Six 2028 Tennessee Interior O-Linemen To Know Early
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The 2028 prospects around the country are starting to become less of an idea, and more of a reality, as the football world starts to turn the page to next season. In Tennessee there are a number of really impressive…
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Continue ReadingThe 2028 prospects around the country are starting to become less of an idea, and more of a reality, as the football world starts to turn the page to next season. In Tennessee there are a number of really impressive eighth-graders to take note of. Today, specifically, here are six interior offensive linemen prospects that have really caught my eye.
Looking at the pedigree of Ashton Coles Ashton Coles 6’4″ | 270 lbs | OL White House-Heritage | 2028 TN , I’m not sure how much longer he’ll be an interior offensive lineman. Coles played Center this year for White House-Heritage Middle School and the 6-foot-4 and 260 pounder earned Lineman Of The Year in Robertson County. Factor in that he’s an incredibly talented big on the basketball court, and his older brother Avery is a 6-foot-10 sophomore. When you look at the ingredients of elite size, very good feet for his size and basketball ability, it’s a recipe for an offensive tackle playing at a high level. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention he also plays defensive tackle, but watching his footwork and ability to mirror defensive linemen…it screams offensive line.
Hendersonville High School has a nice piece coming in next year, when it comes to 6-foot-2, 230-pound offensive lineman Tristan Durham Tristan Durham 6’2″ | 230 lbs | OL Hawkins | 2028 TN . This past season Durham made the switch from left tackle to right guard and earned an All-County selection for his performance. Durham looked like a natural at the position and his film highlights several plays where he pulls and leads up into the hole for his back. He has wide-set hips which tells me there is the potential to really build up strength and power in the lower body, as he progresses through high school too. There’s some nice potential here.
Getting a jump start on high school ball and getting legitimate varsity playing time as an eighth-grader is always something that will catch an eye or two. Cheyenne Harris Cheyenne Harris 6’2″ | 265 lbs | OL Stratford | 2028 TN got that action this past year for Stratford High School, starting at right guard. A broken wrist in the opening week of the season threw a bit of a wrench in the plans, but the writing is on the wall for the rest of his high school career. At 6-foot-2 and 265 pounds, he’s a bottom-heavy, thick interior guy that looked like a natural at guard but also can play center.
Highlights
Lipscomb Academy has a rising star in 2028 offensive lineman in Caleb Langley Caleb Langley 6’2″ | 245 lbs | OL Lipscomb Academy | 2028 TN . Langley is listed at 6-foot-2 and 230 pounds, but with the naked eye he looks like he’s a bit heavier than that. He’s a muscled up kid that works his butt off in the gym, recently posting a deadlift PR of 385 pounds. He has a great frame/body and carries his weight very well. I don’t pretend to be an expert in what Lipscomb’s varsity depth chart looks/will look like, but Langley is a plug-and-play type of player on the interior line. He recorded nearly 60 pancakes in seven games this season and comes with a lot of versatility, but I think he’s a future All-State interior guy.
Highlights
Lakeland Prep had four players pick up All-Conference honors this past season, with Linken Lohnes Linken Lohnes 5’10” | 205 lbs | OL Lakeland Prep | 2028 TN being the Bell Cow up front. Lohnes is another sub 6-foot prospect at this point, but also weighs in at a solid 205 pounds with good thickness from his shoulders down to his calves. Watching Lohnes on film, he plays the game with an attitude and makes sure he does his job on every play. Played guard this year and had to be a pleasure to run behind when he pulled. On nearly every play, literally nearly every play, he would look for another person to hit if his man was no longer a factor. Strong enough to down block and drive space-eaters out of the way, yet athletic enough to cut off scraping linebackers. To further drive home the athleticism factor, he was also All-Conference in basketball this year.
There is (and should be) discrepancy over every All-County list and who is/isn’t included on it, because there’s a ton of talent across the state of Tennessee. Oakland’s Marland Mixon Marland Mixon 6’0″ | 245 lbs | OL Oakland | 2028 TN fits firmly in that conversation because although he was NOT an All-County selection, I’m willing to bet the schools around Rutherford County know exactly who he is. Mixon starred at right guard for the County Champions and played the position with an attitude. The duo of Mixon and right tackle Mike Ekezie Mike Ekezie 6’0″ | 245 lbs | OL Oakland | 2028 TN were as dominant a side of the ball, as you would have seen on the pre-high school level in the Volunteer State. Already listed at 6-foot and 245 pounds, I see no signs of the Oakland dominance coming to an end any time soon.