The Pig Mollies Part II

Brian Jerzak February 11, 2022 @ 06:45 PM

As a follow-up to my <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2022/02/the-pig-mollies-part-i/">Hog Mollies' story</a> last week, although hog mollies were first mentioned when talking about offensive lineman, there are plenty of sophomores who made an impact in the trenches on the defensive line this fall. Check out some of the Minnesota defensive linemen super sophs. [player_tooltip player_id="242397" first="Lucas" last="Caron"] Bemidji Caron needs to be blocked even when he is not on the play side. His speed allows him to run down plays from behind. He also has good quickness off the snap. Caron has that rare ability to angle his body in such a way coming off the ball not to give blockers a lot of area to hit – allowing him to get penetration even when the blocker is in position. I would like to see his hip level lower, which will come with more experience at the varsity level, but his length helps him keep blockers off his body. [player_tooltip player_id="138248" first="Wyatt" last="Gilmore"] Rogers Gilmore has a quick first step to get off the line of scrimmage and has excellent foot quickness. His agility allows him to navigate down the line of scrimmage without getting caught up in the wash. His straight-line speed helps him to run plays down from behind. Gilmore also uses his hands well when pass rushing and getting off run blocks. He is likely not big enough to play inside full-time but has shown his speed can create havoc on the inside too. [player_tooltip player_id="242417" first="Trent" last="Page"] SMB At 6'5", Page is one of the longest defensive linemen in the state. He uses that length to his advantage. His long arms enable him to keep separation and allow him to get off blocks and keep vision in the backfield. Obviously, he also gets his hands on some deflections and gets his hands in passing lanes. A smart player, Page has good instincts and discipline when deciding to keep contain or to attack. [player_tooltip player_id="242416" first="Max" last="Mogelson"] Two Rivers Mogelson has a great initial punch of the line of scrimmage. When he hits blockers with a two-hand shot to the chest, blockers feel it and are often back on their heels just coming out of their stances. He is not just a power lineman, however. He has an excellent first step and quickly gets in his gaps, forcing double teams – which is a big responsibility for a 3-4 defensive end. When doubled, he does a solid job of holding his ground and allowing his linebackers to roam. [player_tooltip player_id="105377" first="Reid" last="Permuth"] Prior Lake Another 3-4 defensive end, Permuth also spent some time inside. His length makes me think his long-term home will be outside, but he has position flexibility. He is strong at the point of attack and rarely gets moved when single blocked. His combination of quickness and strength allowed him to attack on the edge and helped him develop effective moves to attack the inside shoulder of the offensive tackle. [player_tooltip player_id="105408" first="Adrian" last="Onyiego"] Rogers Onyiego's speed and quickness off the ball are apparent as soon as he gets off the bus. With his pass-rush technique, he gets off single blocks quickly and has already developed a solid spin move. Like Gillmore, you better get a man on Onyiego even if you run away from him. He has the speed to track plays down from behind. He can make plays from sideline to sideline. He will be even more effective once he puts on some good weight.