Best Offensive Lines Heading into the 2022 Season

Football games are won and lost in the trenches. To be able to run your offense and impose your will on a team you need beasts up front setting the tone, moving the pile, and protecting the QB. The ability of the five big men to play as one unit is also a major key to winning in the trenches. The other key is having the pure talent to work with. That is the focus of today’s article. We are going to go through and identify the most talented offensive lines heading into the 2022 season, and take a quick look at the top talent in each group. These units are filled with college talent. Athletes who can play at the D1- D3 levels. College coaches looking for the big men that WI is so well known for need to start at these schools! Let’;s get it started! <h3>Hartford Union High School</h3> <ul> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="299875" first="Jackson" last="Stortz"], 6’4" 245 lbs- 2023</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="299876" first="Landon" last="Hron"], 6’3" 300 lbs- 2023</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="104580" first="Kaleb" last="Shaker"], 5’11" 255 lbs- 2023</li> </ul> This group is the unit that has caught my attention the most this offseason. Stortz is one of the smoothest OL in the state. That earned him a spot in the Top 15 in the new 2023 Rankings, and multiple D1 offers already. Stortz isn’t just an athlete either. He transitions that athleticism into power at the point of contact. As he continues to add size to that excellent frame you can bet the D1 offers will continue to roll in. Hron has had one of the best offseasons, thus far. He dominated at the Prep Redzone WI Showcase in December, and continued showing out at camps afterwards. The big man has surprising body control for his size. He stays well balanced in his pass set and bulldozes linemen in the run game. Shaker is on our watch list, and is someone I expect to see play a role in 2022. Hartford should be one of the first stops for a team looking for OL help. <h3>Kimberly High School</h3> <ul> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="263721" first="Benjamin" last="Youngworth"], 6’1" 260 lbs- 2023</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="304435" first="Blaike" last="Loker"], 6’3" 280 lbs- 2023</li> </ul> Youngworth and Loker both come in in the Top 25 for the 2023 OL group. They both have next level frames already. Youngworth is a bit more compact, making him a good fit at his guard position. There he is able to use leverage, instead of length, to get underneath interior defensive linemen and walk them out of the trenches in the run game. He also has the range to lead down the line and trap or kick out DTs/DEs, or get to the second level and land blocks on LBs. Loker locks down the LT spot with his big frame. That frame paired with sufficient length makes him hard to get around. When he gets his hands clamped on he is even harder to disengage with. Loker is a tone setter who strives in scenarios where he gets to use his power to down block, or double team up to the second level. The ground game is going to be putting up numbers with these two leading the ways. <h3>Catholic Memorial</h3> <ul> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="304436" first="Nate" last="Lott"], 6’1" 265- 2023</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="267043" first="Donovan" last="Harbour"] 6’5" 315 lbs- 2024</li> </ul> Catholic Memorial has a ton of talent to replace on the OL, but luckily for them they have some elite talent coming back. Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id="267043" first="Donovan" last="Harbour"] already holds multiple FBS offers, and comes in as the #2 overall player in the Class of 2024. He has everything you could want. A big frame that he controls with ease. A smooth mover who has next level power already. The length to lock down the blindside at this level and the next. It is fun to watch, and he is only going to get better over the next two years. Lott is a thick, soon to be senior guard prospect. Catholic Memorial used Nate a ton on pulls where Lott was able to show off his range, short area agility, power, and finish. Look for him to make a big jump, and earn a lot of interest from the D3 and potentially D2 levels. <h3>Menomonee Falls</h3> <ul> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="104572" first="Cooper" last="Lefebvre"], 6’5" 300 lbs- 2023</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="268946" first="Nino" last="Baier"], 6’4" 300 lbs- 2024</li> </ul> Menomonee Falls is going to field some intriguing big men this fall. The first is ’23 [player_tooltip player_id="104572" first="Cooper" last="Lefebvre"]. There isn’t a ton of film to go off of yet. However, there are a few things for sure. He is massive. He has very heavy hands on his initial punch, and he loves to finish his blocks to the ground. Definitely a name to keep track of this fall. The second player is underclassman [player_tooltip player_id="268946" first="Nino" last="Baier"]. Nino is one of the top OL for the Class of 2024 here in WI. The highlights are filled with things to get you excited about. He consistently stays square and balanced. The young dude won’t get caught reaching. instead he relies on his reactive athleticism to mirror pass rushers. In the run game, he switches from that athleticism to a straight forward, powerful road grader. Big year ahead for him. <h3>Kaukauna</h3> <ul> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="267045" first="Mitch" last="Verstegen"], 6’4" 265 lbs- 2024</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="268944" first="Karson" last="Ernst"], 6’4" 275 lbs- 2024</li> </ul> Kuakauna is going to field one of the best offensive lines for the next few seasons. They are led by a pair of sophomore standouts. Verstegen checks in at OL3 for the Class of 2024. I expect him to be one of the next, if not the next, ’24 to receive a D1 offer. He already looks the part with a long, lean frame that is begging for even more size and strength. Mitch uses his length and light feet to steer and run pass rushers past the QB. In the run game, Mitch has the power to walk linemen back into the lap of LBs, and as he tightens up his technique he will become even more of a force in that area of his game. Ernst follows closely behind Mitch in the rankings. He also possesses an excting frame. Karson is raw, but boy is he fun to watch. His hands deliver some devastating punches that quickly send defenders to the grass. Ernst has a mean, nasty demeanor on the field. Look for this duo to turn a lot of heads. <h3>Stoughton</h3> <ul> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="31385" first="Griffin" last="Empey"], 6’3" 260 lbs- 2023</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="262060" first="Griffin" last="Rousseau"], 6’6" 290 lbs- 2025</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="262098" first="Anthony" last="Gutierrez"], 6’ 250 lbs- 2025</li> </ul> Stoughton has been pumping out OL prospects the last few years, and they will continue to do so for the next few years ahead. First up is junior [player_tooltip player_id="31385" first="Griffin" last="Empey"]. The big man is an accomplished wrestler, and it show sup on his highlight reel. His body control at LT jumps off the tape. You won’t catch him reaching or overextending. Instead he stays very balanced, and uses sharp technique that maximizes his power in the run game. That body control also allows him to show off the range to pull and deliver gap clearing blocks. Following Griffin, we have another Griffin. This time it is freshman OL2 [player_tooltip player_id="262060" first="Griffin" last="Rousseau"]. He has elite length and strength that have me excited fo ra bight future. As he continues to grow into his body expect big jumps in his development. Lastly, Anthony is a thick freshman who has a chance to work his way up to the varsity level over the next couple of years. Stoughton is going to be a popular stop when coaches get out to schools the next few years. <h3>Cedarburg</h3> <ul> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="300418" first="Justin" last="Krol"], 6’4" 350 lbs- 2023</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="268950" first="Hudson" last="Fore"], 6’3" 265 lbs- 2024</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="270798" first="Connor" last="Kluck"], 6’2" 240 lbs- 2024</li> </ul> Cedarburg is another OL factory that is continuing to pump out talent. The one to watch for this season is mammoth [player_tooltip player_id="300418" first="Justin" last="Krol"]. When the big man gets rolling good luck slowing him down in the run game. His sheer size is able to generate a big push. He also brings a 320 lbs bench, and 430 lbs squat. The strength is there. If he can clean up the frame a bit then big things could be ahead for him. From there, sophomore [player_tooltip player_id="268950" first="Hudson" last="Fore"] will carry on the outpouring of OL talent. Fore actually made his biggest impact on the DL as a sophomore, but I expect him to have a big role on the OL to go along with the DL work this fall. They will need him after some graduation losses. Kluck comes in on the watch list, and I hope to see him make an impact this fall, and going forward.