Scout’s Notebook – Offensive Line from PRZ Next’s New Jersey Camp

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This weekend I was able to link up with my old colleague and friend, the one-man industry himself&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/AlPopsFootball">Al Pops</a>. Being what I consider at least, the nation's savant of identifying middle school football talent, Pops did not disappoint. As the event went on I got a pretty good look at all position groups. Here are a few notes I took from what I saw out of the day's offensive line group.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Offensive Line Notes</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In, by far, the event's smallest group (numbers-wise), we had some big-time talent at a young age. The first offensive lineman that caught my attention was [player_tooltip player_id='1156212' first='Logan' last='Brown']. A Keystone State native, Brown showed that he been coached <em>extremely </em>well at an early age to play one of the games most grueling positions. My first glimpse of Brown showed me that although his posture will improve over time so he can "sit in the chair," he has a set of quick, powerful feet. Moreover, what impressed me about Brown was that he keeps working his hands and never keeps fighting. He had great punch-and-recoil to keep defenders at-bay and consistently worked to refit his hands under his matchups chest. Next year some high school coaches will be asking one another, "what can Brown do for you?"...... Another Pennsylvania product was [player_tooltip player_id='1133193' first='Musa' last='Bangura']. Bangura was a little bit shorter, and thus more stout, than several of his contemporaries. This caused Bangura to have a little bit more forward lean in his stance and when working than I would like; however, he seems to be born with an offensive lineman's mentality. I watched time and time again as he demonstrated physicality and aggressiveness, never giving up on a play. Bangura seems to realize and take personal the importance of protecting his quarterback and giving his running back a shot to make a play. As he continues to grow and develop he should be able to play more upright.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Our next standout hails from Massachusetts and goes by the name of Travis Bowen. Bowen was an absolute stone wall at times. When faced with a bull rush, he proved that the immovable force trumps the unstoppable object. I do not recall a single bull rush (which is one of two 1-on-1 camp moves I absolutely loathe) proving effective against him. Bowen won these matchups by playing with superior leverage under the defense's pads and keeping his feet moving throughout the rep. I was tipped off to this early as I watched him perform the kick-step to power-slide cone drill. Something about his power slide got me a bit giddy...... Our last offensive lineman is a city boy hailing from New York City, Arty Bektesevic. Watching Bektesevic's reps I believe he may play center back home. Right now I see Bektesevic playing with a wider base than most. This could be attributed to, first him playing center, and second compensating for his ability to bend. Perhaps one of the single most difficult things to ask an individual lineman to do, as he grows older and stronger he should bend more easily. That said, Bektesevic did give himself a puncher's change by recovering more times than he did not from this posture. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Last but not least I will close out this position overview with a little local, in-state love for [player_tooltip player_id='1049572' first='Joe' last='Dipaola']. Perhaps the biggest individual in his group at 6'4" 255lbs, there is no doubt that Dipaola is blessed with just about every physical gift. I imagine he hit a recent growth spurt based on how he moves. As he gets more comfortable with his "new" body, he will excel in the game of football. Like many linemen his age, bend and posture must improve. The frame is there, as is his fighting spirit. Dipaola used his physicality to win the matchups he did. As he enters high school, he will be a prospect I am curious to track. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->