Trait Ranking Series: Offensive Line II

We’ve come to the conclusion of offensive part of the trait ranking series with the best pass and run blockers in the state. A couple of new names speak once again to the depth of this group beyond the two early P5 signees, with a common theme of toughness and physicality amongst all prospects being true to the midwestern brand of football. <table width="100%"> <tbody> <tr> <td width="25%"><strong>ATHLETICISM</strong></td> <td width="25%"><strong>DEMEANOR</strong></td> <td width="25%"><strong>RUN BLOCKING</strong></td> <td width="25%"><strong>PASS BLOCKING</strong></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="25%">Upper Body</td> <td width="25%">Finishing</td> <td width="25%">Footwork</td> <td width="25%">Footwork</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="25%">Lower Body</td> <td width="25%">Physicality</td> <td width="25%">Hands</td> <td width="25%">Hands</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="25%">Agility</td> <td width="25%">Attitude</td> <td width="25%">Leverage</td> <td width="25%">Leverage</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="25%">Flexibility</td> <td width="25%"></td> <td width="25%">2nd Level</td> <td width="25%">Hip Flexibility</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> &nbsp; <strong><em><u>Best Run Blocker</u></em></strong> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="87681" first="Camden" last="Beebe"] – Piper High School, 6’4 300</strong> As physically overwhelming a lineman as there is in the state, the future Wildcat gets the nod in this category due to his ability to road grade both on the move and as a one on one blocker. Beebe plays with tremendous leverage, and with technically sound and accurate hands, he can get up and under his opponents’ chest to gain complete control. He does an excellent lining up his hands and feet in unison when engaged, allowing his elite upper body strength to take over and easily steer his assignment to create gaping running lanes. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="35665" first="Joe" last="Otting"] – Hayden Catholic High School, 6’4 270 </strong> Since the last time we lavished [player_tooltip player_id="35665" first="Joe" last="Otting"] with all kinds of praise, the junior has signed with the NFL offensive line factory otherwise known as Notre Dame. Otting’s ability to block on the move in the run game is without parallel in the state, and very few in the country. This begins with violent hip roll that allows him to win instantly upon initial contact, aided by tremendous footwork and control, allowing him to adjust to his target. All of this gives him the ability to clear out paths forcefully and efficiently on a multitude of zone blocks, which indeed makes him a perfect fit for what Notre Dame asks their linemen to do. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="35644" first="Levi" last="Cooley"] – Basehor Linwood High School, 6’4 300</strong> Cooley has good roll power in his hips in the run game, creating solid movement at the point of contact for the left tackle when he’s asked to seal. What landed him on this list however is his ability win the sustain phase, even when he doesn’t overwhelm his assignment upon initial contact. Cooley has excellent balance, with fluid hips that allow his upper and lower body to work in harmony. He gets into his shuffle very quickly and has impressively nimble feet that allow him mirror and use his length and upper body strength to gain control and create lanes in the run game. <strong><em><u>Best Pass Blocker</u></em></strong> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="127699" first="Calvin" last="Clements"] – Lawrence Free State High School, 6’7 275</strong> Clements’ measurables certainly contribute to his pass pro ability, but they are far from the only contributing factor. The towering left tackle plays with very good leverage for a 6’7 kid, with natural knee bend allowing for an up and under initial punch. Additionally, he has heavy and accurate hands, allowing him to gain instant control, and coupled with his tremendous reach, can completely lock out his opponent and make it look effortless. His violent hands help mitigate somewhat unpolished footwork, but if he can work on getting his hands and feet to work in unison, he’ll be an absolute nightmare for pass rushers to get around and garner serious D1 attention. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="244923" first="Cooper" last="Zwart"] – Olathe West High School, 6’4 295</strong> [player_tooltip player_id="244923" first="Cooper" last="Zwart"] is a quick footed and balanced left tackle prospect that wins in pass pro with a strong core and the ability to create favorable angles. Zwart is very quick off the snap, getting into his shuffle and setting his base in a blink. He then backs that up with good hip flexibility, allowing him to open them up quickly, and do so with his base firmly behind him thanks to his quick feet. Zwart does an overall excellent job of widening the arc on his assignment, making him an extremely reliable pass protector, which should earn him some serious looks from college recruiters this fall, especially if he improves his upper body strength and develop more violent hands. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="172768" first="Jack" last="Bauer"] – Olathe South</strong> It’s only fitting that someone named [player_tooltip player_id="172768" first="Jack" last="Bauer"] should excel at protection, and the right guard lives up to the standard set by the fictional counter terror agent. What makes Bauer’s ability to pass protect impressive is that in lieu of having great reach, he has a choppy, coordinated shuffle, allowing him to set his base quickly and eat up contact. Moreover, he has very good hip flexibility, with excellent upper/lower body harmony, allowing him to recover and sustain when he is beaten off the snap. As he continues to develop his core strength, he should continue to stonewall interior rushers on a consistent basis his senior year in high school and beyond.