The Line Showcase: Session 2 Standouts OL/DL

The second session of Saturday’s trench warfare "The Line: OL/DL Showcase" featured a loaded group of around 75 big-boys representing almost a half dozen states and spanned across three graduating classes. The athletes were tested in various agility, speed, and power drills, including 20s, shuttles, and med ball throws, and also ran through group drills working on OL and DL specific techniques both individually and as a group. To end things, we had a solid ending period of 1-on-1 competition focusing on pass-rush and pass-pro, and the second session got the energy buzzing as the sounds of bodies hitting turf, hands punching chests, and QB dummies getting slipped filled the air of Elkhorn High School’s beautiful indoor facility. Let’s finish out content from the event by highlighting some OL & DL standouts from Session 2 and detail what caught my eye. Thanks for reading! Offensive Lineman [caption id="attachment_114931" align="alignleft" width="225"]<img class="wp-image-114931 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/03/EvQnb4DXAAUQ1jd-1-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /> Joshua Sander[/caption] Joshua Sander (Hinsdale South, IL) OT. 6’6, 315 lbs. c/o 2022. One of my four favorite OL prospects between the two sessions, Sander was a massive and well-built OT recruit with a big chest, thick arms & shoulders, and a powerful lower body. He reminded me of a refrigerator or a vending machine, if an automat could move and knock people over. There was a lot to like about the Hinsdale South product besides his frame though, as he was a really technically sound pass-blocker with great feet and a solid pass-set. What I especially liked were his hips, and for a big guy he was able to generate force and maintain his strong base from his hips and didn’t depend on his knees and ankles. I also loved how he used his hands, as he was patient yet effective in his punch and had a ton of power behind it, regularly knocking defenders backwards or off balance. During group drills he looked smooth at moving in-space and getting to the second level, and was also displayed some nice football IQ and worked well in group drills in handling twists and other zone blocking concepts. If he can put some good junior tape together I think his recruitment is liable to blow up.   [player_tooltip player_id="65764" first="Luke" last="Dalton"] (Marian Central Catholic, IL) OT. 6’5, 300 lbs. c/o 2022. This is my fourth or fifth event seeing Dalton live and in-person this camp season, and I feel like I’ve said just about everything I can say about his game and skill-set in-terms of his power, technical superiority, length, competitiveness, and high character, so I wanted to focus on some things I haven’t covered yet from seeing him Saturday. Between the 5ish months that have spanned between all of the events I’ve seen Dalton at, I’ve really noticed how he’s continue to grow and add strength to his frame while making sure it’s good weight and maintaining the ability to move laterally as well and North-South. He’s a weight room monster who is dedicated to bettering himself and his craft, and every time I’ve seen him he looks better physically. At "The Line Showcase", we got to see a more expanded portion of the event dedicated to group drills that had the OL work as a set of five and work on making calls, setting the blocking scheme, and making sure every lineman was on the same page. Dalton was a natural leader during the drills - something I was very excited to see - and took charge and was a clear communicator that set the tone for his OL. He also showed off a smooth ability to handle twists and stunts, and I also saw in individual drills that he had clean footwork when pulling and could move and operate at the second level. This is all before 1-on-1s, where he once again was dominant and handled speed rushers and power focused rushing attacks. He’s got great balance and powerful hips, and was once again one of my favorite OL at the entire event. Right now he holds offers from Ball State, Eastern Michigan, Indiana State, and Bowling Green State, but is hearing consistently from Purdue, Northwestern, Vanderbilt, and it seems that Illinois has also entered the fray. I’m hoping one of these P5’s offers up soon, because whoever lands Dalton is getting a talented OL prospect with not a lot of risk. A big junior season should help him get to where he wants to be offer wise. [caption id="attachment_114923" align="alignright" width="225"]<img class="wp-image-114923 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/03/EvQoDS9WYAQvMpQ-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /> Amari Walker[/caption] Amari Walker (Homewood-Flossmoor, IL) OT. 6’3, 330 lbs. c/o 2022. The final of my four favorite OL prospects between the two sessions comes out of traditional power Homewood-Flossmoor and their junior OT Amari Walker. He had coaches really excited at the event, and it was easy to see why as he was the closest thing to a brick wall that I could find in the Elkhorn facility. With a great drop he was able to consistently force defenders to work against his whole