The Line IA 2022 | Offensive Line | MVP | Top Performers
In this article:
On Sunday April 24th The Line, a showcase tailored specifically for Offensive and Defensive Linemen, returned to Iowa as the big boys came out to take center stage at the RecPlex in West Des Moines. This is the company’s second…
Access all of Prep Redzone
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingOn Sunday April 24th The Line, a showcase tailored specifically for Offensive and Defensive Linemen, returned to Iowa as the big boys came out to take center stage at the RecPlex in West Des Moines. This is the company’s second trip to the Hawkeye state and their event features: position specific drills and instruction, laser verified combine drills, realistically organized one on one’s, several College staffs on site for recruiting, and so much more. The event saw a tremendous amount of talent come out from Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, Nebraska, and Minnesota. Find out which Offensive Linemen stood out in a truly elite group over the course of the day through impressive reps and first rate combine metrics. The Line will be returning to Iowa and other regional locations soon to continue to build lasting connections and provide second to none opportunities for Linemen across the Midwest.
Offensive Line MVP
Landon Hron Landon Hron 6'3" | 295 lbs | OL Hartford | 2023 State WI , Wisconsin, Hartford Union, 6’3 308, hudl, Twitter
Hron went off on Sunday in Des Moines and all coaches and scouts in attendance had nothing but glowing reviews when it came to his athleticism, position specific ability, and work ethic. For context, Hron competed at The Line’s Illinois event in December and since then he: lost over 20 lbs, improved his 10/20 split by 1/10 and 1/5 of a second respectively, and shaved half a second off both his L-Drill and Pro Agility. It speaks volumes; the improvements in measurements and metrics from the beginning of his off-season to the middle of it has been on a crazy trajectory. Hron is a Division 1 talent and all of those who are keeping an eye on him throughout the recruiting process have to be thrilled to see his development and progress. In addition to his outstanding combine, Hron was nothing short of dominant in one on one’s and exemplary in Offensive Line drills. The velocity with which he moves from his stance and power he maintains through a full rep is very well-developed. It was plain to see during drills and it carried over excellently into live situations. His feet forced opponents to try and work power, but his size, mechanics, and technique shut the door. He was lights out all afternoon and it is easy to see why he was selected as the event’s Offensive Line MVP.
Offensive Line Top Performers
Kaleb Cline Kaleb Cline 6'5" | 255 lbs | OL Spencer | 2023 State IA , Iowa, Spencer, 6’3.5 242, hudl, Twitter
Seeing Cline always impresses; he has a tremendous amount of athleticism, especially at his size, and it is plain as day that he will be molded into a monster at the next level. His numbers in the 10/20 and Pro Agility certainly verify what everyone already knows from watching his film; be it a downhill block or one that gets him moving laterally, Cline is going to get there and lock on in a hurry. Those who attended the event were commenting regularly about how technical and mature his mechanics are, especially when it comes to his footwork and the way he strikes. So many young Offensive Linemen struggle to maintain their power and posture when striking and end up getting overextended and out of position. Cline does a noticeably impressive job of staying mechanically sound, remaining patient with his strikes, and then delivering some real pop at just the right time. Additionally, for someone who has little experience pass blocking, Cline looked great during one on one’s. He’ll have no issues picking up technique in college.
Tommy Jeffries, Iowa, Pleasant Valley, 6’3.25 272, hudl, Twitter
Pleasant Valley stole the show when The Line first came to town in 2021 and they, led by Tommy Jeffries, had another solid showing this time around. The takeaway for Jeffries from this event was how much upside he has. There likely wasn’t another athlete in attendance who looked as smooth through different movement patterns during drills and one on one’s. At his size, with that kind of mobility, his recruitment should take off. When you can move like that with an 80 inch reach and massive hands, the measurables alone will garner a lot of attention. Jeffries was able to back it up with what he did throughout the event. This was all made very clear when watching him pull, mirror, and set. Jeffries showed off terrific ankle flexion by staying tight and low when pulling. He was explosive through his insteps while in changes of direction during mirror drill. He was also perfectly stacked and balanced through his initial drive in pass protection. Jeffries will carry the torch of excellent Spartan Offensive Line play in 2022.
