Class 1A Senior OL Watchlist for 2025

Class 1A has been a familiar sight for us over the last few months, and I'm excited to see this upcoming senior class of blockers leading the way for their offenses across this conference. These 5 players have had a big role on the trenches, guiding their offenses toward the top of several stat categories last season across the conference, and have cemented their spots among the top Offensive Linemen to watch in Iowa in their senior seasons!    Ryder Slifer's size doesn't match up toward being a stingy Right Tackle, but he's had such an important role in helping continue Grundy Center's unprecedented 39 game win streak over the last 3 years. With Slifer's presence, Grundy Center ranked 1st in Class 1A in nearly every passing category, while also ranking atop the conference in total offensive yards and touchdowns. Slifer uses his length to gain leverage on his blockers, and his reach when he gets ahold of defenders makes it difficult to get around him, and what he lacks in size, he makes up for with his consistently-high motor and pace during each snap. Slifer will look to help extend the streak and bring in a 4th straight Class 1A title in 2025.     Serving as the blindside blocker for Pleasantville's offense, Juan Avitia proved vital in helping sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1197483' first='Braylon' last='Bingham'] take a big step forward in 2024 with his development. Avitia is a firm, steady blocker who packs a solid punch at the point of contact with the defender. Avitia plays with a low center of gravity and moves his feet well, keeping a wide base against speedy edge-rushers and keeping them outside of the pocket. If he builds some additional weight, he could move toward being an interior offensive lineman where his skills could shine at the next level.     Will Howes was a powerful force playing on the interior, and his presence was vital in guiding the Bulldogs toward finishing with the 2nd most rushing yards in Class 1A last season. In much of his film, Howes was seen driving defenders back and consistently being able to move the line of scrimmage with his sheer power. Much of that strength from his lower base stems from his success as a wrestler, having posted a 47-10 record in his wrestling career for MFL MarMac. Howes has the ability to single-handedly move the trenches, and that should continue to factor for the Bulldogs' success on the ground going forward.     Despite what the tracker says, [player_tooltip player_id='1241514' first='Francisco' last='Honts'] has now built up to 260 lbs, having grown pretty well in size to match his frame and his physical play. Honts has continued to show development at the Left Tackle position for Wilton, and he proved critical as Wilton ranked among the top 10 in Class 1A in numerous offensive categories, including total yards (2nd), passing yards (5th), and offensive touchdowns (5th). Honts plays with quite a motor, consistently driving his legs and showing fluid hip motion in keeping defenders from making double moves on him. Honts should continue building more mass this offseason to further fit his role, which combined with his play-style could see him surging on our rankings by the end of this season.     Another big-bodied blocker who went overlooked throughout last season was Caden Creger, who protected the blindside for [player_tooltip player_id='1242840' first='Talan' last='Fuson'] at Woodward-Granger last season. Creger is stingy as a pass-protector, keeping steady balance against blockers and playing at a good pad level. Creger flashed quite a bit in the run-game, getting to the second level and hit his targets down the field well to open up gaps to run through. Creger will look to further hone his mechanics in 2025, giving more time for this promising offense to develop it's dynamic playmaking ability and become much more explosive next season.

Class 1A has been a familiar sight for us over the last few months, and I'm excited to see this upcoming senior class of blockers leading the way for their offenses across this conference. These 5 players have had a big role on the trenches, guiding their offenses toward the top of several stat categories last season across the conference, and have cemented their spots among the top Offensive Linemen to watch in Iowa in their senior seasons!