Prep Redzone WI Showcase Standouts: OL

I spent a lot of time during the Prep Redzone Wisconsin Showcase following the offensive linemen group as they went through their individual drills and one on one battles. It was a talented group made up of members of the 2022, 23, and 24 Classes. As the day went on several members of the OL group started catching my eyes over and over with their reps. Those athletes are the ones I want to highlight today as my Standouts of the Offensive Linemen. As I go through each student- athlete I will give a breakdown of how they caught my eye, and what they have to offer the next level. Let’s get started breaking down these trench monsters! <strong>Miles Salinas, 2022- De Pere</strong> Miles is an intriguing prospect. He doesn’t have the prototypical size for the position, yet. What he does have though is sufficient length for the position. He measured in at 6’3" 228 lbs, and it is a lean 228 lbs. His frame is ready to add the size needed to be able to play in the trenches at the college level. In the one on one battles Miles used that length to get first initial contact and that allowed him to direct pass rushers around the loop and past the QB. As you can guess, Salinas also looked light on his feet as he was able to kick slide and keep himself between the DL and the QB. If he can maintain what he showed on Sunday while adding the size Miles is poised to be a prospect well worth recruiting hard. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="31295" first="Ethan" last="Hansen"], 2022- Appleton North</strong> The most intriguing 2022 OL prospect in attendance for me was Ethan out of Appleton North. He measured in around 6’1" 255 lbs, and it was a very clean 255. There was no excess weight on his frame and he had skinny ankles and high calves telling me he was going to be one of the more athletically gifted linemen in the bunch. That’s exactly what he showed me during the positional drills and one on one battles. Ethan moved with ease and had the smoothest pass pro kick slide. Anytime a defender tried to use speed to bend the edge Ethan quickly and successfully was able to mirror them, get his hands on, and guide them past the QB. I’m very excited to see how he develops over the summer while attending camps and offseason workouts. He has a lot of potential to work with. [embed]https://twitter.com/MJ_NFLDraft/status/1396569071429332992[/embed] <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="118343" first="Jaylin" last="Pritchett"], 2022- Racine Lutheran</strong> Jaylin caught my eyes a few times, and he has been catching the eyes of college coaches lately too. A couple weeks ago he landed an offer from UW- River Falls. He earned it too. He was in the OL group at our showcase, but he is also an All- Conference and All- Regional player on the DL. Jaylin knew how to use his 6’2" 298 lbs frame during the one on one drills. As soon as he set his anchor against defenders trying to bull rush him the rep was over. The play strength is definitely there, and as he continues to work on keeping his hands inside at a more consistent rate he is going to be a prospect that schools should be very interested in. Especially since he is a two way impact player. Keep an eye on the Racine Lutheran product. <strong>Max Stuhlmacher, 2024- Shorewood/ Messmer</strong> This is not my first time covering Max’s performances, and it never gets old. Max checked in at 6’2" 280 lbs. His time to shine came in the one on one battles. He lined up on the interior for a lot of his reps and he consistently impressed me with the strong technique he already plays with. He uses his length to get the first contact, but he doesn’t put himself in situations where he might get caught reaching. Instead he stays balanced and quickly diagnoses if he needs to use his short area agility to mirror the IDL or if he needs to quickly set his anchor and stuff the bull rush on the spot. The hands are always working too as he tries to keep his hands inside on the defender. Overall, Max was in the argument for most consistent performer along the OL. He is developing very well, and is way ahead of where the vast majority of freshmen offensive linemen are at this point. Can’t wait to see how he develops athletically over the years as that catches up with his size. Prospect to know for the next few years. [embed]https://twitter.com/MJ_NFLDraft/status/1396573136024391686[/embed] <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="146547" first="Thomas" last="Paasch"], 2023- Green Bay Southwest</strong> The biggest prospect of the day was soon to be junior OL [player_tooltip player_id="146547" first="Thomas" last="Paasch"]. He measured in at 6’5.5" 285 lbs, but he wasn’t just a big body. His big upper body and more athletic lower body allowed him to slide laterally, and back into his pass set well. During one on ones, Thomas used that size advantage to gain control early in the rep and then maintain it until the whistle blew. Thomas wasn’t an athlete I knew much about coming into the Showcase, so after he kept catching my eyes I had to go to the film to learn more. Even as a sophomore, he was able to hold his own on varsity as he played several spots along the line throughout the season. One thing the film shows that we don’t see at these showcases is his run blocking. His tape is full of him walling off defensive linemen and collapsing them down the line. Thomas definitely has my attention as we head into the summer. <strong>Thomas Grachan, 2022- Menomonee Falls</strong> Menomonee Falls was well represented on Sunday by Grachan. Thomas possesses a thick, and powerful frame at just over 6’ and 280 lbs. Thomas doesn’t have the prototypical length for the position, but once we went live he flipped a switch that caught my eye every time I saw him. Grachan was in the argument for the most stout pass protector in attendance. When he was lined up on the interior, and linemen tried to bull rush him it was crazy to see how he became immovable. He embodied the quote "Low man wins". Nobody could drive him off his spot when he set his anchor. The power is definitely there and schools are noticing it as well as he has received a ton of junior day invites, and has been on a couple visits at the D3 level. Thomas is the kind of tone setter that would excel at that level. Potentially even higher too. Great day for him. He is a legitimate trench beast.