Nate Schneckloth Nate Schneckloth 6'5" | 230 lbs | OL North Scott | 2023 IA , Iowa, North Scott, 6’5 245, hudl, Twitter
What is not to love about a tower of a human being with a gigantic wingspan and set of hands who is agile and coordinated? Nate Schneckloth Nate Schneckloth 6'5" | 230 lbs | OL North Scott | 2023 IA is going to be a prized recruit in the class of 2023. Seeing him go through drills, a combine, and one on one’s up close left no doubt that he will be a prototypical Offensive Tackle playing big time football a couple of years from now. What coaches were raving about on Sunday when it came to Schneckloth was how it really seems like he has already grown into his body and mastered all of the length and range that he possesses. Schneckloth knew exactly where to set to in his one on one reps and never overextended himself when striking. To compliment it all it was pretty clear that he has completely loose hips. He didn’t struggle whatsoever to redirect or change direction if a drill called for it or if pass rushers were trying to come at him with some finesse. Schneckloth has a ceiling as high as anyone the attended the event and it was brimming with talent.
Mason McNeill Mason McNeill 6'2" | 290 lbs | OL Westosha Central | 2023 State WI , Wisconsin, Westosha Central, 6’1 290, hudl, Twitter
If you need a bully of an interior Offensive Lineman that is heavy handed and a nasty finisher look no further than Mason McNeill Mason McNeill 6'2" | 290 lbs | OL Westosha Central | 2023 State WI . He was stonewalling pass rushers left and right during one on one’s. McNeill has a massive lower body and that, paired with excellent stance mechanics, got him driving into a balanced set in a hurry. Opponents had no choice but to try and work a power move, but those big legs helped him absorb bull rush after bull rush and long arm after long arm. At that point, once Defensive Linemen were within reach, they felt the power McNeill packs in his hands. During drills McNeill made it clear that he has what it takes to be a top notch road grader as well. The amount of sheer force he was generating from the ground up was evident in the pop of the bags and the way he manhandled some very large and heavy athletes that were holding those bags during drills. McNeill’s pro agility certifies his ability to pull and block laterally; he is certainly a name to get on the radar if it isn’t already.
Logan Gross Logan Gross 6'3" | 270 lbs | OL Sun Prairie | 2024 State WI , Wisconsin, Sun Prairie East, 6’3.25 244, hudl, Twitter
Another The Line alumnus, Logan Gross Logan Gross 6'3" | 270 lbs | OL Sun Prairie | 2024 State WI , is a returning top performer who saw his combine metrics and position specific performance improve. Just a Sophomore, Gross cleared 8 feet in the broad jump, ran a 1.73/3.03 10/20 split, clocked a 7.47 L-Drill, and dropped some jaws with a 4.72 Pro Agility. He has an exceptional foundation of measurables and athletic ability. Based on where Gross is at now and forecasting where he could be in a couple years, let’s just say the future is very bright and he is on his way to being one of Wisconsin’s top recruits. Additionally, the kid is tough. Sometimes at such events you see the younger classes taking the back seat and not grabbing as many reps during one on one’s. Gross took a hand to the face, plugged the nostril up, went right back in, it happened again, so he plugged the other one up and just kept rolling. Gross has shown that he has it all and is a recruit that big time schools would be wise to build a relationship with as soon as possible.
Tyson Cramer Tyson Cramer 6'4" | 285 lbs | OL Pontiac Township | 2023 State IL , Illinois, Pontiac Township, 6’3.5 294, hudl, Twitter
Cramer, who is a regular at The Line, has gotten better and better each time out and was named a top performer for the first time this go round at the Linemen only event. Cramer has always had the measurables; there’s never been a question about whether or not he fits the mold of what coaches are looking for at the next level. A couple of things stood out at the most recent event that coaches reported were new developments and improvements when it comes to his position specific skill set. The first is how fluid and confident he looked in his movements during drills. If there used to be any degree of awkwardness in his technique it is certainly gone. At this point it is safe to say that Cramer has grown into his body and is ready to elevate his game to the next level. The second part of his performance at the event that stood out was how well he looked taking reps as an interior Offensive Lineman during one on one’s. To this point he has lined up mostly at Tackle. His set and first strike was flawless on the inside.