2023 OL Who Don’t Get Enough Credit

Chris Norcross

April 12, 2022 @ 03:57 PM

Often times, OL do not get the credit that they deserve. Their whole job is to protect the QB, and create lanes for the team’s ball carriers, which is a huge responsibility in itself. Still, they often do not get the glory they deserve because it is not a beautiful position to play. Regardless, we here at PrepRedzone like to give our props to those who battle it out in the trenches, as we are aware that games are won and lost here all the time. Jonathan Cline- Cartersville Cline is a big-bodied OL that we see plenty of potential in going into his senior year. Not only does he use his size and length to his advantage, but he also does a great job of translating it to his blocks, thus finishing them to the ground a majority of the time. He also does a solid job of playing on his feet, but we do feel at times that he can play a bit too high. Regardless, when he comes out of his stance at times, he still does a decent job of bending his hips, and playing at a good base, we would just like to see him do this more consistently. Paul Mubenga- Buford One thing we love about Mubenga’s game is his ability to play consistent football. He gets off of the ball at a good stances, and plays at a good base. His footwork is also pretty solid, but he can be a bit sloppy in his technique at times. We would love to see him improve and the way he uses his hands and the way he rolls his hips on blocks. He also plays with athleticism, but we would like to see him do so with a good bend. Nevertheless, he has plenty of talent and ability, it would just need to be cultivated before going into the next level. Jatavius Shivers- Villa Rica Shivers is an interesting prospect going into next season and we feel that he can improve in plenty of areas as well. He not only explodes out of his stance very well but he appears to move decently well too. Shivers also plays with decent footwork and hand placement but we feel that he can be raw at the point of contact. He also displays a slight bit of athleticism, but we do feel that he can be stiff at times as well. Next season, expect for him to gain more attention, especially as he adds on to his ability to play with technique, and with quick feet off of the ball [player_tooltip player_id="124923" first="Nathan" last="Efobi"]- South Forsyth When watching the film on [player_tooltip player_id="124923" first="Nathan" last="Efobi"], it is evident that he has plenty of developmental, and high level talent at the OT position. Not only does he get off of the ball with plenty of explosive ability, but he uses his hands, and arms well to finish blocks, rather than catch pass rushers. One of the most impressive things about Efobi is his footwork, and ability to buzz his feet, and move as quick as he needs to in order to pick up blocks, while not changing his base. Next season, look for him to continue to develop in this regard, while also adding to his weight, and frame. Ethan Mackenny- Lassiter One thing we noticed when putting on Mackenny’s film, is his ability to be light on his feet and pick up pass rushers with ease. He also has the athleticism that you would like to see out of his position, and the ability to bend from his hips. Mackenny plays at a decent base, but we would like to see more explosive blocking from him at times. He also plays with a decent frame, and the desire to be physical, which will more than likely translate to the next level. Going into next season, we want to see him continue to use his pure talent, but learn how to be more consistent at the base that he plays at.