Shore Pockets: Top Returning Shore Conference OL for 2023
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Offensive line must be everything to their team. At their best they must be big, strong, athletic, and have quick feet. Offensive linemen also need to be tough, resilient, and communicate. Finally, they must be protectors and aggressors at the…
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Continue ReadingOffensive line must be everything to their team. At their best they must be big, strong, athletic, and have quick feet. Offensive linemen also need to be tough, resilient, and communicate. Finally, they must be protectors and aggressors at the same time. For without the offensive line, nothing on a football field happens.
Today we scout and analyze the game of five standout offensive linemen who are set to return in 2023. These offensive linemen all play for high school teams within Central Jersey’s Shore Conference.
There are few O-linemen who like to mix it up in the trenches like Anthony Aguanno Anthony Aguanno 6’1″ | 230 lbs | OL Pinelands | 2025 NJ of Pineland High School does. Also a wrestler for the Wildcats, Aguanno is 6’1″ 230lbs and made 51 tackles, 1 sack, 2 TFL, and 3 FR last season.
When Aguanno pulls, he puts the full force of his entire body into kicking out his assignment; similarly, he wins inside leverage consistently on kick-out blocks. This physicality also manifests in Aguanno’s ability to win 1-on-1 blocks, even if does not have the best leverage. He weaponizes the snap count and gets off the ball in a hurry, while doing a nice job getting movement on double-teams. Aguanno has a habit of hip-tossing opponents. I would like to see more clips of him in pass protection as well.
Physicality and nastiness are the signatures to Aguanno’s game. Realistically, he is an awesome high school guard who has the potential to play at the college level. Hope to hear more about his recruiting in early 2024.
Gifted with D-1AA size is the 6’6″ 305lb Tyler Burnham Tyler Burnham 6’4″ | 285 lbs | OL Red Bank Catholic | 2024 State NJ . Burnham plays for Red Bank Catholic. He also plays basketball for the Caseys.
At RT Burnham possesses immense upper body strength. We frequently see him toss opponents, discarding them like a toy a child no longer wishes to play with. Burnham is outstanding ripping inside, avoiding the d-end’s punch, and latching onto his assignment at the second level. He has an effective kick step for the high school level, but what Burnham does best in pass protection is batting the d-lineman’s hands. When relinquishing ground in pass protection, Burnham knows when to flip the script and drive. When Burnham is run blocking I would love to see him keep his feet churning and get more movement on down linemen.
Burnham is blessed with tremendous size and has adopted the type of attitude that will have him succeed in the trenches. A college prospect without a doubt, I am interested to see where he ends up playing ball in the fall of 2024.
The Ocean Spartans have a big, nasty o-lineman in the trenches. At 6’3 290lbs Nick Caruso Nick Caruso 6’3″ | 290 lbs | OL Ocean Township | 2024 State NJ is an o-lineman through and through, and happy to be such. On the season Caruso registered 28 pancake blocks – a statistic that does not often get recorded and reported.
Having Caruso play center is a big plus for his recruiting profile, as it is one less thing that prospective college coaches need to implement. As a center Caruso gets to the defense’s second very quickly. One he arrives, Caruso is able to lock on to his matchup and not relinquish control. Caruso knows when to make his life easier too, allowing undisciplined d-linemen to run upfield and away from pressure. Caruso is big and strong enough to stonewall full-speed blitzers as well. Caruso would benefit from improving his flexibility, thus allowing him to play with lower leverage, and include clips of him double teaming on his highlight tape – it is something recruiters actively look for.
Caruso is a key cog to what the Spartan’s offense is all about. He seems like a plug-and-play type of kid who is football savvy and does many things well. Given his size and position, expect him to get several college looks.
Highlights
When you are 5’10” 240lbs and playing o-line, you are best suited to be a scrappy, unrelenting player who excels in the fundamentals of line play. This is exactly what the Colts Neck Cougars have with JJ Cifelli JJ Cifelli 6’0″ | 265 lbs | OL Colts Neck | 2024 NJ .
From his LG spot Cifelli has awesome leg drive. Combined this with the key fundamental of keeping his hands and arms inside, Cifelli gets movement on his assignment – all the while maintaining control of the block and making it difficult to disengage from him. He has clean footwork when he pulls and makes sure to win inside leverage when pulling. Cifelli has adequate bend, however I would encourage him to work on narrowing his base. This would force him to bend and become an even more effective drive blocker.
Cifelli is definitely part of the solution at Colts Neck High School. With strong fundamentals and technique, he is destined to be a leader on the team and, perhaps, one day a coach himself.
Highlights
Leading in the trenches for Manalapan High School is 6 foot, 290lb Reggie Bennett Reggie Bennett 6’0″ | 290 lbs | OL Manalapan | 2025 NJ . Bennett also wrestles for the Braves.
Bennett appears bigger on screen than what he is listed as – and he plays that way too. He can get low enough to consistently win matchups on a down-to-down basis. With his gravitas, Bennett totally annihilates his matchup when down blocking. Movement occurs on his down- and drive blocks because Bennett consistently gets his hands inside and has steady leg drive. When asked to pull Bennett does a nice job keeping his eyes inside for the first threat, while also logging defenders as needed; although I would like to see him get to the point of attack a bit more quickly. In pass protection Bennett needs to remember to punch, recoil and sit. Too much forward lean will make him easier to shed.
I was really surprised after watching his film to see that Bennett was just 6 feet tall. He looks like he is about 6’3″ and is a true road grader. Bennett is certainly a player that, if I was an offensive play caller, would run run behind often.