Breaking Down Trenches Elite O-Linemen from the 5v5 Trench Wars

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://x.com/TrenchesElite">Trenches Elite</a> invited me out to watch the 5v5 Trench Wars on May 5, 2023. If you have never seen or heard of 5v5 football, think 7v7 but with offensive and defensive linemen. The general rules are five offensive linemen and five defensive linemen line up for 1v1 pass rush drills. Starting with a Tackle, each opponent has two reps to compete before it moves to the Guard, Center, opposite Guard, and opposite Tackle. There is a 6-minute clock and when one rotation through the line is complete, it cycles through again until the clock finishes. Points are scored by the defensive getting to the pass rush point within three seconds. If the defense fails to reach the bag, the point goes to the offense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Trenches Elite consists of two teams representing their team colors, <em>Team Black</em> and <em>Team White</em> in addition to other individual players who are a part of Trenches Elite. In this article, I will be breaking down the players on the Offensive Line on Trenches Elite's Black and White Teams. Overall, two things stuck out the entire event from this group: the ability to Anchor and their mental toughness to win the next rep. I see these two traits across the board for the players featured in this article. View the clip below for highlights of 5v5 football:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/TrenchesElite/status/1792392633777815577","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/TrenchesElite/status/1792392633777815577 </div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Follow Trenches Elite on their socials:<br>X/Twitter: <a href="https://x.com/TrenchesElite">@TrenchesElite</a><br>Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100091617931472">Trenches Elite OL/DL Training</a>&nbsp;<br>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/trencheselite/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR3CQfnVXSSEey8H5hmmcNDfyTarh4kY9E6CrrCC9ykwmcFm6T5ex9YA0jE_aem_AapQz6ImIWNYgpeA4w4fofN3rycn8HTaSpd2td8pTa5EM7UTvi7ZhlyRdioeOzV127XzazO4QhFOqlnuUS6ui8It">trencheselite</a></figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>***I normally write for Prep Redzone Virginia. <em>I only publish outside of Virginia when I cover events, and </em>this article contains players from North Carolina and Maryland. Be sure to follow our <a href="https://prepredzone.com/north-carolina/">Prep Redzone North Carolina</a> and <a href="https://prepredzone.com/maryland/">Prep Redzone Maryland</a> pages for further content on prospects from these states. </em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Team Black Offensive Line Prospects</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Team Black is the national travel team for Trenches Elite consisting of their best prospects</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='287829' first='Gavin' last='Marks']</strong> | Center | 6'2" 300lbs<br>Rolesville HS (NC) | Class of '25<br><em><a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/16448778/Gavin-Marks" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hudl</a> / <a href="https://x.com/_gavinmarks" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">X</a> / <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@gavinmarks_" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">YouTube</a></em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Gavin was one of the best players at the event. He consistently showed the ability to quickly fire into the chest of the defender and drop his hips with a very strong anchor. When he was beaten on a rep, he would come back and win the next rep displaying his mental toughness. He is a prospect that needs to be on college coaches' radars. He has received several offers and more will come for him.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/GoLions1934/status/1790026317955494398","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/GoLions1934/status/1790026317955494398 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='697368' first='Logan' last='Pulley']</strong> | Guard | 6'4" 280lbs<br>Rolesville HS (NC) | Class of '26<br><em><a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/18015279/Logan-Pulley" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hudl</a> / <a href="https://x.com/LoganPulley_" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">X</a></em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Logan is heading into his junior season for Rolesville. At the event, he showed quickness in his hands and feet to counter the speed rush and the strength and power to anchor himself against a power rush. You can see in the video below that he has what it takes to be a dominant lineman. The same attributes show in his sophomore film on <em>Hudl </em>as well.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/LoganPulley_/status/1787246150853984585","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/LoganPulley_/status/1787246150853984585 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1084432' first='Ja'Vaughn' last='Hargett']</strong> | Tackle | 6'5" 255lbs<br>Southern Durham HS (NC) | Class of '26<br><em><a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/17793844/JaVaughn-Hargett">Hudl</a> / <a href="https://x.com/Hargett2026?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor">X</a></em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ja'Vaughn has a vicious first punch in pass pro that is quick and violent. He has the desired height with length to play tackle. Very quick hands, with good bend and flexibility. The biggest thing holding him back right now is the 255lbs frame where he can struggle to hold his anchor against a very good power rush, but the tools are there. If he wins the block early, he can overcome his size. When he adds to his frame, he will be able to recover in the mid-to-late part of the block and anchor himself. There is very high upside for Javaughn and you will not want to miss out on him.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1050585' first='Creston' last='Avery']</strong> | IOL | 6'3" 270lbs<br>Millbrook HS (NC) | Class of '26<br><em><a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/18621743/Creston-Avery" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hudl</a> / <a href="https://x.com/Creston_A" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">X</a></em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Creston was playing at Right Guard at the event. He has a good athletic build for an interior lineman and holds his weight very well on his frame. He has quick feet in his initial set points and good grip strength once he strikes the pass rusher. In his <em>Hudl </em>film, you see his athleticism in his ability to Pull and get to the second level in run blocking.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='832521' first='Asa' last='Midgette']</strong> | IOL | 310lbs<br>Rolesville HS (NC) | Class of '25<br><em><a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/16674657/Asa-Midgette">Hudl</a> / <a href="https://x.com/asa_midgette" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">X</a></em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The more I watch Asa's film, the more I like his game. He is heading into his senior year and has recently picked up <a href="https://x.com/asa_midgette/status/1778030521865441512">an offer from St. Andrews</a>. You can see in his 5v5 highlights below that he has very good size and strength. What also sticks out is his ability to mirror the pass rusher and his ability to refit his hands and recover to keep the QB clean.