Elite Offensive Line Units Across WI
In this article:
The offensive line is the bread and butter of WI when it comes to pumping out college talent. We have a knack for growing and developing big, strong, athletic, flexible offensive linemen that make college coaches salivate. Kids that can…
Access all of Prep Redzone
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingThe offensive line is the bread and butter of WI when it comes to pumping out college talent. We have a knack for growing and developing big, strong, athletic, flexible offensive linemen that make college coaches salivate. Kids that can open up running lanes for a Mack truck to drive through. Now imagine two, three, or four of these types of athletes all on the same OL. A defensive nightmare. That is the focus of today’s look across the WI HS football scene. The most talented, dominant OL units heading into the fall. The talent in this article is off the charts. Let’s get it started!
Arrowhead
Arrowhead is overflowing with riches and depth on the offensvie line. They have the best bookends in the state with 6’6″ 300+ lbs Derek Jensen Derek Jensen 6'7" | 310 lbs | OL Arrowhead | 2024 State WI absolutely mauling defenders at right tackle and the biggest rising star in left tackle Garrett Sexton Garrett Sexton 6'7" | 295 lbs | OL Arrowhead | 2024 State WI . Both will be playing on Saturdays, Derek for the Badgers and Sexton for Penn State.
To go along with the two studs, Arrowhead has a plethora of options to fill out their guard to guard spots and depth chart. An up and coming athlete to know is Mitchel Bilicki Mitchel Bilicki 6'4" | 290 lbs | OL Arrowhead | 2026 State WI . The ’26 has a great frame at 6’4″ 285 lbs and is a fluid athlete with impressive power. Other options after Bilicki include Will Wagner, Landon Jungbluth, Jacob Gimla Jacob Gimla 6'6" | 275 lbs | OL Arrowhead | 2025 State WI , Ty Lufter, Noah Raab, and Ben Wellentin. They all seem to have the size for varsity, and Wagner/Gimla both have strong JV film from 2022. This unit has a ton of talent, a strong coaching staff, and a lot of talent behind them capitalizing on their blocks. Big things are ahead for this group.
Catholic Memorial
Another absolutely loaded OL group is Catholic Memorial. Their starting unit is 1A or 1B in the state. Leading things off is the massive Penn State IOL commit Donovan Harbour Donovan Harbour 6'5" | 320 lbs | OL Catholic Memorial | 2024 State WI . Harbour is elite at moving IDL and the line of scrimmage in the run game. He easily overpowers defenders with his great overall strength, hands, and footwork. At one tackle spot will be the top 2025 OL in WI, Owen Strebig Owen Strebig 6'8" | 295 lbs | OL Catholic Memorial | 2025 State WI . Strebig has rare size at 6’8″ 295 lbs. He plays with good, consistent technique, and has shown good flexibility and mobility.
Another starter with a bright future is the Duluth commit Jae’Shaun Thomas Jae’Shaun Thomas 6'4" | 280 lbs | OL Catholic Memorial | 2024 State WI . Thomas plays with good range, is very light on his feet, and has plenty of room on his frame to continue to fill out from his already solid 260+ lbs. Lastly, is the 6’2″ 250 lbs John Schwaab. John is a recruit that D2/D3 programs should have on their boards. The center has range to get to the second level or pull and lead. I’m excited to see who the 5th member on the OL will be to join this loaded group.
Kettle Moraine
Kettle Moraine is going to be tough to match up with in the trenches this fall. Starting things off, we have massive Northern Illinois commit Grey Rumohr. Grey engulfs his opponents, drives them off the ball, and usually finishes them violently into the ground. He is a bully on the field and will be a tone setter this season for the reigning state champs. Joining him is a rising ’25 Brayden Thompson Brayden Thompson 6'8" | 315 lbs | OL Kettle Moraine | 2025 State WI . Brayden also has great size at 6’8″ 315 lbs, and is on the verge on a big year. He is a raw prospect, but his natural size, strength, and short area mobility are tough to find. A third standout to know is Jorge Benavente. The 6’3″ 270 lbs OL is the top uncommitted ’24 up front, and is a name to get familiar with. His lateral agility, ovearll range, and solid anchor strength make him a noteworthy option at IOL.
There are a few other names to watch for on the Kettle Moraine OL. One is Andrew Newhouse Andrew Newhouse 6'2" | 225 lbs | DL Kettle Moraine | 2024 State WI . The 6’2″ 235 lbs OL/DL saw some action both ways last fall. Another is the 6’4″ 285 lbs Landon Garcia Landon Garcia 6'4" | 285 lbs | OL Kettle Moraine | 2024 State WI . He clearly has the size, but there is no current film to learn more. It will be interesting to see who joins the three athletes above on the starting five in a few weeks.
