UWEC Big Man Camp: Best of the '26 OL

This year marked the 2nd Annual UW- Eau Claire Big Man Camp, and for the 2nd year in a row Prep Redzone WI was in attendance for the padded OL/DL camp. As you might expect, the camp was bigger and better than ever in 2025. More athletes and more college coaching staffs in attendance led to an event that was well worth the time, effort and money. Just a few days after the event we have already seen multiple D2 and D3 offers go out to athletes in attendance from teams that were also at the camp. This camp is quickly building up a reputation of being a place to earn offers for trench monsters across WI and beyond. To recap our coverage we are going to start with a look at my best performances among the 2026 OL group.    One of the first athletes to grab my attention was Rice Lake center [player_tooltip player_id='1220667' first='Cael' last='Gago']. The soon to be senior checked in right around 6'4" 309 lbs with a nearly 6'7" wingspan. The '26 IOL had a strong case for best frame/build at the event, and once the pads were strapped on Cael quickly made a case for best OL overall. Cael showed off power and athleticism throughout the night. In run blocking the '26 looked right at home bursting out of his stance, getting good hand position and leverage then quickly overpowering his opponent with his powerful lower body. That powerful lower body gave the DL fits in pass pro as well. The big man could quickly set his anchor, absorb the initial rush, and then show off the feet to be able to slide laterally as he reacts to pass rush moves. The big man had such a good night, proving he is one of the state's best '26 OL.     The biggest winner of the day in my eyes was [player_tooltip player_id='1210315' first='Brett' last='Kopp'] of Plum City. He checked in at 6'3" 309 lbs with an elite 6'8" wingspan. The big man proved he could move too with his 1.27 flying 10 at that size. Brett passed the eye test very quickly, and then we got to the live action with pads popping and the '26 quickly established his dominance. Brett is able to generate so much power on contact with his heavy, strong hands and how well he is able to run his feet through his man in the run game. Kopp's quickness and ability to turn that quickness into power also stood out from the crowd. Everywhere Brett moved he moved with power that was ready to punish an opponent as soon as he made contact. The '26 was able to earn an offer from Winona State following the event. A well deserved honor.     Coming in at just over 6'1" and 265 lbs with a 6'6" wingspan was 2026 OL [player_tooltip player_id='1567890' first='Luke' last='Janke'] of Appleton North. It is a frame that has so much room to continue to pack on muscle at the next level as he carries the 265 lbs so easily. Luke won reps during camp with his hand placement and ability to reset them quickly and accurately along with his overall athleticism. Luke was one of the best when it came to being able to move, change direction, and also slide side to side all while staying balanced and in a position of power. The '26 clearly trusts his athleticism to get him where he needs to go when he needs to get there. The big man also looked comfortable playing 1 on 1 in space because of that athleticism.     Everywhere Sam attends he makes a positive impresssion. We have already seen him at three camps this summer, and every one of them has gotten us more and more excited because of the consistently good play that he shows off. The 6'3" 283 lbs 2026 has a 6'6" wingspan making him one of the biggest athletes in attendance. That size quickly caught your eyes, but it was his technique that made you watch him rep after rep. The big man has excellent strength within his anchor that quickly stuffed bull rush attempts and that same lower body strength allowed him to bulldoze DL out of the trenches when he got his hands clamped on in the run game. Offers are coming in with the strong early performances too. That includes a recent offer from UNI at their camp just a couple days after the UWEC camp. It is great to see his strong traits continue to shine.     The Chippewa Falls OL was an athlete I was looking forward to watching live at the UWEC camp. The 6'4" 306 lbs IOL was another athlete that passed the early eye test, and had us going to our guide to see who Blue Practice Jersey #40 was. The big man also had one of the best broad jumps going 8'5" at that size is special, but it matches how he plays. Carson is an explosive athlete that is able to create power instantly thanks to that burst, lower body strength, and powerful punch within his hands. Carson dominated in the run game, quickly overwhelming his opponent and creating that positive surge in the trenches. No doubt, Parker is one of the top athletes at the position.     The 5'11" 261 lbs 2026 OL caught my eyes throughout the evening as I went from group to group during 1 on 1s. Logan is built for the interior OL positions. He has a compact frame with a low center of gravity. The '26 has quick hands that stayed active throughout his reps. As did his feet, especially while mirroring defenders in pass reps. It was also very noteworthy of how well Logan utilized leverage to win battles. The talented athlete just earned his first offer from Carthage. I expect to see several other D3 programs across the state also offer and pursue him.     The 5'10" 270 lbs soon-to-be senior had a solid day at the UWEC Big Man Camp. Rich caught my eyes with how well he could get depth vs speed rushers. Any time he had someone attacking the edge Rich was able to cut them off, stand them up, and essentially end the rep there. That athleticism also helped him out while redirecting to mirror counter moves from pass rushers. His future home will be on the interior if I had to guess, and his lateral agility will shine in there. Keep an eye on this kid.     It was great to see Matthew in person after a solid junior season on the interior for West De Pere. What we saw in person at UWEC matches what Matthew shows on tape. He is an athlete that is built to win at guard. He has a quick set that can quickly shut shown an initial bull rush. That quickness also carries over to his ability to slide laterally to mirror IDL. Matthew's combo of short area quickness and power have helped him have a lot of success at guard and we are seeing it turn into offers with his first coming from Oshkosh.     A northern-WI athlete to know about in the Class of 2026 is Northwestern's [player_tooltip player_id='1686407' first='Julius' last='Mayberry']. The '26 checked in at 6' 280 lbs and also ran a solid 1.27 flying 10 during the combine portion of the day. That flying 10 tips it's hat towards what Julius' strengths were during the 1 v 1s. The big man has quick feet that caught my eyes multiple reps in the run game battles. Julius is able to explode off the line and doesn't let his feet quit until the whistle. That gives him the ability to quickly reset on his opponent and also drive DL off the line of scrimmage. Mayberry is coming off a strong junior season as well. Don't miss out on the athletic big man.     An athlete new to my radar is Iowa's [player_tooltip player_id='1241413' first='Broderick' last='Sabers'] out of Dubuque Hempstead. The '26 looked the part at 6'5" 255 lbs with a 6'7" wingspan. His prototypical frame also has a solid base of OL traits to build upon at the next level. Broderick's size gives him the ability to make first contact so that he can gain control early on in the rep. The '26 also moved smoothly in short areas while engaged with DL. He was able to mirror their pass rush paths and his wingspan gave him room for error because he could use it to recover quickly. Sabers brings a lot of unteachable tools to the field.

This year marked the 2nd Annual UW- Eau Claire Big Man Camp, and for the 2nd year in a row Prep Redzone WI was in attendance for the padded OL/DL camp. As you might expect, the camp was bigger and better than ever in 2025. More athletes and more college coaching staffs in attendance led to an event that was well worth the time, effort and money. Just a few days after the event we have already seen multiple D2 and D3 offers go out to athletes in attendance from teams that were also at the camp. This camp is quickly building up a reputation of being a place to earn offers for trench monsters across WI and beyond. To recap our coverage we are going to start with a look at my best performances among the 2026 OL group.