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/asa_midgette/status/1788893651499905265","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/asa_midgette/status/1788893651499905265 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1242453' first='Justin' last='Allen']</strong> | OT/OG | 6'4" 285lbs<br>La Plata HS (MD) | Class of '25<br><em><a href="http://hudl.com/profile/17310087/justin-allen" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hudl</a> / <a href="https://x.com/JustinA706" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">X</a></em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Consistency is what came to mind watching Justin compete. If you are looking for a lineman you can put in and trust to do his job, Justin might be your guy. He was not phased by pressure. If he lost a rep, he came right back to win the next. He is technically sound, plays with good form, and displays good processing of pass rush moves with an understanding of how to best attack the pass rusher.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Team White Offensive Line Prospects</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Team White is the up-and-coming prospects of tomorrow and those who just missed out on being a part of Team Black.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Will Colombo</strong> | Center | 6'1" 275lbs<br>Leesville Road HS (NC) | Class of '25<br><em><a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/13692751/William-Colombo">Hudl</a> / <a href="https://x.com/thewillcolombo">X</a></em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Will was one of my favorites to watch at the event. He held up strong against some defensive linemen much larger than himself. He played at Center at the event but he is versatile to play Center or Guard. He plays beyond his size and should not be overlooked. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/GoLions1934/status/1791666844421554469","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/GoLions1934/status/1791666844421554469 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1097767' first='Trevor' last='Howard']</strong> | Guard | 6'3" 280lbs<br>Rolesville HS (NC) | Class of '28<br><em><a href="https://x.com/Trevor2Howard" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">X</a></em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Trevor was one of the youngest players at the Trench Wars, and he held up against prospects 2-3 years older than him in addition to a 4-star prospect. Obviously, he already has great size for an upcoming freshman this fall, but he already displays good foot quickness and strength. He should only get better as he develops over the next four seasons and will be a name you will likely hear much more of. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/Trevor2Howard/status/1787270386956091824","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/Trevor2Howard/status/1787270386956091824 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='937471' first='Derrion' last='Geddis']</strong> | OL | 6'3" 300lbs<br>JH Rose HS (NC) | Class of '25<br><em><a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/16413754/Derrion-Geddis" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hudl</a> / <a href="https://x.com/DerrionGeddis" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">X</a></em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A rising senior, Derrion shows versatility at Guard and Tackle, but his height will likely put him inside at the next level. His strength and power stick out in his film and he showed it at the Trench Wars. He has an <a href="https://x.com/DerrionGeddis/status/1779097867933597774">offer from UNC Pembroke</a> and I wouldn't be shocked to see more come for him through the fall.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/DerrionGeddis/status/1787458125404029039","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/DerrionGeddis/status/1787458125404029039 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>David Britt</strong> | IOL | 6'3" 280lbs<br>Saint Paul HS (NC) | Class of '27<br><em><a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/19517775/david-britt">Hudl</a> / <a href="https://x.com/Davidbritt_09">X</a></em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>David is a rising sophomore and has solid height and size for the IOL position, but if he grows we could see him being a Tackle prospect. He steadily improved throughout the day at the Trench Wars and gained some invaluable experience against some very good pass rushers. He will be one to watch over the next few seasons.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1137826' first='Andrew' last='Jaynes']</strong> | Center | 5'9" 250lbs<br>Millbrook HS (NC) | Class of '27<br><em><a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/19938967/Andrew-Jaynes" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hudl</a> / <a href="https://x.com/JaynesDrew" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">X</a></em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Heading into his sophomore season this fall, Andrew plays Center and Guard. I arrived a bit late, and he was already done for the day when I arrived. He is an IOL with good size on his 5'9" frame and has a few seasons to grow and develop. He was a <a href="https://x.com/JaynesDrew/status/1791958192768925760">top 3 lineman at a camp</a> already this summer. He is not one to overlook.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/JaynesDrew/status/1792542220643451228","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/JaynesDrew/status/1792542220643451228 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Prospects who Compete with Trenches Elite but did not Participate in this Event</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There are two players who were unable to participate in this event, and I wanted to at least mention their names:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='548207' first='Grayson' last='Williams']</strong> | OT/DE | 6'4" 275lbs<br>Southeast Raleigh HS (NC) | Class of '28<br><em><a href="https://x.com/GrayfrmdaR">X</a></em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='211931' first='Ian' last='Hemilright']</strong> | IOL | 6'3" 280lbs<br>Rolesville HS (NC) | Class of '25<br><em><a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/16144466/ian-hemilright" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hudl</a></em> / <em><a href="https://x.com/Ian_Hemilright" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">X</a></em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:separator --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" /> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Click&nbsp;<a href="https://prepredzone.com/prospect-index/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a>&nbsp;to claim your Prep Redzone Prospect Index profile.<br>Follow me on Twitter&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/GoLions1934" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">@GoLions1934</a>&nbsp;for further content | <a href="https://twitter.com/PrepRedzoneVA" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">@PrepRedzoneVA</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://prepredzone.com/author/cole-laing-author/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">@PrepRedzone</a>&nbsp;| Virginia Scout&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/carljfred" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">@carljfred</a></em>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<em>View my previous Prep Redzone articles&nbsp;<a href="https://prepredzone.com/author/cole-laing-author/">here</a></em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->