WIAA State Finals: Top Uncommitted OL Performances

The OL units throughout the seven State Championship games were of the charts with talent. Multiple teams fielded 3+ athletes that have legitimate talent to play college football. Among the units are several who are already committed to D1 or D2 programs. We are going to look past their dominant efforts and turn our attention to the wave of talent that are still uncommitted seniors or juniors/underclassmen who are on the rise and need to be on radars going forward. Get these game changers and maulers on your radars today!    Senior OT Denny Espiritu was a pleasant surprise during the first game of the State Finals. The team captain initially had my attention with his college quality size. He impressed further when the game really started rolling and I was able to watch the big man block in the run game. Denny is able to create a big initial surge on contact between his leg drive and his sheer mass. Yards were tough to come by for the offenses, but Denny was able to get positive flow in the trenches for his offense. The senior is a small school prospect to get eyes on.     We talked about Drew during our Level 4 coverage, and the junior OT is back on our list of top standouts with his play in the Championship Game. The junior stood out from the crowd with his big frame and long arms. Drew is a nimble big man that does a good job of being able to get himself between the ball and the defender. His quick feet allow him to make those quick adjustments to stay square while engaged and he also packs the punch needed to reset the line of scrimmage downfield. Drew was the top OL prospect in the game once again.     Richie was a key contributor on an OL that set the single game State Rushing record in the D3 game. Richie himself is an intriguing, up and coming OL recruit. His body control at his age is fantastic. You see that he is able to easy pull and lead or attack LBs and easily hit his target. He has easy flexibility that allows him to gain the leverage advantage and his quickness out of his stance also gives him a major advantage over his opponents. The building blocks that Flanigan has to build on top of are strong. The sophomore has a very high ceiling.     I really like the game of [player_tooltip player_id='1181950' first='Nathan' last='Haderer'] at OT. His tape from the season and play in the state finals shows an OL who is athletic in the trenches. Whether it be reaching an opponent in the run game, mirroring an edge rusher in pass protection, or getting up to the second level Nathan looks comfortable covering ground. The junior also has the nasty mentality needed to set the tone in the trenches. He is looking to punish his opponent and get them to the ground every chance he gets. Keep an eye on the rising junior.     The 6'1" 285 lbs senior left tackle is one of several Rice Lake OL standouts. Fisher dominates his opponents in the run game. You will see him quickly engage with violence and get himself positioned so his butt is to the ball as he completely walls off the defender. From there the senior has the power and use of leverage to drive the defender away from the hole. We have said it before, but Fisher has the skill set of an IOL at the next level where he can use that power, quick get off, and short area agility to dominate interior defensive linemen.     Jerek is a senior who hit my radar during the D2 State Championship Game. The LG is a powerful run blocker who can generate a big push with his 6'2" 290 lbs frame. Jerek did a good job of getting out of his stance and getting hands on his opponent quickly. Shatley's power aided him big time vs the IDL of Slinger, and when he was able to double team up to the second level we would see a big surge in the trenches for Rice Lake. Coaches, this is a senior who is under the radar and should definitely get a look by the D3 programs across WI.     I am a big fan of Cael and his talent/future potential. The 6'4" 285 lbs junior plays center for the Warriors and definitely has a future on the IOL at the next level. Cael's combination of athleticism, agility, and power are that of a college commit already. He is explosive out of his stance, has accurate hand placement and is violent on contact. Gago clearly is looking to maul his opponent on every snap in the Rice Lake rushing attack. While overpowering his opponent the junior also has the talent to be able to adjust his path laterally with his balance and body control and we saw him make some nice recovery plays to be able to stay on his man during plays. I'm very excited for his future.     Parker should see his recruitment really pick up steam over these next few months. The junior has an elite frame at 6'4" 285 lbs with long arms and a pretty clean frame overall. In the Muskego rushing attack we have been able to see Parker show off his what he can do on the attack. He is a strong, violent lineman that plays with a strong initial pop to create that instant push in the trenches to open up holes. Parker is best firing out of his stance and attacking straight ahead, but I did notice that he looked more comfortable making the lateral movements or adjusting his positioning on his block compared to where he was back in Week 1. I'm very excited for the offseason ahead of Parker. Look for him to get out to camps this spring/summer and show off more of his complete skill set.     David has made excellent strides in his development this season. He has an outstanding frame with the length needed to dominate on the OL. His game is becoming so well rounded. The sophomore is showing that he can be a quick, reactive IOL who can quickly cut off defenders trying to shoot through the gap and when he catches them David punishes them with his power and finish to his blocks. Provost's range is getting impressive too. Whether it be getting to level two and beyond or reaching a man or getting out in space, the sophomore is able to get there and land his block. The power that David plays with is quickly developing too. We now see him consistently drive his man out of the lane, into level two, or down the line of scrimmage. Wherever he takes them it usually leaves a hole behind him for his RB to use. Big things ahead for David.     The starting center for Bay Port is junior OL [player_tooltip player_id='1361650' first='Aiden' last='Dirksen']. The OC is now listed at 6'7" 285 lbs and looks every bit of it while on the interior of the Pirates OL. I loved watching him play with this OL unit. Aiden is so well rounded already. He could fire out and overpower his opponent on the interior with quick hands and a leg drive that never quits. Dirksen's heavy hands and overall power have been piling up the pancakes all season long and were key to their success on the ground in the championship game. Dirksen also separates himself from the crowd with his range. He is able to play laterally and cover ground while engaged and I'm confident he could even pull and lead from the center position. Between his size, strength, range and overall athleticism the junior OL has big things ahead of him.

The OL units throughout the seven State Championship games were of the charts with talent. Multiple teams fielded 3+ athletes that have legitimate talent to play college football. Among the units are several who are already committed to D1 or D2 programs. We are going to look past their dominant efforts and turn our attention to the wave of talent that are still uncommitted seniors or juniors/underclassmen who are on the rise and need to be on radars going forward. Get these game changers and maulers on your radars today!