All-Northeast Offensive Line/Tight End Recap

The Offensive Line and Tight End groups were not short on talent at the All-Northeast both of these position groups featured some popular names in New York, and I was excited to see many of them compete for the first time in person. Both of these positions received great coaching by Bruce Johnson for the Offensive Line and Adam McCann and Isiah Young for the Tight Ends. <strong>Offensive Line</strong> [player_tooltip player_id="236983" first="Marleo" last="Neolien"]  <strong><em>2023</em></strong> The former New York prospect reclassified and now attends St. Thomas Moore in Connecticut. He is a mountain of a player and looks the part. He seems like a natural fit at Right Tackle. He moved his feet well for his size and did a good job when I saw of not getting beat on the outside utilizing his kick slides. Neolien already holds multiple offers, and he will be a popular name in the Northeast this coming season. [player_tooltip player_id="232147" first="Jake" last="Polito"]  <em><strong>2023</strong></em> It was great to see Polito perform and compete at the All-Northeast, giving him the platform to compete against some of the best athletic Defensive Lineman in the state that he usually wouldn’t face in the season. Seeing Polito compete against the likes of the talented Erasmus Hall players is something I was looking forward to before the event. He was as fast as I expected as he ran over 18 MPH according to Athletic Westchester testing, and he did this at 295 lbs. He is powerfully built and holds his weight well. Watching him during positional work, you can see how he gets into defenders fast on run blocks and can leverage his power immediately, rolling his hips. During the 1-on-1s that I witnessed, he moved well laterally, facing some quick interior defensive lineman, and was able to match the athleticism. His recruiting momentum is in full swing and picking up as he has racked up 6 Division 1 offers after the event. [player_tooltip player_id="235871" first="Mason" last="Dietrich"]  <em><strong>2023</strong></em> A big highlight of the day was talking with Mason after the showcase, as he is an extremely humble young man and gave constant praise for the talent he was surrounded by. He provided insight on how he felt he performed and what he needed to work on. The versatile Dietrich can lineup at any position on the offensive line, and his tape proves it. I was anxious to see how he looks in person, and with his frame, he also holds his weight well and will only get stronger. When he lined up at Center, he used his length and anchored down when needed against the bigger DL. Competing against some of the state’s best and quickest interior defensive pass rushers like [player_tooltip player_id="241143" first="Aaris" last="Bethea"] and [player_tooltip player_id="338358" first="Malik" last="Person"] gave Mason context on areas of improvement. I think Mason will grow into a dominant Center as he understands every position on the line and is a high IQ player. Dietrich is currently getting a lot of interest from FCS schools. [player_tooltip player_id="235880" first="Michael" last="Cogoni"]  <em><strong>2023</strong></em> Cogoni is a player that took advantage of the event and the opportunity to compete against national talent defensive linemen. He has a powerful broad base, and his lateral quickness impressed me inside as he just performed like a dominant Guard. Additionally, he displayed great leverage techniques that gave him impressive successful reps. His speed and technique allowed him to match power when needed, but I never saw him overcommit or lunge. Once Cogoni had position and leverage, he did a solid job finishing off rushers using theirs over aggression against them. Cogoni had a great day against top competition; his stock should only rise from his showing. I expect a dominant senior season. <strong>Tight Ends</strong> [player_tooltip player_id="233600" first="Logan" last="Lyson"]  <em><strong>2023</strong></em> Lyson is a popular offensive name in the area, and he was bigger and more physical than I expected. There were not many Tight Ends in the All-Northeast group, so Lyson received a lot of coaching from Coach McCann and Coach Young. During position work, Lyson looked solid and sharp. You can see how he could quickly seal the edge if needed taking good steps and bringing his hips. However, when it came to competition time, Lyson was an athletic tank showing the ability to get separation at the stem. I saw multiple times where defenders would try to get a jam on him, and he would push right through it, showing his power. The TE coaches were raving about how well Lyson took all the coaching in and applied it instantly in 1-on-1s. He holds multiple D1 offers at the moment, and this number will only continue to grow. [player_tooltip player_id="211728" first="Alex" last="Menghi"]  <strong><em>2024</em></strong> I saw Alex a couple of months back at our Prep Redzone showcase, and I could tell he has gotten faster and stronger. Menghi is an athletic weapon at TE and naturally fits the hybrid role. He ran over 20 MPH during the Athletic Westchester timing testing. Alex looks like a Wide Receiver on his routes, and his hands look impressive once again. During his 1-on-1s, he consistently got separation, and he showed the ability to stack defenders on his routes, making him a real receiving threat. In addition, his size and athleticism make him an actual hybrid headache to defend. Alex is poised to be one of the top offensive prospects in the state for the Class of 2024. He will be a crucial part of the dynamic St. Antony’s offensive attack, one of the state’s best. [player_tooltip player_id="343476" first="David" last="Clement"]  <em><strong>2023</strong></em> The Syracuse commit is a massive target at Tight End, towering at 6 feet 5 inches and weighing in at 270 lbs. According to Athletic Westchester, Clement performed well, showing incredible athleticism for his size running over 20 MPH for max velocity. His size allows him to be a big-time blocking threat at Syracuse, mixed in catching ability that he displayed at the All-Northeast. When there was tight coverage from the Linebackers in 1-on-1s, Clement could use his body and position himself on blanket coverage.