2023 St. Louis Players to Watch: Offensive Linemen
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As we are headed into the end of April, the 2023 high school football off-season is in full swing with teams and players preparing for the upcoming season. As has been the case for quite some time now, the city…
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Continue ReadingAs we are headed into the end of April, the 2023 high school football off-season is in full swing with teams and players preparing for the upcoming season. As has been the case for quite some time now, the city of St. Louis is abundant in talent on the gridiron. With that in mind, I wanted to take a look at some of the top returning players in the city heading into the 2023 high school football season. After already covering the skill players I will wrap up the offensive side of the ball by focusing on some of the top returning offensive linemen in St. Louis in 2023.
Bryce Parson Bryce Parson 6’3″ | 280 lbs | OL CBC | 2024 State MO is an offensive lineman that has continued to stand out as one of the best in the entire state of Missouri. He is a big, athletic left tackle that is very impressive in pass protection. Parson has outstanding footwork which he is able to use to his advantage to mirror opposing pass rushers off the edge. In the run game, he plays with a ton of physicality and has shown the ability to drive his man down the field. He has also shown the ability to pull from the tackle spot and pick up blocks in open space. Parson currently holds offers from Ball State, Lindenwood, Marshall, Boston College, Northern Iowa, and Southeast Missouri State, and I expect more to come as he is a Division I caliber offensive lineman.
Davis Schukar Davis Schukar 6’4″ | 270 lbs | OL MICDS | 2024 State MO is another incoming senior offensive lineman that has stood out to me in St. Louis. He has great versatility in his game as he has shown the ability to play from both the left and right tackle. Schukar is a mauler in the run game, exploding out of his stance and driving his man down the field. He finishes his blocks through the whistle, resulting in several pancake blocks. Schukar has also shown the ability to pull from the tackle spot and pick up blocks in open space. He also does a great job of getting to the second level quickly to pick up blocks on opposing linebackers. Davis currently holds offers from Army, Navy, Air Force, Lindenwood, and Butler, and I expect that list to grow as he is a true Division I caliber talent.
Highlights
Gus Dames Gus Dames 6’5″ | 305 lbs | OL St. Louis University | 2024 State MO is an incoming senior offensive lineman that deserves some more attention. He lines up at the right tackle spot for SLUH and is a very impressive run blocker. Dames does a great job of exploding out of his stance and running his feet through contact to drive his man down the field. He also plays with a ton of physicality. Dames truly finishes his blocks through the whistle, resulting in several pancake blocks. While Gus doesn’t currently hold any offers, he definitely deserves some attention from college coaches as he has the talent to be a reliable offensive tackle at the next level.
Quentin Jackson Quentin Jackson 6’2″ | 305 lbs | OL Cardinal Ritter | 2024 State MO is a player that jumped onto my radar this past season as he played a key role in Cardinal Ritter’s Class 3 State Championship run. Jackson is the starting left tackle and is a very impressive pass blocker. He has great footwork which he uses to get into his pass sets quickly to mirror opposing pass rushers off the edge. Jackson never gives up on a block, making sure he keeps working to keep his man away from the quarterback. He is also a very reliable run blocker, exploding out of his stance and showing the ability to create movement off the line of scrimmage. Jackson hasn’t received any official offers yet but I expect some to come his way soon as he has received some college interest and has the talent to play somewhere at the next level.
Louis Jordan Louis Jordan 6’4″ | 255 lbs | OL Lutheran North | 2024 State MO is an underrated offensive lineman in the St. Louis area that has jumped onto my radar recently. Jordan lines up at left tackle and is very reliable in pass protection. He uses his athleticism and quick footwork to his advantage, showing the ability to get back in his pass sets quickly to mirror opposing pass rushers. Jordan continues to fight to get back in his pass sets to keep his man away from the quarterback. He is also impressive in the run game, showing a ton of physicality and the ability to drive his man off the line of scrimmage. Louis doesn’t currently hold any offers but should be on the radar of more college coaches as he has the talent to play somewhere at the next level.
Michael Cunningham Michael Cunningham 6’4″ | 275 lbs | OL De Smet | 2025 State MO is a young offensive lineman that stood out to me this past season as he played a key role on a very talented De Smet team. Cunningham is their starting center and gives them everything they could ask for from the position. He is a dominant run blocker, showing the ability to snap the ball quickly and drive his man down the field. Cunningham also has shown the ability to get to the second level quickly and pick up blocks in open space. He is also very reliable in pass protection, showing the ability to pick up stunts/blitzes and keep a strong base, not allowing much penetration into the pocket. Cunningham doesn’t currently hold any offers but I expect some to come his way soon as he has received some college interest and has the talent to be a very reliable center at the next level.
Highlights
Brady Ford
Brady Ford
Another incoming junior offensive lineman that has stood out to me is Brady Ford from Lindbergh. Ford lines up at guard and is very impressive as a run blocker. He does a great job of exploding out of his stance and driving his man down the field. Ford plays with a ton of physicality, showing an initial punch strong enough to knock opposing defensive linemen off their feet. He also does a good job of finishing his blocks through the whistle, resulting in a ton of pancake blocks. Ford is also a reliable pass blocker, showing solid footwork and the ability to protect his inside gap. Brady doesn’t currently hold any offers but should definitely be a player to watch over the next two seasons.
To wrap up this list, I have an intriguing incoming senior, Kyle Russell Kyle Russell 6’1″ | 265 lbs | DL Chaminade | 2024 MO from Chaminade. While Russell plays on both sides of the ball, I really liked what I saw from him at offensive guard when watching his film. He is a very dominant run blocker, exploding out of his stance and creating a ton of movement off the line of scrimmage. Russell plays with a ton of physicality, showing the ability to explode through contact and finish his blocks with a pancake. He has also shown the ability to pull and pick up blocks in open space as a lead blocker. Russell is also a reliable pass blocker, showing solid footwork and the ability to protect his inside gap. Kyle doesn’t currently hold any offers but he should pick some up in his senior year as he has the talent to play somewhere at the next level.