These SEKY Offensive Linemen are Ready for Big Years
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Show me a soundly built football program that wins on a consistent basis and manages to collect a few championship trophies every now and again, and I’ll show you an organization that never deviates from emphasizing the roles and fundamentals…
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Continue ReadingShow me a soundly built football program that wins on a consistent basis and manages to collect a few championship trophies every now and again, and I’ll show you an organization that never deviates from emphasizing the roles and fundamentals necessary for good offensive line play and–even with fluctuating personnel and talent levels–always produces a fundamentally sound, synchronized unit that communicates and executes at a high level. With several of this region’s more successful teams still emphasizing run game production as their primary offensive identity, they naturally benefit from strong, athletic and fundamentally sound blockers like those promoted here, but increasingly, these same athletes are displaying increasing sophistication in their pass protection mechanics and the ability to run levels in the increasingly popular screen passing game. As a result, these promising young line prospects seem well-suited for a wide variety of offensive systems and seem poised to serve hugely important roles for their offensive units this fall.
When initially studying Claybrook on film, certainly his sheer size is one of the first attributes noticed, given his well proportioned 6’4″ frame and his exceptionally long arms. In me addition, his lower body flexibility–a relative rarity among many high school athletes of his size–enables him the capacity to strike his intended targets with leverage and the ability to cover up and overwhelm first-level defenders, whether single-blocking or taking over defenders as the offside blocker when executing inside zone schemes. In pass protection, while sometimes susceptible to inside slants or twists, he nevertheless displays an effective kick slide versus edge rushers that enables him to keep his hips/shoulders square and thus take away any inside counter moves that speed rushers often try to employ against taller competitors. While he primarily projects as either a right or left offensive tackle at the collegiate level, Claybrook also possesses the athleticism and fortitude to start defensively, where last season he collected 3 solos, 8 assists, 3 tackles for loss and 1 sack.
Lincoln Conn
Lincoln Conn
Lining up primarily at right guard for his Cougar offense, Conn exhibits some of the quickest and most technically proficient first two steps of any offensive lineman reviewed thus far. And while he often faces defensive linemen with considerable size/weight advantages, his contact demeanor with dropped hips, balanced center of gravity and exceptional targeting leverage make him especially effective at staying engaged with defenders after initial contact and more often than not maintaining his block downfield, His natural athleticism, too, makes him very reliable when trap-blocking or wrapping to second-level pursuit, and his eyes/fits on defenders clearly reflect his understanding of leveraging opponents and positioning himself between his assignment/target and the intended route of the ball carrier. With his impressive fundamentals and deceptive athleticism, he possesses the skill set, effort level and fundamentals to fit nicely into almost any offensive system.
Keegan Reader
Keegan Reader
A big, strong regular starter at right tackle for the 14-1 Redhounds, this upcoming junior has only just begun to scratch the surface of his potential for success as an offensive lineman, and anyone fancying themselves an O-line aficionado certainly will want to enjoy this young man’s evolution over these next two seasons. Like most younger linemen, his primary forte seems to be his ability to base block a defensive lineman aligned either over him or shaded to either side. However, his quick, efficient footwork does enable him to release to second/third level defenders cleanly even if sometimes his fundamental postures/fits don’t permit him to maintain contact. With added maturity, time and repetitions, he will soon lose the occasional tendency to become a “waist-bender.” However, he clearly understands leverage/targeting on both pass and run plays, and his pass protections will only improve as his hip flexibility and balance improve with added competitive scenarios and experience.
Primarily starting at the right tackle position in the Jaguars vaunted offense, Roberts poses a large and high-energy problem for any defender assigned to align on or inside him. While base blocking initially appears to be the most obvious forte for this big, strong returning senior, another noteworthy trait that makes him so versatile and effective offensively is his ability to release inside to second-level defenders while maintaining the wide base, balanced demeanor and blow delivery necessary to not only make contact with linebackers and safeties, but also to lock on, stay on and redirect defenders even as they attempt to disengage from their blocker and pursue the football. While currently more proficient in the run game than in pass protection, he nevertheless exhibits a strong and well-targeted inside punch on edge rushers and likely projects more favorably as an offensive guard at the next level.
Highlights
Aligning at left tackle for the Redhounds, West is a broad, strong mauler in the inside run game, with the first step, pad level and sheer power to dent essentially any defensive front on the high school level. And while he might project more favorably as an offensive guard at the collegiate level, he displays the quickness, athleticism and blow delivery to serve more than adequately as an edge pass blocker. In particular, he positions himself with leverage of defenders and coupled with aggressive/accurate hand placement, most defenders understandably opt for wider, slower rush lanes. Even when blocking perimeter runs, stretch plays and/or outside zones, his foot placement and speed make him an adept edge blocker and rarely do even the wider defenders manage to cross his face toward the point of attack. Entering his senior season, West is widely considered one of the best offensive line prospects to come from this region in several years, and all indications thus far confirm that current assessment.