Kaukauna
Fans of OL play and college coaches are going to want to keep an eye on Kaukauna this fall. Unfortunately, for college coaches, stud OT Mitch Verstegen Mitch Verstegen 6'4" | 280 lbs | OL Kaukauna | 2024 State WI is off the table as he has committed to play for the Indiana Hoosiers. There is a lot more talent that will be must-watch, though. Fellow ’24 Karson Ernst Karson Ernst 6'3" | 290 lbs | OL Kaukauna | 2024 State WI is a very powerful OG who will be putting DL in the laps of LBs all season. His weight room numbers and 6’3 ‘290 lbs frame are next level ready. An incoming junior that needs to be on the radar of college coaches is guard Braeden Jansen Braeden Jansen 6'3" | 290 lbs | OL Kaukauna | 2025 State WI . Jansen has already developed impressive power, athleticism, fluidity, and range. I expect him to be heavily recruited when his time comes. Finally, at center is Matthew Schoenmakers. Matthew, just like his linemates, has a big frame at 6’2″ 290 lbs and he has proven he can create movement in the trenches. Don’t overlook the senior.
Behind those four standout OL is a few options to fill that 5th spot and provide depth to this exceptional OL. Those athletes are Sam Glendenning Sam Glendenning 5'11" | 255 lbs | DL Kaukauna | 2025 State WI who has seen some varsity action as well as JV. Also Walker Chmielewski, and Elijah Moore. Kaukauna should be a force in the run game, and their talented QB will have plenty of time to push the ball downfield. I expect a big year out of Kaukauna and their offense.
Middleton
Middleton had a dominant OL in 2022, and things are only looking better for 2023. A big reason behind that is I expect to see Rutgers commit Carter Kadow Carter Kadow 6'7" | 245 lbs | OL Middleton | 2024 State WI moving inside a bit from his former TE position to play OL. That is going to be fun to watch. Joining him is conference lineman of the year KJ Peterson KJ Peterson 6'2" | 305 lbs | OL Middleton | 2024 State WI . KJ is a 6’2″ 295 lbs and his weight room numbers translate to the field. His highlights are full of plays where he runs DL off the ball. He has that nastiness you want on the interior. Our top uncommitted 2024 along the OL is Hudson Cleary Hudson Cleary 6'6" | 255 lbs | OL Middleton | 2024 State WI . The 6’6″ 250 lbs All Conference performer is a high ceiling, high potential prospect. He can win with strength at level one or get out in space and land blocks. He has a well rounded ovearll game.
Another name to know in the Class of 2024 is OG Dillon Walser Dillon Walser 6'3" | 285 lbs | OL Middleton | 2024 State WI . Dillon excels at guard with his short area burst and he has the range and strength to be able to double team up to level two, come off his block, and pick up an LB. One last athlete who could be a name to watch on this unit is Zach Hovind. That fifth spot on the OL may be open. I look forward to seeing who fills it.
Menomonee Falls
Menomonee Falls is home to a pair of the best uncommitted OL in the state. Center Steven Scott III Steven Scott III 6'5" | 260 lbs | OL Menomonee Falls | 2024 State WI and LT Nino Baier Nino Baier 6'3" | 310 lbs | OL Menomonee Falls | 2024 State WI have both proven to be next level prospects. They both have elite frames, Scott is 6’5″ 260 lbs and Baier is 6’3″ 310 lbs. From the center position, Steven has shown the short area burst and agility to be able to reach defenders. He has a quick set and instantly can set a strong anchor to keep the pocket from collapsing. Out at tackle, Nino does a great job of turning his momentum into power at the point of contact. He legitimately bulldozes them. He has light feet and very active hands as well.
Another massive OL prospect, and new to my radar, is 6’6″ 275 lbs right tackle Joe Sadowski Joe Sadowski 6'6" | 275 lbs | OL Menomonee Falls | 2024 State WI . The big man has solid range. We see him reaching DL and getting up to the second level consistently. He is an under the radar prospect right now. I will be watching close to see who else lines up with these three this fall.
Bay Port
Next up we have the Bay Port Pirates and their plethora of talented offensive linemen. One of the top incoming seniors for the group is OG Charles Lawson Charles Lawson 6'4" | 260 lbs | OL Bay Port | 2024 State WI . The 6’3″ 250 lbs prospect holds multiple D3 roster offers, clearly drawn to his quickness and impact as a run blocker. Lawson does a good job playing with leverage and running his feet, creating movement along the line of scrimmage. An exciting incoming junior to get on our recruiting board is Alex Michels Alex Michels 6'5" | 280 lbs | OL Bay Port | 2025 State WI . Michels has a 6’5″ 280 lbs build with a 6’9″ wingspan. He spent his sophomore year at center and proved to have the strength needed to take on nose guards. He uses his size to make the initial contact and his light feet keep him in front of his man.
Another name to know is Pierce Schaefer. The 6’3″ 250 lbs incoming senior could be a breakout player. We haven’t seen any varsity film from him, yet. That should change this season. Keep an eye out for him and his tape. Another athlete who could find himself breaking out this fall is 2025 Alex Warden Alex Warden 6'5" | 245 lbs | OL Bay Port | 2025 State WI . Alex has an intriguing 6’6″ 240 lbs frame that squats 515 lbs. Even more noteworthy, Warden is a First Team All Conference wrestler. OL with accomplished wrestling backgrounds are great to find, so keep your eyes out for him this fall.