Five New England 8th Grade (’28) O-Linemen To Get On Campus Early
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If you follow high school recruiting at all, it’s no secret that New England and the prep school scene are becoming one of the mostly highly-recruited areas of the country. There are a ton of very talented football players that…
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Continue ReadingIf you follow high school recruiting at all, it’s no secret that New England and the prep school scene are becoming one of the mostly highly-recruited areas of the country. There are a ton of very talented football players that spend their high school careers in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Vermont–which a heavy emphasis on the Connecticut and Massachusetts prospects. Here are five 8th grade Offensive Linemen, that college coaches (of all levels) should start to check out now.
– He’s 6-foot-8 and 295 pounds before taking a snap of high school ball. Anything more to know?
– A three-sport athlete who also plays lacrosse and basketball.
– A Connecticut native, he played for the American Youth Football (AYF) National Champion Springfield Tigers 14U team this past season.
– Is quickly becoming my favorite offensive lineman in Connecticut for this 2028 class.
– Size is good comparatively compared to the rest of the country, but athleticism is the thing that sets him apart.
– Reed has “IT”, that mean streak that all successful trench dwellers have. The type of kid that will pancake you and then forearm your head into the dirt, as he gets up.
Highlights
– His future head coach at Loomis Chaffee (CT) lists him at 6-foot-4 and 270-pounds.
– Has played Offensive Guard and Defensive Tackle in his pre-high school days, but has the build to play tackle as well.
– Impressive agility for a big man at this stage. He can pull, lead up into the hole and keep his head on a swivel to pick up second and third level defenders.
– Blanchette is a prospect in the process of reclassifying from 2027 to 2028, as is pretty common in the New England Prep School world.
– Had a good season at St. John’s Prep (Mass.) but will be off to Lawrence Academy (also Mass.) this upcoming season, to re-start his high school clock
– No bones about it, he’s a load on the O-Line. Has played Right Tackle before, but he’s a mauler and a road grader. Best suited as an interior blocker, enabling him for domination in zone or man-on-man blocking schemes.
Highlights
– A varsity starter this year as an eighth-grader this year at Dexter Southfield in Massachusetts.
– The complete package in terms of ability, size and athleticism as both an Offensive Guard and Defensive Tackle.
– I’m up in the air as to where I see him playing long term, but I think he’s a future FBS-level player. Buy some stock here, NOW.