Hoosier State Offensive Tackles To Watch Part 1- 2022

A rule of thumb in recruiting offensive linemen is to always look in the Midwest.  The 2022 class might be the deepest crop in the history of the state.  Below is part 1 of our analysis on offensive tackles in Indiana.   [player_tooltip player_id="97799" first="Kiyaunta" last="Goodwin"]- 6’8” 305- Charlestown You’d be hard-pressed to find another prospect anywhere that’s had a better offseason so far than Goodwin has enjoyed.  A physical specimen that transformed his body from over 400 lbs. to a chiseled 305, Goodwin is both incredibly strong and agile.  He’s a nasty blocker in the run game making it a point to bury the defender and uses his elite length and quick kick step to thwart even the best pass rushers in the region, as evidenced at the BOTMW Combine.  His potential is limitless, as he has unteachable size and athleticism, to go along with an unrivaled work ethic as seen with his body transformation.  Goodwin makes a good case to be ranked as the top tackle nationally and could push for the #1 overall spot regardless of position.   [player_tooltip player_id="97821" first="Ashton" last="Craig"]- 6’5” 260- Lawrenceburg Craig has been on a recent tear the last few weeks, drawing offers from Indiana, Purdue, Cincinnati, Baylor, Boston College, Vanderbilt, and a host of others.  Craig has some of the most athletic tape you’ll ever see from the tackle position and is excellent in space.  He’s often seen blocking well down the field and if he gets his hands on the defender then they’re not getting free.  Craig’s kick step in pass protection is very quick and he won’t get beat to the edge by a speed rush.  He can be a bit too high at times but has shown an excellent job of resetting his hands.  Adding more weight will also help his anchor but he has a great frame to work with and the mass will come on naturally in time.  Although he can also make an impact as a DE on the next level, his tenacity and athleticism is too great not to make him a cornerstone offensive tackle.   [player_tooltip player_id="39041" first="Joey" last="Tanona"]- 6’5” 295- Zionsville Tanona, a Notre Dame commit, already looks like a college lineman standing at an impressive 6’5” 295 lbs.  Most outlets list him as a tackle recruit, which he played left tackle as a sophomore, but slid inside to center as a junior.  His strong suit right now is as a mauler in the run game, where he’s consistently the strongest player on the field.  His upper and lower body strength are both impressive as evidenced in his initial punch and his drive block.  Tanona has also done a great job on reach blocks with getting his hips through.  He needs to work on mitigating false steps in pass pro which was seen more on his sophomore tackle film.  He most likely will see the field earlier as an interior lineman with a chance to shift back outside as he develops.  Tanona also put up excellent shot put and discus scores as a freshman, and should compete at the state going forward.   [player_tooltip player_id="39051" first="Keylen" last="Davis"]- 6’4” 285- Ben Davis Davis is predominantly a left tackle for Ben Davis High School, but also played in the right tackle as well as both guard spots as a junior.  He does a great job seeking out contact and helping his teammates finish blocks if there’s no one in his vicinity.  He’s a nasty run blocker and shows good patience in his pass sets.  He tends to stand straight up at times and needs to improve his bending at the knees.  Overall a powerful lineman with offers from Indiana, Boston College, Kentucky, Cincinnati, and others, Davis might project best on the interior at the next level.   [player_tooltip player_id="39050" first="Landen" last="Livingston"]- 6’5” 280- Leo Livingston’s entire tape consists nearly of pancake blocks, due to his sudden explosiveness and demeanor.  He’s long-limbed with an athletic upper body and a thick, powerful lower body.  Many of his pancakes were only taking one step, which is a testament to his explosiveness and strength.  He’s played both tackle and guard, which he’s done a great job in pulling.  Right now, the main concern would be how long does he take to adapt to the college game, as Leo runs a T-based run offense which doesn’t translate much to the next level.  The size and athleticism won’t be a question though, and he reports offers from Indiana, Purdue, Cincinnati, Minnesota, Iowa, and Arizona State amongst others.   Sam Buras- 6’7” 315- Center Grove Buras jumps out on tape due to his already NFL size of 6’7” 315 lbs.  For a player that big, Buras does an excellent job of bending his knees in pass protection as well as moving his feet and resetting his hands.  In the run game, he displays a good job of keeping his feet moving on contact against a down lineman but can show an improvement in not stopping his feet when blocking on the next level, as well as cutting down on the number of times he catches the defender.  Buras currently reports an offer from Ball State.