'26 Rankings - Offensive Line New Additions

The offensive line is the most important position group in football. If you can't win in the trenches, it's incredibly difficult to win games. I've seen it time and time again where a team may be more talented athletically, but they get smoked in the trenches. These O-Line new additions are the anchors for their respective teams. Every one of these ranked players is expected to dominate up front, and I expect nothing less from these five players.    It's insane that Sullivan wasn't ranked during the last update. Over the past year, Sullivan has been on an incredible tear. Starting off with Prep Redzone camps, Sullivan has come in and dominated every single one. Playing Tackle, Sullivan has proven that he's way more fundamentally polished than the vast majority of small-school offensive linemen. He has the size, footwork, and mentality needed to play O-Line at a very high level. Across camps, Sullivan has performed well against good competition, but barely falls short of being the great B1G 10 prospect I know he can be. Still, Sullivan more than earns his ranking and I expect those elite-tier offers to come soon.     Where Joshua lacks in size, he makes up for it with his effort and good fundamentals. Playing both Guard and Tackle, Joshua remains balanced through his reps, has a good first step, and is able to move bodies on the line. It's apparent that Joshua is an all-around good offensive lineman who can perform any block. That said, Joshua sometimes lacks good pad level, and I think he could play at an extra gear. His current skill makes him a low D2 prospects in my opinion. There's still a lot of time, and I trust Cass Tech's coaching staff to develop Joshua. By this time next season, I would not be shocked if he was committed to a GLIAC program.     Jackson has got to be one of the best under 6-ft linemen you'll ever see. Mainly, I love his power. Time after time, Jackson gets under the pads of the opposing defender wins the block. Down blocks, 2nd-level blocks, and pass blocking- Jackson is someone you can count on. The obvious thing limiting his recruitment is size. In addition, Jackson needs to work on footwork. He's one of the best linemen in the OK-Green, and I look forward to watching him face all-new competition this fall.     Samuel has earned a ranking through his good offseason in addition to his 2023 highlight tape. At the MHSAA Showcase in Brighton, Samuel was one of the best O-Linemen in a weak group. On film and in person, he does a great job keeping his hands up and being prepared to punch. Once he engages with run blocks, he does well at locking on and driving. The main areas holding him back are size, grittiness, and overall footwork. Get better at recovering plus a bit better footwork would help Samuel a lot in the recruiting process.     There's no doubt that Zack has improved over the course of this offseason. Generally, Zack is still a raw prospect who needs to prove himself further in order to be considered a prospect. At his best, Zack sports solid footwork, a decent punch, and can win pass reps quickly. At his worst, Zack plays off-balance, doesn't recover well, and can have sloppy feet. Moving forward, Zack needs to work on his consistency. This season will be huge for him, and I hope he plays well against the top-tier competition in the OAA Red.

The offensive line is the most important position group in football. If you can't win in the trenches, it's incredibly difficult to win games. I've seen it time and time again where a team may be more talented athletically, but they get smoked in the trenches. These O-Line new additions are the anchors for their respective teams. Every one of these ranked players is expected to dominate up front, and I expect nothing less from these five players.