Part IV: 7 Maulers on the Offensive Line in Iowa’s C/O 22 & 23
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It’s one thing to be able to execute at the line of scrimmage with great mechanics and technique as an offensive linemen. It’s a whole different story when you can do so with unparalleled nastiness and brutality. Check out seven…
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Continue ReadingIt’s one thing to be able to execute at the line of scrimmage with great mechanics and technique as an offensive linemen. It’s a whole different story when you can do so with unparalleled nastiness and brutality. Check out seven of Iowa’s best and most physical blockers who maul their opponents.
Aidan Kilstrom, Pleasant Valley, hudl, Twitter
G, 6’4, 260
Kilstrom is a forceful presence on the interior of his offense and uses excellent mechanics paired with first-class physical strength to create lots of space for his teammates to operate. He moves out of his stance and gets to his target with a lot of velocity; you can tell he establishes posture and leverage in his stance and maintains it through his initial drive. Kilstrom attacks with a violent initial punch, excellent inside hand placement, and technical strike mechanics. He knows how to overwhelm his opponents, especially on base and down blocks, with jarring hits. He maintains mechanics to square up and steer defenders away from the play. Kilstrom is as athletic as anyone on the field when pulling, is just as violent in space, and plays through the whistle.
Ethan Hooyer, Sioux Center, hudl, Twitter
G, 6’2, 290
Hooyer demonstrates outstanding body control on a regular basis from the guard position and knows how to use his size to get the better of his opponents. Hooyer is quick laterally and very athletic; this leads to a lot of pancakes when pulling, down blocking, or taking angles to inside linebackers. Hooyer is an outstanding puller; he stays tight and flat to the line of scrimmage. He traps defensive tackles with violence and precision and can kick out undisciplined defensive ends and outside linebackers who get too far upfield. Hooyer’s angles against shaded opponents or when moving down a gap are square and locked on. He immediately takes away his opponent’s leverage and then tenaciously drives his feet to put them in the ground.
Evan Williams, Prairie, hudl, Twitter
G, 6’7, 300
Williams has such quick feet and excellent leverage, especially at his size with such a huge frame. The pressure of his blocks are booming; he adjusts his hips, maintains his base, strikes, and you can see the defender become disoriented. Williams attacks with great force and he often bends the back and jerks the head of his target. From there, he keeps his feet driving and puts opponents on skates. It isn’t uncommon to see him washing or driving opponents great distances. Williams also does an excellent job of positioning his body to square someone up and steer them away from where the play is going to hit. He is capable of taking out more than one defender in such instances. Williams brings an imposing and daunting presence to the line.
Cael Winter Cael Winter 6'4" | 235 lbs | OL Waukee | 2023 State IA , Waukee, hudl, Twitter
C, 6’4, 225
Winter is mechanically sound as he snaps the ball and gets to his assignment; it is clear he understands how to engage his adductors and apply force through the floor to move rapidly and keep the body engaged. Winter has mobile hips and plays within his frame to keep defensive linemen from catching him off guard or overtaking him. Winter is just as effective against a head up nose as he is a shade; he clears the A gaps with fierce strikes and superior leverage. He also does an outstanding job on combo blocks when he is uncovered at the snap. Winter’s double teams are textbook as he gets hip to hip with a guard to overtake and wash a defensive tackle. He is equally impressive when reaching to overtake or striking and climbing to a linebacker.
Kadyn Proctor Kadyn Proctor 6'8" | 325 lbs | OL Southeast Polk | 2023 State IA , Southeast Polk, hudl, Twitter
OT, 6’7, 285
From the ground up, Proctor is likely the most technically and mechanically advanced offensive lineman in Iowa. He moves with a tremendous amount of velocity and force, within his frame, as he gets out of his stance on run blocks. A lot of young offensive linemen struggle to maintain good posture, leverage, and stability as they move to and through a blocking assignment. Not Proctor, he is in the zone and does not lose his core or posterior chain as he executes his assignment with brutal hands and excellent functional strength. Proctor is very powerful and balanced in his pass sets; he utilizes patient and independent hands. Once a pass rusher gives an immediate threat he strikes to punish and his opponent’s plan often goes out the window.
Logyn Eckheart Logyn Eckheart 6'3" | 250 lbs | OL Glenwood | 2023 State IA , Glenwood, hudl, Twitter
G, 6’3, 250
Strength is the name of Eckheart’s game; he can throw his opponents around and make it look easy. Eckheart has an explosive first step out of his stance and against an even front, when a defensive linemen is covering him, he often beats his opponent to the punch. He keeps his elbows down, thumbs out, and blasts his opponent out of their gap. Eckheart shows off top notch athleticism against odd fronts on combo blocks and when taking an immediate angle to an inside linebacker. He knocks linemen out of their leverage on combos and sends linebackers flying when he climbs. Eckheart has meathooks for hands and once he is on there is no recovering. In his short sets he strikes with independent hands and can knock a pass rusher out of their lane.
Cole McDermott, Cascade, hudl, Twitter
OT, 6’4, 225
McDermott is very skilled at getting to the near linebacker on veer and scooping defensive linemen to prevent them from getting to their gaps. His athletic skill set and size serves the offense he plays in well. On veer he takes a precise angle to the linebacker and maintains the activity of his feet to be able to lock on and finish. When scooping, or hooking, he explodes out of his stance and gets to the hip of his opponent, keeping them from being able to get in their gap. In both scenarios he locks on with good posture and drives; he does an impressive job of using his size and frame in space to keep opponents from eluding him. Once he is engaged on a block he is very active on his insteps and cancels out a defenders ability to be powerful.