CJ’s Top Giants: 6 Offensive Lineman That Needs More Attention
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This scouting report provides an assessment of 6 high school offensive linemen in Alabama. These players have demonstrated their skills and potential on the field, and their performances have garnered attention from me. The report aims to provide a concise…
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Continue ReadingThis scouting report provides an assessment of 6 high school offensive linemen in Alabama. These players have demonstrated their skills and potential on the field, and their performances have garnered attention from me. The report aims to provide a concise evaluation of their strengths and overall potential as they transition to the college level.
Christian Abrams
Christian Abrams
Abrams plays the game with the physicality and toughness teams look for in offensive linemen; capitalizes on opportunities to finish opponents. Fires out low and with some explosiveness and can overwhelm opposing defenders at the point of attack. Able to attack the outside shoulder and collapse run fits. Keeps his feet going after contact and works through the whistle. Grip strength to sustain is very good. Works hard to pull/climb and engage opponents; has the straight-line speed to engage at the second level. Shows a good understanding of positioning to wall off opponents. There’s enough power in his hands to jolt opponents with his punch and knock them off-balance with his shove. Has an excellent anchor to absorb power and can win even if everything doesn’t go perfectly with his form. Does a pretty good job of staying within his frame.
Baker is a big-framed wall-off blocker who shows an understanding of positioning in the run game; has enough short-area quickness to position himself and seal defenders off from the play. Able to pull to the right side of the line and crack defenders in backside pursuit. Generally does a good job of playing within his frame. Plays with a wide base and adequate lateral quickness in pass protection. Active with his punch and hands, firing them out proactively and resetting his hands well; can occasionally jolt defenders on contact with his punch. Has plenty of lower-body strength to hold the point against power, dropping a pretty early anchor. Keeps his head on a swivel and looks for opportunities to help inside.
Tyler Garner
Tyler Garner
Garner is a pretty good athlete with impressive flexibility and enough short-area quickness to block on the move in zone concepts and climb to the second level. Can pull to the right side of the formation and secure blocks in the hole. Functional strength looks good. Shows good leg drive after engaging to generate push in the run game; has the aggressiveness to finish when given the opportunity. Able to attack the outside shoulder of a defender and collapse run fits. Grip strength looks like it’s above average; works hard to sustain through the whistle. A smart player whose understanding of positioning and pre-snap awareness in pass protection looks good. Pass sets have a relatively wide base with adequate knee-bend. Has pretty good lateral quickness to protect the edge against speed.
Harris is a very smooth mover who was frequently asked to execute blocks on the move or in space and does an excellent job of lining up defenders and engaging with form. Can pull across the line and smash defenders in the hole or at the second level. Has the short area quickness to cross a defender’s place and seal them off from the play direction. Gets downfield and disrupts opponents on chunk plays. Overall contact balance is solid. Shows the ability to chip one defender and climb to the second level. Works well on double teams. Protects the edge with knee-bend and light feet, showing above-average lateral quickness. Able to make it to the edge against speed without abandoning his technique. Active with his hands and does a good job of resetting them. Drops an early anchor when he’s playing within his frame.
Highlights
Hunter Headley
Hunter Headley
Headley plays the game with nastiness and physicality. Fires out of his stance reasonably low, especially for his size. Able to grind down opponents in a phone booth and generate push. Shows enough short-area quickness to chip one opponent and still engage a second player; was often asked to execute this type of assignment. Understanding of positioning in the run game is solid. Has a strong grip to put the clamps on an opponent and sustain through the whistle. Takes opportunities to finish off opponents. Active with his hands has a powerful punch and can knock defenders off-balance; upper-body strength is impressive overall.
LaDarren McClendon
LaDarren McClendon
McClendon fires out low and does a good job of attacking an opponent’s shoulder and generating movement with effective leg drive after contact. Able to win in a phone booth against bigger interior defenders. Has the short-area quickness to chip and recover to block another defender. Tough player who works hard to sustain/finish through the whistle, with solid grip strength. Nice knee bend and a stable base in his pass sets. Polished overall footwork. Shows solid lateral quickness and controlled movements to defend against speed. Active with his hands and does a good job of resetting them as needed through the snap. Drops an early anchor against power. Keeps his head on a swivel and seeks out opponents to block. Should be able to fit in both man and zone-based schemes at the next level.