Five Warriors in the Trenches

Offensive Linemen, Defensive Linemen, Linebackers, and some Running Backs need to be excellent in the trenches. To be good in the trenches, you need to be very physical and not back down to contact. None of these incoming Juniors back down to contact- which is incredibly important when getting recruited. Here's a quick evaluation of each of these players' tape.    It's not every day that I get to evaluate a player from 8-man ball!   Brock is a bully in 8-man. His tape consists of pancake after pancake, constantly outmuscling the opposing DT. He does an excellent job of engaging with a man, locking out, and driving. Most defenders are simply too weak for Brock.   From a recruiting standpoint, Brock has a larger hill to climb than most. He needs to prove this offseason and next offseason that he not only has the power but the fundamentals to go along with it. As long as the 6'3" height is accurate, he'll have a chance to be a college prospect next year.      Fody was a great contributor at guard for Chelsea in 2024. He doesn't blow me away in any category, but he does his job, and he does it dang well.   1:18 shows a great pull and block against a linebacker running downhill. Great job locking on and driving. Then, 1:57 shows a good second-level block. Great job letting the linebacker over pursuit and then flushing him out toward the sideline. As a run blocker, Ethan executes a variety of blocks well. Plus, he has good pad level, does his best to drive, and is an average athlete. Height may be an issue when being recruited, but if he can prove to be a good pass blocker, Ethan has a chance to be a college prospect.      Although Zyion is a bit small, he's an incredibly active JV defensive end and has a few great moments at running back.   Plays like 0:52 show that activity. Quick getoff, dodges the block, and quickly wraps up the running back. Several highlights are just like this- a quick getoff and good tackle as a RB tries to run through an adjacent gap. As I said earlier, Zyion has a few good moments at RB. At 1:00, Zyion cuts back and turns what would have been a huge loss into an explosive gain. Generally, I like Zyion's vision but I do not like his athletecism. In order to become a high-end RB in the RCA, he'll need to become faster at the very least.      A handful of promising moments from Bryan!   0:43 is the first play I'd like to highlight. Bryan reads outside run, runs past a bad blocking effort from the DB, and he makes the tackle for a minimal gain. I would still like to see a tad better play speed here, but I love the reaction time and effort. I'll also highlight 1:54 for being a good goalline stop. A great, fundamental tackle on the blitz.   Bryan is a solid tackler, and a great JV linebacker. Heading to Varsity, I'm looking for much faster reads, and way more consistent play speed.      Louis' 2027 tape shows an excellent foundation.   I'll first mention the play at 0:55. Louis does an excellent job of quickly pulling, then eliminating the DE from the play. Textbook pull and hit. Next, 1:01 shows a similarly great pull. This time, Louis sees himself 1on1 with a DB. Instead of slowing down and allowing the DB to get by him, Louis runs full-speed at the DB who doesn't see it coming. 1:38 shows a good reach block, and 1:14 shows solid agility on the screen.   Overall, Louis is a good offensive lineman who was asked to execute a ton of different blocks last season. I like his agility, I like his physicality, and I'm expecting an improved Junior season. Could definitely be a good college prospect in a year's time.

Offensive Linemen, Defensive Linemen, Linebackers, and some Running Backs need to be excellent in the trenches. To be good in the trenches, you need to be very physical and not back down to contact. None of these incoming Juniors back down to contact- which is incredibly important when getting recruited. Here's a quick evaluation of each of these players' tape.