body, and he was strong and effective at engaging and getting hands onto to would-be rushers. Once he was engaged there was basically nothing you could do to get away from him, and his strength and understanding of leverage was able to help him move defenders wherever he wanted them to go. For a man of his size he was also really light on his feet, and could handle speed-rushers just as well as power. There was a ton to like, and I believe Walker without a doubt the ability to play at the scholarship level, it’s just a matter of where. Hopefully I’ll get to see him play live this Spring. [player_tooltip player_id="65775" first="Tyler" last="Hendricker"] (Peotone, IL) TE. 6’4, 230 lbs. c/o 2022. The only player listed at the entire showcase as a TE, Peotone’s [player_tooltip player_id="65775" first="Tyler" last="Hendricker"] did not let his inexperienece in pass-pro affect his disposition or performance at the event. With a great head of hair and a solid mustache for his age, he first caught my eye due to his style but kept my attention with his performance. With excellent size to either continue playing TE at the next level or move inside to OT, he’s got long arms and is technically sound in his punch and his footwork once engaged. He’s light on his feet and able to move and adjust laterally, but was strong enough to handle bull-rushes if needed. There’s a lot of versatility in his game, and he’s got great size for a prep TE at this point in time, so coaches should definitely check my man out. Luke Griskey (Huntley, IL) OT. 6’4, 250 lbs. c/o 2023. My final standout from Session 2’s OL group comes from an underclassman in Huntley’s Luke Griskey. A physical and aggressive offensive tackle, Griskey has an excellent frame at this point in time and is a light 250 lbs. with a ton more room to add weight and muscle. He’s lean but strong, with long arms, wide shoulders, and big feet. One of my favorite traits of Griskey is his mobility. He’s laterally quick and can execute pulls and get out to the edge effectively. I also like how he moved to the second level, and he was a good athlete for his size and age and showed off some good wins in the 1-on-1 portion of the event. He’s an Illinois kid I’m going to continue to keep my eye on. Defensive Lineman [caption id="attachment_114925" align="alignright" width="185"]<img class="wp-image-114925" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/03/EvQsrWMXcAEhfnQ-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="185" height="246" /> [player_tooltip player_id="31384" first="David" last="Gauderman"][/caption][player_tooltip player_id="31384" first="David" last="Gauderman"] (Wittenberg-Birnamwood, WI) DE. 6’2, 235 lbs. Our #1 player in the class of 2023 in the state of Wisconsin, Gauderman was also in attendance at our PrepRedzoneWI Showcase a few months ago and is coming off a podium finish at the state wrestling meet against a largely upperclassman bracket. He’s added some weight since I’ve last seen him despite just coming off wrestling season, and I was happy to see his technique - especially hand usage - improve since he’s begun to work with FIST Football Academy a month or so back, where he drives around three hours one-way to get trained. Gauderman got to go against some strong competition this showcase, and although he took some lumps I loved how he kept his motor churning and his feet pumping. With great size for a sophomore, Gauderman showed off that impressive quickness that you see on tape, and was able to beat blockers inside or outside and capitalized on his explosive get-off. I’m looking forward to seeing how he continues to develop as an upperclassman. [caption id="attachment_114930" align="alignleft" width="225"]<img class="wp-image-114930 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/03/EvQrzN6WYAsYBr6-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /> [player_tooltip player_id="65768" first="Xavier" last="Slayton"][/caption][player_tooltip player_id="65768" first="Xavier" last="Slayton"] (Crete-Monee, IL) DE. 6’3, 240 lbs. c/o 2022. A well put together and muscle-bound defensive end, Slayton tested off the charts and kept catching my eye over the duration of the second session for a multitude of reasons. His jump off the LOS was one of the best at the event, and he was able to effectively use his length and strength to knock blockers off balance and get the edge. His flexibility and bend were also impressive, and he was dangerous during 1-on-1s and used a variety of moves and counters to win his pass-rush situations. I think he’s a pretty well balanced DE prospect at this point in time. [player_tooltip player_id="31037" first="Kayden" last="Warren"] (Rice Lake, WI) DE. 6’4. c/o 2021. Committed to NDSU on a PWO. I was fired up when I saw that Warren was in-attendance at Saturday’s showcase, as it’s not everyday you get to see a NDSU commit in-person. Although he was a little lighter than expected due to the wrestling season, he was a monster during 1-on-1s and had some powerful and heavy hands that he used to string together pass-rush moves such as chops, rips, pulls, and arm-overs. He seemed like a natural at rushing the passer, and