses good strength and has shown the ability to overpower opponents. Bernardo shows good athleticism and hand placement in pass protection which will be huge this year with young QB [player_tooltip player_id="42902" first="Devon" last="Dampier"] behind center for Pinnacle. Bernanrdo does a good job of recognizing stunts by the D-line, and should even be a much more seasoned lineman this season. Bernardo will have a shot to boost his recruiting quickly this season, and definitely has all the tools to make it happen.