The Line IL Showcase: Top OL Performances
In this article:
The Line Showcase in Illinois brought out a strong collection of offensive line talent from Illinois and Wisconsin. These showcases are so great to attend because you find athletes that are going to be able to play at every level…
Access all of Prep Redzone
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingThe Line Showcase in Illinois brought out a strong collection of offensive line talent from Illinois and Wisconsin. These showcases are so great to attend because you find athletes that are going to be able to play at every level of competition. You will find the same in this article. OL that have D1- D3 talent, and proved it Sunday. Today we recap this side of the ball with my top offensive line performances.
Conor Kenzinger
Conor Kenzinger
My first standout of the day for the OL group is Conor Kenzinger. The nearly 6’6″ 285 lbs junior OT caught my eyes from the jump. His massive frame stood out from the beginning of warm ups. Then as we got into drills Conor proved that he wasn’t just a big body. He was a big athlete with light feet and the body control to be able to easily bend, change pad level, and direction. He made the drill work look easy, and then he did his thing in the one on one battles. Conor used his light feet and long reach to mirror pass rushers and initiate contact and control over DEs. I checked in on his junior highlights and it was very similar. It showed a massive frame, long arms that always made first contact, and the power to be able to control DL. Kenzinger definitely looked the part of a D1 recruit.
An OL who looks like he is bursting with potential is the 6’5″ 260 lbs OT. Zac is super long. He has nearly a 6’7″ wingspan, and his frame is ready to continue to fill out and add even more strength. The traits are strong too. Clarke looks at home protecting the edge. He is light on his feet allowing him to get deep into his kick slide or change direction to mirror pass rushers. His hands stayed inside and active. Zac also impressed with his ability to go from light on his feet to setting a strong anchor when he needed to stifle his opponent. Get excited about the potential of the Oswego East athlete.
Highlights
Right off the bat, Tim fits the mold of a D1 IOL. He is a thick, well put together 6’4″ 280 lbs and he has a lot of power packed into that frame. He grabbed my attention with every rep in the one on one battles. Tim plays perfectly for the IOL. He has the anchor strength to shut down any pull rush attempt. His long arms swallow up defenders along the way to setting his anchor. Once that anchor is set he also has the footwork to be able to slide laterally while holding his ground. Big things are ahead for Tim. He just received his first D1 offer yesterday.
Highlights
Jacob had himself a great day. It was a performance that earned him MVP for the OL group. Jacob checks in at 6’3″ 282 lbs with nearly a 6’4″ reach. He showed the signs of being an agile OT in the drill work, and then he put on a show during the one on one battles. Jacob didn’t lose a rep in the battles. He used every rep to show off his talents. The big man has the feet of a lightweight boxer and the hands of a heavyweight boxer. He was able to slide and mirror quickly and never seemed to get caught out of position or reaching. He trusted his talents and it allowed him to stand out most from the crowd. He was another OL who looked like a D1 prospect. Don’t miss out on him.
Highlights
I didn’t see a more impressive display of power than Zach during the one on one battles. Barrett is well equipped for the interior of the OL at the next level. He is just under 6’3″ and 270 lbs, but wow does he have the next level stoutness and strength. He was stout against any bull rush attempt. When he set his anchor there was no getting him off his stop. His hands were just as powerful and his initial punch would have the defender stopped or looking for a new plan of attack. Barrett holds one scholarship offer so far. Don’t sleep on the standout junior. He is a tone setter in the trenches.
Highlights
Another impressive IOL prospect in the IL Class of 2024 is MJ Hansen MJ Hansen 6’4″ | 280 lbs | OL Burlington Central | 2024 State IL . He is a boulder of a man at 6’3″ 305 lbs. His play in the one on one battles went as you might expect from that frame. Hansen was as stout as they came on Sunday. Defenders looking to drive him off the ball had to redirect and turn to their counter move quickly. MJ’s hands and punch stood up the DL with the force they were able to generate. He also did a good job showing that he could slide side to side. Teams looking to bolster the interior of the pocket for their QB needs to look at the Burlington Central product.
Highlights
A prospect who has done an impressive job of developing his game over is the Wisconsin native Anthony Poole Anthony Poole 6’2″ | 250 lbs | OL Greenfield | 2024 State WI . The 6′ 240 lbs OL obviously isn’t the biggest prospect, but D3 programs need to have him on their radars. Anthony did more than hold his own on Sunday. He proved that is able to mirror and match interior DL. Poole was able to win his reps with active hands and feet. Instead of overpowering his opponents, the undersized Anthony made himself difficult to get around. He kept himself square on his opponents. Don’t sleep on the junior OL here in WI.
Highlights
Mason has been putting in the work, and he has been growing. He played at 6′ 205 lbs last fall. He checked in Sunday at 6′ 240 lbs. The IOL is another standout from WI. Mason was another undersized OL who won his reps by being a superior athlete. Defensive linemen tried a lot of moves on him throughout the afternoon, but you would always find Springer square on the man with his hands active and inside on the defender. I’m excited to see how his senior season plays out and to see what his frame looks like after 5 more months of offseason work. Have Mason on your radars.