Pickerington North College Showcase: Four Trench Studs

Mick Walker

May 14, 2021 @ 02:10 PM

Even though Division I college coaches can’t hit the road this spring to evaluate talent in person many high schools in Ohio are still holding showcase days for lower-level coaches to come out and evaluate their players. Most recently Pickerington North held one and the Panthers are always talented in the trenches, here are four of the top performers from that group. Rex Lahr, 6-foot-3 and 240 pounds, Center, 2024 As a freshman Lahr more than held his own at right tackle for Pickerington North but we list him at Center here because that’s likely his best position at the next level. He is only about 6-foot-3 so his tackle years will likely end in high school but he is talented enough that his football career won’t end there. As a result, a transition to the interior is likely, and learning to play Center gives him a bit more long-term value. He plays mean, low, and finishes blocks with authority. Lahr will be a starter and make an impact for the Panthers up front this fall. Jonas Mann, 6-foot-7 and 250 pounds, Offensive Tackle, 2023 Out of all the trench players on this list, Mann has the highest potential, and rightfully so at 6-foot-7. He has some experience at left tackle and played sparingly on varsity last year but Mann is still just scratching the surface. On top of the frame, he is a fluid athlete and a dual-sport athlete that is a pretty darn good pitcher. Once he corrects some technical and pad level issue there is no telling how good he can be. Expect Mann to be lining up at left tackle this fall for the Panthers. Grant Burke, 6-foot-3 and 230 pounds, Defensive End, 2023 Everyone that follows Ohio high school football and recruiting knows the name, [player_tooltip player_id="34177" first="Jack" last="Sawyer"]. He was the best football player in Ohio since the start of his sophomore season and that is not hyperbole. Nevertheless, he opted out of his season to prepare for his career at Ohio State and it had a ripple effect through Pickerington North. On the finest level, it left a hole for the Panthers at one defensive end spot and Grant Burke was the man that filled it. He is a 6-foot-3 and 230-pound strongside defensive end that played well for the Panthers last fall. Burke’s punch is powerful and does a good job controlling the line of scrimmage. With a year of experience under his belt, this could be a breakout year for Burke. AJ Miller, 6-foot-2 and 190 Pounds, Defensive End, 2024 This is pure projection and if you asked Miller where he would rather be it would likely be with the tight ends but his potential at the defensive end is sky-high. Especially when you look at what the Panthers have done when it comes to producing defensive ends for the next level. He is only a sophomore so he needs to get bigger but he has a good frame at 6-foot-2 and adding weight should be no problem for him. If he plays offense this fall it would not be a shock but as he grows and develops Miller looks like a defensive end long term.