WI Prospect Tour Preview: OL & DL

We continue our preview of the WI Prospect Tour attendees by diving into the top OL and DL participants. There is a lot that I want to see from this group. The two position groups have a ton to offer. Both groups have D1 level athletes, studs from each graduating class, and the depth that is going to provide us with an extremely high level of competition rep after rep. I can’t wait to provide coverage of it, but until we start this Saturday let’s check out some of the OL and DL that I can’t wait to see live! <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Offensive Line</strong></span> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="268946" first="Nino" last="Baier"], ’24- Menomonee Falls (<a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/12535029/616e2888386e090ef406845e">Nino’s Sophomore Highlights</a>)</strong> Our #6 OL in the Class of 2024 is poised to put on a show this Saturday in Franklin, WI. The 6’4" 300 lbs sophomore possesses elite size and length for the position. Menomonee Falls are looking for a bounce back season in 2022, and Nino is going to be a key piece as he anchors a talented OL. At the Showcase I’m looking to see Nino’s body control on display. He has all the power needed to maul defenders in the run game, and he has a heavy punch in his pass set. I’m now looking to see how he slides, mirrors, and recovers from awkward positions while battling defenders. Big things coming for the Menomonee Falls lineman. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="226597" first="JJ" last="Love"], ’23- Milton (<a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/12713964/617b430a6e81a509f000d71e">JJ’s Junior Highlights</a>)</strong> JJ is one of the athletes that has been a monthly member of our weight lifting recap articles. He has clearly been putting in the work this offseason as he prepares for his senior campaign. This Saturday I am looking forward to seeing a few things. First, I want to see how JJ performs and tests athletically. I know he has the weight room strength, now I want to see how well he moves and changes direction. Second, I want to see that weight room strength translate to the 1 on 1 battles. If he can prove to have the anchor strength as well as the agility to be able to mirror and match then JJ will leave the day a big time winner. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="104379" first="Ian" last="Parker"], ’23- University School of Milwaukee (<a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/11537479/618eb91690efa00bc88fd295">Ian’s Junior Highlights</a>)</strong> Checking in at around 6’5" 270 lbs, Ian is going to be one of the biggest athletes at the Showcase on Saturday. He helped lead University School of Milwaukee to a 6-4 record in 2021. His power and run blocking abilities were the key to his and his team’s success. Parker is a man mover than will open huge holes that make it easy on his RBs. At the Showcase I want to focus on his 1 on 1 battles. It will be all pass protection during that portion, so we will get multiple opportunities to assess his body control, how light he is on his feet, how well he times and uses his punches, and his ability to mirror the pass rushers. I’m pumped to see the big man do his thing and impress a lot of people. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="104378" first="Brandt" last="Rice"], ’23- Wausau West (<a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/12823932/6182b00b47982106281d218c">Brandt’s Junior Highlights</a>)</strong> The OL2 and top 15 member of the Class of 2023 is the athlete I am most excited to see this Saturday. The 6’5" 285 lbs OT has transitioned from the TE position, and he still possesses the athleticism from his TE days. Wausau West’s main goal is to pound the rock, and it has worked well for them. Especially since Brandt has slide into the tackle position. Rice is long, strong, and has exceptional body control that allows him to maintain blocks and land blocks at the second level with a high rate of success. My goal Saturday is to see it all in action. Because of the recent switch Brandt is still raw, so I want to see that he has continued to develop this offseason, and that he looks even smoother than he did at the end of 2021. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Defensive Line</strong></span> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="271776" first="Cole" last="Legas"], ’24- Mayville (<a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/14763390/6193efc7e9858104cc6b527f">Cole’s 2021 Highlights</a>)</strong> Mayville is going to field an absolutely loaded roster this fall. At the middle of the defense will be the 6’1" 225 lbs DT. While Cole isn’t the biggest defender, he is able to use his one step lateral agility to be able to slip blocks. That agility is what I want to see on Saturday. First in the testing portion where we can see his speed, burst, and change of direction abilities. Then when we switch over to the 1 on 1 battles I want to see that speed and agility translate to consistent wins. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="286169" first="Nicholas" last="McCullough"], ’25- Muskego (<a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/16268118/6202a4a8a681b70a4424f8ee">Nick’s Freshman Highlights</a>)</strong> This is one of my choices for breakout candidates of the event. The 6’3" 225 lbs freshman DL has been living in the weight room this offseason. He has been packing on the size and strength, and I can’t wait to see how it translates to the field. The pass rushing 1 on 1 battles are going to be the place to be. The young fella is going to have plenty of chances to show off where he is at in the early stages of his development. There is going to be a ton of high end talent for the freshman to test himself out against. This event could be the launching point for the impressive looking prospect. <strong>Steven Scott, ’24- Menomonee Falls (<a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/14879550/616da431688fe00764dc982d">Steven’s Sophomore Highlights</a>)</strong> The 6’6" 270 lbs sophomore is one of the top DL that I can’t wait to see in person! He has elite size and length, is stout at the point of attack, and has a high motor that allows him to make plays outside the norm. I’m pumped to see how well Steven tests athletically, and also see the pass rush moves that he has in his tool belt. I also want to get an up close look at the pop and power that he has in his hands. The top 15 player in the Class of 2024 is poised to have himself a day on Saturday!