Meet The Five Biggest Eighth-Grade Linemen in Tennessee
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The title says it all. These kids will not graduate high school until 2028 but they already have the size of extremely large grown men. Anybody in this industry, fans of recruiting or simply athletics and kinesiology, can appreciate the…
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Continue ReadingThe title says it all. These kids will not graduate high school until 2028 but they already have the size of extremely large grown men. Anybody in this industry, fans of recruiting or simply athletics and kinesiology, can appreciate the sheer size of some of these Tennessee eighth-grade monsters. Let’s take a look.
I recently included Coles in a write-up about the top interior offensive linemen that I’ve seen in Tennessee for the class of 2028. In another superlative-themed write-up, Coles is also one of the biggest eighth grade offensive linemen in the state at 6-foot-4 and 260 pounds. The White House Heritage Middle Schooler was an All-Conference selection in both football and basketball this year. With an older brother that stands 6-foot-10 as a sophomore, the Coles family is not hard to find in Robertson County.
In Putnam County, 6-foot-7 and 265-pound Koehn Dial Koehn Dial 6’8″ | 290 lbs | OL Avery Trace | 2028 TN has been a giant amongst his peers for a long time. The Avery Trace Middle School prospect is one of the most eye-popping prospects in the country for this 2028 class and his play is continuing to quickly catch up with his immense size. He has put on a lot of good weight during his middle school years and is getting better with each passing day. Watching his transformation from sixth grade to present day has been a treat. He’ll get a ton of college interest early.
Highlights
Blackman Middle School had a tremendous 2023 season, which (unfortunately) came to an end in a double OT loss in the Rutherford County Championship Game to Oakland. The Flames were propelled by an incredible stable of skill position players, but the skill guys can’t shine without guys like Makhi Rodriguez Makhi Rodriguez 6’5″ | 300 lbs | OL Blackman | 2028 TN on the line. Right now, he’s listed at 6-foot-4 and 300 pounds and played offensive tackle/defensive tackle this season. To stay at o-tackle, he can take his game to the next level with improved footwork and agility–and until then, bumping him down into to guard could be the move.
In Shelby County, Elijah Turner Elijah Turner 6’5″ | 270 lbs | OL Bartlett | 2028 TN of the Bartlett football program is a prospect you can’t miss on film–both literally and figuratively. Listed at 6-foot-5 and 270 pounds, he’s a mountain of an eighth-grade prospect that completely took over during much of the season. An offensive tackle and defensive tackle, his size made him nearly impossible to block on defense. On the offensive line, where I see him projecting, he made it difficult for the defensive end across from him to get around him. Like most big guys right now, he can always improve his feet. However, when he got inside position and his his hands locked on a defender, it was all she wrote.
At Battle Ground Academy in Williamson County, 6-foot-5, 240-pound Ayden Woodruff Ayden Woodruff 6’5″ | 240 lbs | OL Battle Ground Academy | 2028 TN is a sleeping giant. Located in Franklin, just a half hour from Nashville, Woodruff has an incredible frame for an eighth-grade lineman. When looking at Woodruff, he carries his weight very well and does not look fat or overweight at all. In addition to his long arms and legs, the right tackle also has boat-sized shoes, which tells me he is nowhere close to being done growing. The one glaring thing that popped out to me on film was just how raw of a prospect he is. I’m sure he’s trains and has been coached up to an extent, but once he turns up the volume on his dedication to the craft…the sky is the limit in terms of potential.