Trench Friday: OL That Will Breakout This Summer

The summer has become a huge time for offensive linemen to breakout. That is because recently we have seen so many PADDED camp opportunities pop up across WI. It seems like nearly every D3 program in the state has a padded camp for linemen to come out and show what truly makes them special. Getting this chance to go fully live vs a DL while in front of college coaches is a dream stage. There are so many kids in the Class of 2026 that are going to take advantage of this. Today I want to talk about several kids that I believe will be among those kids seeing their in-person efforts turn into offers this summer.    Sam is going to be a favorite of coaches during this camp season. Especially at camps where we get to see run blocking reps. That is where Sam is at his absolute best. The junior OL is big, has a strong lower body, and is outstanding at playing with leverage. Over and over in his 2024 highlights you see the way he is able to get into the chest of his opponent and also win the leverage battle. From there he easily overpowers them and drives them wherever he wants to take them. Sam does a great job of resetting the line of scrimmage with his power. He is strong, aggressive, and technically sound. Coaches are going to be big fans.     An impressive OG that is under the radar currently is Franklin's [player_tooltip player_id='1610186' first='Gavin' last='Krieger']. He looks the part of a next level recruit with his long arms and 6'4" 270 lbs frame. The '26 has a well rounded skillset for the position. In the pass game Gavin is able to quick set and drop his anchor to shut down initial bull rushes. That same power also helps him in the run game where Gavin has shown he can use his leg drive to remove OL from gaps. The junior also flashes the range to get up to the second level and land key blocks in space to spring RBs loose. Definitely a name to keep an eye on.     The 6'4" 285 lbs junior OL out of Kimberly is a man mover on tape. Once he gets rolling on his path the big man is able to quickly overwhelm DL and create that positive surge of momentum in the trenches. Over and over in his highlights you see him run DL out of their gap assignment with superior power. Carter also flashes some quick feet in short areas and he uses that to be able to pick up blitzes or reach a DL that may be a gap over from him. I'm hoping we see Carter make a name for himself this summer.     The Portage OL is going to be a riser for us and a breakout athlete for coaches this summer. Brycen brings a reliable base of athleticism and strength to the trenches. The junior can win with his quick feet and positioning. He can burst out of his stance and overwhelm opponents with his strong base and leg drive. Quinn also shows range to reach level two and also pull across the formation. Either way he is able to arrive with power when he gets out in space or pulls. His strength and athleticism should help him earn the attention of coaches this summer.     Appleton North has produced so many physically impressive athletes over the years. Usually in the trenches or the front seven, and one of those next trench monsters to keep an eye on is OL [player_tooltip player_id='1567890' first='Luke' last='Janke']. The 6'3" 280 lbs junior has a solid first step to close quickly and arrives with power in the run game. Luke is able to generate movement quickly as a run blocker, opening up lanes or cutbacks. Once Luke locks his strong hands onto his opponent you don't see him fall off his man until he hears the whistle. Keep an eye out for this kid.     The small school lineman brings some big time talent to the trenches. On tape Brett is a big, violent offensive lineman. One that will punish his opponent every chance he can. He is at his best in the run game. That is where he can either go on the attack in the trenches and overpower DL or show that he can get out in space and land blocks on more elusive athletes. Brett's power shows up on basically every clip as he bullies defensive linemen. Brett is big, heavy-handed, aggressive, and has some solid athleticism. It will be interesting to see how he does at camps.

The summer has become a huge time for offensive linemen to breakout. That is because recently we have seen so many PADDED camp opportunities pop up across WI. It seems like nearly every D3 program in the state has a padded camp for linemen to come out and show what truly makes them special. Getting this chance to go fully live vs a DL while in front of college coaches is a dream stage. There are so many kids in the Class of 2026 that are going to take advantage of this. Today I want to talk about several kids that I believe will be among those kids seeing their in-person efforts turn into offers this summer.