Returning Contributors: The Union Farmers’ Linemen
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A fixture in the state playoffs, both historically and contemporarily, the Union Farmers have arguably been New Jersey’s most successful public school program. Having made the playoffs every year they were played since at least 2018, Head Coach Lou Grasso’s…
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Continue ReadingA fixture in the state playoffs, both historically and contemporarily, the Union Farmers have arguably been New Jersey’s most successful public school program. Having made the playoffs every year they were played since at least 2018, Head Coach Lou Grasso’s squad finished as the #9 seed in the North, Group V playoff bracket and concluded the season with a 5-6 record.
Although they are losing talent in a few key places, the Farmers’ crop of returning players are just about ripe to climb the standings. Here are a few prospects who we ought to expect big individual seasons from.
Enoch Adeniran Enoch Adeniran 6’0″ | 270 lbs | DL Union | 2025 NJ was a prospect I first saw at last year’s PSR Big camp. Much of what I noted actually manifested in this interior lineman’s film. This fall he made 29 stops (15 solos), 4 tackles for loss, and 1 sack. Adeniran showed an explosive nature with how he motors, fights, and finishes. He rips into gaps effectively, creating penetration. A load of a human being, offensive linemen often have a hard time staying in front of him as he works across their face or up their shoulder. Well coached, the 2025 graduate knows how to squeeze when he is unblocked; however, he if often quick enough to avoid any trappers headed his way. Atypical of something I typically notice about defensive linemen, let alone interior linemen, is his tackling. Adeniran is a sure tackler who tackles with every bit of force in his body. Lasty, he does a great job occupying space so his linebackers can scrape. In a the few clips of offensive play, we see that Adeniran has a solid drive blocking base. His motor comes to surface on offense as a kick out blocker, where he can absolutely de-cleat the line’s end man. It would behoove Adeniran to develop a move or two to his arsenal, as it will help him stay on the field in pass rushing situations and add clips of block destruction to his highlights.
Hudl: https://www.hudl.com/profile/18168230/Enoch-o-Adeniran/highlightsrn
Setting the edge for the Farmer’s defense is Kervin Desire Kervin Desire 6’4″ | 250 lbs | DL Union | 2025 NJ . Desire was credited with 25 tackles (11 solo) with 1 sack last fall. If there was one word I would use to describe Desire it would be “wrecking-ball” – and yes, I just hyphenated two words to make it one. Desire relies on his physicality to create violent collisions to win his matchups and take gaps. It would be wise not to send a running back his way in pass protection, as you might just offend him and take out his insult on your back. When a quarterback steps up in the pocket Desire does an outstanding job of retracing back upfield to close the B gap and keep contain. Doubling as an offensive tackle Desire does good work in the screen game. His timing, spacial awareness, mobility, and ability to find a body all allow him to excel in this offensive gamut of plays. Right now I would say he gets better vertical displacement than horizontal displacement on his double teams; all the while being able to move laterally well enough to track and cut off linebackers at the second level. In pass protection he has solid footwork. An immediate thing I would coach Desire to work on is training and separating from offensive linemen. Given his size – and his assumed wingspan – Desire will be a nightmare for offensive linemen should he create separation from them while on defense.
In some ways Union’s current center #57, Babadara Olowe Babadara Olowe 6’2″ | 260 lbs | OL Union | 2025 NJ , reminds me of another center who wore #57 a few years back named Chris Ejekwu. Both were big, burly, and solid players that were stout enough to absorb violent collisions from defenders coming off the ball low-to-high without relinquishing ground. Like Ejekwu, Olowe plays with solid pad level and comes off the ball with authority. When he is matched up against smaller, weaker nose guards (particularly in 30 fronts), he is about a half-an-offseason away from folding them backwards in on themselves. In pass protection we see him get chest-to-chest with his assignment, not allowing any separation or space. An area I would like to see more of Olowe on film is picking up blitzers. I am curious to see if he has his head on a swivel in pass protection when he is his adjacent guard’s help, and if he can adjust quickly enough to pick up a scraping ‘backer in the run game.
Although he was the Farmer’s primary sniffer last year, the way Union utilizes Dallas Tullis Dallas Tullis 5’11” | 200 lbs | LB Union | 2025 NJ at that position is an extension of their offensive line – hence his inclusion in this post. After watching his film, and I mean this in the most flattering of ways, Tullis is a violent SOB. He is constantly full speed ahead and consistently levels defenders. Like a horse out its stable, we see Tullis possess driven leg drive. He is a nasty, Lorenzo Neal-type lead blocker. He does a great job using his body position and leverage when lead blocking, as well and keeps his hands inside. The only thing I would advise Tullis to be mindful of this coming year is to keep his feet moving as he makes contact with defenders. There were a few times he stops and then reignites his motor.
Hudl: https://www.hudl.com/profile/18585152/Dallas-Tullis/highlights
Bacmicho Exuma Bacmicho Exuma 6’4″ | 240 lbs | OL Union | 2025 NJ , I believe, served in 11 personnel packages last year for the Farmers. With some attrition in the trenches due to graduation, Exuma will have a full fledge opportunity to win a starting role along their offensive line in 2024. Probably already a full-fledged starter at several other programs, he possesses solid foot drive and keeps his feet working. Exuma combines this with his ability to maintain a solid and consistent base. This is half the battle of offensive line. Exuma handles slants across his face well and is apt at delivering those defenders violently into the ground. When targeted he slips into the secondary stealthy on delay patterns and catches with his hands from the top shelf. Exuma tends to get his arms a bit wide when run blocking. If he squeezes his scapula and drives his elbows together he will better control his matchup and the refs will not think about throwing flags.
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Hudl: https://www.hudl.com/profile/19693028/Backy-Exuma/highlightsrn