had a unique understanding of leverage and how to knock blockers off balance and beat them when they were out of position. Pound for pound he was also very strong, and if he got inside hands you were going to go backwards in a hurry. He was a balanced defensive lineman and it was no surprise the Mighty Bison came calling. [caption id="attachment_114927" align="alignleft" width="225"]<img class="wp-image-114927 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/03/EvQxuZpWgAAUrPu-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /> [player_tooltip player_id="20912" first="Connor" last="Murphy"][/caption][player_tooltip player_id="20912" first="Connor" last="Murphy"] (Glenbard South, IL) DE. 6’3, 235 lbs. c/o 2022. As the showcase progressed I continued to hear more and more good things about the Glenbard South junior, and let me tell you he lived up to the hype and then some. I thought he was the most technically sound DE at the session, with impressive and accurate hand-placement, footwork, and pass-rush moves. He was able to counter offensive lineman’s punches consistently and was an excellent combination of speed and power that made him a force to be reckoned with during 1-on-1s. He was also a thick and well-built DE with a strong chest and more room to grow. I’d love to see a Glenbard South game this Spring. Pernell Carter (Steinmetz College Prep, IL) DT. 6’4, 280 lbs. c/o 2021. My second time seeing Carter compete in-person, I cannot get over how much I like his size. He has extremely long arms, with giant hands, big feet, and some good power in his chest and arms. He has improved in his technique since I saw him last, and has natural strength and balance for a man of his size. I’m very surprised a college program hasn’t landed a commitment yet, and I hope coaches continue to check him out. Good to see you again, Mr. Carter! [player_tooltip player_id="31273" first="Evan" last="Tyler"] (Hudson, WI) DE. 6’4, 230 lbs. c/o 2022. What a frame and what a prospect we have out of Hudson. Mark Johnson and I were more than excited to be able to watch one of our favorite junior pass-rushers in the state of Wisconsin go to work, and he did not fall short of expectations. With a great frame and an already lean and muscular 230 lbs., Tyler was incredibly explosive off of the LOS and did a great job of using physical and active hands to beat lineman early into the rep. Speed was his biggest asset, but he also had some long, strong arms that he could use to knock lineman off balance. I thought he moved like an LB - which is excellent at his size - and was a handful off the edge all day long. Big things coming from the junior Raider. [caption id="attachment_114928" align="alignright" width="225"]<img class="wp-image-114928 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/03/EvQuyIEWQAE8nrq-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /> Jason Winston[/caption] Jason Winston (Phoenix Military Academy) DT. 6’, 300 lbs. c/o 2021. Another unsigned senior, I loved Winston and his power during the 1-on-1 portion of the event. After speaking with him, I learned he was somewhat hurt from an earlier rep, where he tweaked his hip and was having trouble planting off his right side. Luckily, this didn’t much to bottle up the Chicago native’s production. He told me that he was basically relying on his bull-rush for the remainder of 1-on-1s, and man was that thing money. Over and over the opposing OL knew it was coming, and yet no one could do anything to stop it. He played low, with excellent leverage and always won the hand-fighting and got his palms inside of the blocker. His leg drive and chest strength were also noteworthy, and I was impressed with his strength and toughness during the event. He’s an unsigned senior DT prospect that colleges should really take a closer look at. [player_tooltip player_id="56452" first="Kendis" last="Ledbetter"] (Sioux Falls Washington, SD) DE. 6’3, 235 lbs. c/o 2022. The #6 ranked prospect in the Dakotas for 2022, Ledbetter and his father drove the 8+ hours to Elkhorn to attend "The Line Showcase", once again proving his dedication to his game and his recruitment after he also drove the 4+ hours to Savage, MN for our January PrepRedzoneMN Showcase. He’s got a thick and powerful lower-body, with massive quads and long arms with thick shoulders. He without a doubt passes the "eye test", and backed up the looks with his powerful and explosive pass-rush game. He could beat blockers with speed off the edge or power right into their face, and had good bend for his size and balance to work angles or string together pass-rush moves. He was effective at getting OL off balance, and had some tough battles against some of the most talented blockers at the session. I also wanted to name him the "Toughest Prospect" at the event, as he most likely broke his thumb on an early rep, but battled through some obvious pain and got that thing taped up and finished every rep of the remainder of the showcase. Talk about a football guy. I’m all in on the Sioux Falls pass-rusher and I think he’s got FCS potential. The Missouri Valley Conference competitors should stay all up in his ear going forward.