Oak Mountain Season Preview

<span data-preserver-spaces="true">Oak Mountain’s 7-5 record resulted in a 7A quarterfinals appearance. With a ton of defensive talent returning, let’s check out some key players coming back for another playoff run. </span> <strong><u><span data-preserver-spaces="true">[player_tooltip player_id="241149" first="Emmanuel" last="Waller"] 6’4 250 DE </span></u></strong> <span data-preserver-spaces="true">Waller is a dominant edge rusher looking to lead his team back to the playoffs. His size, speed, and strength make him a preeminent prospect in the state and a player every team must account for. He can win off his first step, bend the corner, and get the QB in a speed rush. Or he can collapse the pocket with a bull rush or simply throw a blocker out his way. This explosive athleticism makes him an SEC-caliber player and a matchup nightmare on a weekly basis for opposing coordinators. In addition to Waller’s presence on the line of scrimmage, he has enough speed to make plays on the sideline, which is rare for someone his size. Look for him to live up to his 4-star ranking and lead Oak Mountain to a solid season. </span> https://twitter.com/laylowwaller/status/1494659896826073091?s=20&amp;t=zwqfu_fj-jTWiRbOrQGlDw <strong><u><span data-preserver-spaces="true">Devan Moss 5’10 160 DB 2023 </span></u></strong> <span data-preserver-spaces="true">Moss is a playmaker in every sense of the word. He’s a ball hawk who can take away possessions and force fumbles in the run game despite his lack of ideal size. He plays m ch bigger than his 160-pound frame and embraces physicality when supporting the run game. He has an uncanny ability to time tackles, put his helmet on the ball, and pop it loose for the defense to recover. In pass coverage, he shows excellent tracking skills and can quickly find the ball in the air. His blazing closing speed and burst allow him to challenge vertical passes in man coverage and make plays on shorter routes. However, h excels in zone coverage. He does a great job of not over-pursuing receivers out of his area, reading the QB’s eyes, diagnosing plays, and driving on the ball. In addition to his coverage skills, he adds value as a return specialist. Be on the lookout for him to make plays on defense and set his team. </span> https://twitter.com/devan_moss/status/1533846385543548928?s=20&amp;t=ETBIhxpPzGaeLZsfex90Zg <strong><u><span data-preserver-spaces="true">[player_tooltip player_id="259460" first="Garrett" last="Murphy"] 6’0 195 SS/TE</span></u></strong> <span data-preserver-spaces="true">Murphy is an old-school enforcer in the secondary. He plays with a linebacker mentality and is excellent at supporting the run. He does a good job of not taking false steps when pursuing the ball and always seems to be able to mitigate significant gains. Murphy is a tremendous hitter who embraces asserting his presence on ball carriers and letting it be known it’s going to be a long night. He also uses this hit power to force deflections /incompletions, which results in many tip interceptions. Look for Murphy to make highlights hits through the season and be a crucial piece of a solid defense. </span> https://twitter.com/GMurphy_16/status/1538348879640510464?s=20&amp;t=zwqfu_fj-jTWiRbOrQGlDw <strong><u><span data-preserver-spaces="true">Luke Oswalt 6’5 285 OT 2023 </span></u></strong> <span data-preserver-spaces="true">Oswalt is one of the better linemen in the state and will be the anchor of the Oak Mountain offense. He has enough size to be a mauler in the run game while also possessing nice footwork, patience, and swiftness to keep his QB clean from edge rushers. </span><span data-preserver-spaces="true">Oswalt Showed great lateral movement when working within zone blocking schemes and can close gaps quickly. In addition to his mobility, he uses his length well to keep defenders from his body and create space away from his QB. Look for Oswalt to be a dominant force and provide A1 protection for his running back and quarterback. </span> https://twitter.com/Luke_Oswalt77/status/1539738024900173830?s=20&amp;t=zwqfu_fj-jTWiRbOrQGlDw