Ohio Combine Series Top Linemen and linebackers

While our linemen and linebacker groups weren't big, they were talented. The group included both seasoned up-and-coming talent from all over the state. The group was very coachable and put in some really good work on the day. So, let's take a look out who our coaches chose as the top performers on the day.   Offensive Line    Wilt was the best offensive lineman on the field and won one of the 3 overall camp MVPs awarded on the day. Listed at 6'5 300 pounds Wilt more than looked the part. He displayed fluid athleticism in the individual drills. He shows off great feet and good functional strength. He projects as a guard at the college level. Mason showed a strong anchor in pass pro. His strength, ability to run and get downhill in the run game is what will be his calling card. In the last couple of months Wilt has pulled offers from Virginia Tech, West Virginia, Toledo, and Western Michigan.     Quinn was one of the top performers at our showcase in January, and he once again came away with top performer status. Gagen shows a good attention to detail and is a technician at his position. He has a good understanding of how he wants to attack the defender. In pass pro he has quick feet, mirrors, and uses his hands well. Gagen is poised to have a strong summer and junior season as one of the leaders of the Raptors offensive line.     At 6'6 300, Nicodemus possesses rare size for a freshman. He more than held his own against older and more experienced defenders. Cory spent his time working at the tackle position. He shows a nice kick step and the ability to long arm defenders and take away the speed rush. He shows good balance and does a good job of not oversetting. I'm definitely excited to see how he continues to develop and add to his game.     Zachary had a strong showing at the combine as well and if you were wondering yes, he's Cory's twin brother. Zachary also possesses plus size and frame for his age. He lined up at guard in one on one's. He did a good job of moving laterally and anchoring against the rush. He has a nice punch and does a good job of long-arming and stalemating the defensive lineman at the point of attack. There's a great base of talent and traits to work with here, and I can't wait to see what the future holds.    Defensive Line    The 2028 defensive end had a strong showing on the afternoon earning him top performers among the defensive line. For a freshman McCall has a nice bag of moves when it comes to his pass rush. He has a quick first step that he likes to use to win the edge. When he doesn't win the edge, he has counters to work to the inside. McCall also has a quick spin move that can really cross up blockers. McCall uses his hands well and is extremely active. As Kennth continues to fill out and get stronger, he'll be able to add a whole new dimension to his game.     Jones used an explosive first step to create havoc for opposing blockers. Even when the blocker was able to beat him to the spot initially, Jones showed the ability to use his athleticism and bend to win the inside. I loved Jones' confidence as he worked at defensive end and even wanted to work from the defensive tackle position. That edge and competitive attitude will serve him well. Because of his size and comfortability in space I would be interested to see him play some linebacker as well.     Crook is a bull of a defensive tackle. He has a thick trunk and strong legs that he uses to overpower and overwhelm blockers. He was able to consistently push his man into the backfield and win reps. Through coaching he was able to learn how to utilize his hands and gain added leverage against opposing blockers. Donovan definitely projects to the next level as a space eating 0 technique. Some college coach is going to get a good run stuffing tackle in Crook.     I really liked what I saw from Lindsay. He shows off a nice blend of size. quickness. and power. He was frequently able to win at the point of attack with that first step converted to power. I lovd to see him eating up the coaching on hand fighting that he was getting. You could see the wheels turning in his head as to how he was going to work on and execute. If he can active hand effective hand play, I think he has a chance to take his game to another level.    Linebackers    Seals is a versatile linebacker who I could see lining up either inside or outside at the next level. While it's a little harder to judge linebackers than the other positions in a shirts and shorts competition, as there's no way to assimilate for running and hitting. That being said the combination of size length and athleticism are readily apparent. He was comfortable in space in one on one's and showed the ability to both get downhill and drop.     Flowers was a young player that I've been anticipating seeing early registration. The freshman linebacker from Northmont high school delivered. Flowers is an athletic linebacker who shows off good change of direction skills and loose hips. He's very comfortable covering in space and never gives up on the play. He shows strong ball skills for a linebacker. Izaiah has a thick build and as a rising sophomore he has plenty of time to grow and develop physically.

While our linemen and linebacker groups weren't big, they were talented. The group included both seasoned up-and-coming talent from all over the state. The group was very coachable and put in some really good work on the day. So, let's take a look out who our coaches chose as the top performers on the day.