Early Season Standouts: Mass Movers on the OL

Wisconsin has seen a massive improvement in the QBs it has been developing at the high school level. The talent at TE and LB have long been consistent powers of the state as well. We have even seen plenty of high quality RBs come out of the state. But in the end, there is one thing that we are known for. The big fellas up front. The mass movers. The trench monsters, maulers, and bullies that churn offenses up and down the field every Friday night. Because of that, there are so many to talk about. So every 1-2 weeks we are going to provide an article where we shine the spotlight on a strong group of talent at the position. This group is going to be special. We have senior steals, elite juniors, and that next wave of up and coming underclassmen all in this article. So dive in, enjoy, and make sure you have these kids on your radars and recruiting boards!    Sam is a new 2026 to hit my radar, and after watching the highlights it was clear that I needed to do my best to get him on the radars of coaches at the next level. The first major strength of the OT is how light he is on his feet. The 6'2" 240 lbs LT is nimble, agile, and balanced in pass protection as he easily mirrors edge rushers. Equally as impressive is how much pop is behind his hands on that initial contact. The anchor strength he shows off is impressive too, especially for a kid still filling out his frame. Dive into his highlights. You won't be disappointed.      Only a sophomore, Ethan has been a longtime favorite of mine. He brings a lot of mass to the field, but it doesn't hinder his play. The 2028 looks like he is built for life on the interior at the next level. He has efficient and quick movement in short areas, plays with leverage, and can instantly set his anchor and stand up big IDL. Setzer also brings some range to get up to an LB too, but right now he is at his best getting his hands on level one and dominating them in the trenches. Check out the Week 2 tape!      I was jacked up to see fresh film from the Oregon OL [player_tooltip player_id='1361674' first='Samuel' last='Hanke']. The senior was on our Watch List, and the wait was worth it. Samuel has a very impressive frame with length and he carries is 275 lbs extremely well. The high-end size isn't the only impressive trait. Samuel has that dancing bear play style. Able to move, slide, mirror, or get to the second level very quickly and while doing it always be loaded up with power to maul a defender at any instant. I love that you see him constantly looking for work too. If his man drops then he wastes no time finding somewhere else to punish for that play. Samuel is looking like a massive steal in the Class of 2026. You need to check out his tape.      Hunter and Hamilton Sussex faced off against a very talented Racine Case DL in Week 2 and came away with some outstanding tape. It was a very fast DL, and it gave Hunter a chance to show off his own quick twitch reactive athleticism as well as his range to get up to the second level and pummel LBs. It is impressive watching the 6'5" 290 lbs junior fly out of his stance low, with great knee bend and be able to get underneath DL. I also love the way he has a closing burst when going to make that initial contact with a defender. It looks like an LB closing on a ball carrier, but instead it is a 290 lbs athlete. Dive into the tape for your own enjoyment!      Adrian is a raw prospect, but the tools that the sophomore LT brings to the field should land him on a ton of recruiting boards for the Class of 2028. Adrian has already developed an excellent frame at 6'5" and carries his 255 really well. Telling me he has plenty of room to continue to add to that frame. The big fella is another one of those high end athletes at the position who despite their size is able to play with natural flexibility, leverage, and agile feet. Adrian makes pass pro look easy as he uses his length and quick feet to mirror rushers. I love the early signs Adrian is showing. Check them out for yourselves.      Teams looking for a massive mauler of defenders need to check out Menasha senior Kolin Liegl. The 6'3" 330 lbs IOL dwarfs his opponents on a weekly basis. That size advantage and his power allow him to thrive on the interior. He drives IDL off the ball in the run game and absolutely destroys LBs. Kolin also flashed some ability to pull across the formation and level DEs or LBs on the edge. The big man does really well staying locked onto his man once he is engaged as well. Don't sleep on the senior.      What a night Orville had in a physical Week 2 victory! The junior showed off so much of his vast talent and traits. Range to get across the formation, a closing burst that turned to power on contact to destroy defenders, and exceptionally explosive quickness out of his stance. Orville's power was just as impressive as the athleticism he demonstrated. It is one thing to be powerful. It is great to be athletic at that size. It is hard to find both in one package. Orville has that. He also plays with the right mentality. You get a sense that the junior is looking to dominate and punish on every snap. Get on this kid, today!      Brayden is a great example of the depth in the Class of 2026 on the OL. The starting LT for Brookfield East brings a well rounded game to the field. He moves rapidly when attacking level two and is able to accurately hit his targets in space. He can also flip the switch and set a stout anchor against pass rushers trying to bull rush through him. Brayden's power is enhanced with his natural ability to get underneath DL and run his feet while maintaining a wide base to draw his power from. Don't overlook the rising senior OL.      Rice Lake is on a run of developing noteworthy offensive linemen in recent years. Their run heavy offense goes as the OL goes, and one of those horses up front is junior Connor Carr. Connor is a bully in the trenches. He flies out of that 4 point stance and if you don't get off the tracks that freight train is going to run you over. Or he is going to get under your chin and drive you 10 yards off the ball. Connor is so big, and so physical, yet he also has quick feet that get him to places with momentum. Momentum that he turns into violence and power on contact. Check this northern WI OL out below.      I was very intrigued by Christian this past offseason after having him hit our radars during one of our rankings updates. Now I'm very impressed with the debut of his first sophomore tape. The 6'6" 300 lbs sophomore. already plays very technically sound. Wide base, constantly driving feet in the run game, and hands that are strong and constantly resetting on his man allow him to dominate his opponent on a snap to snap basis. Christian is one of those special athletes that have outstanding frames and power, yet they move fluidly and efficiently so that they can get hands on quickly and start moving dudes around the trenches. There is so much to be excited about when it comes to Christian. Dig into his tape for yourselves and find your own favorite traits. Plenty to choose from.      It was great to get an updated look at the junior OT out of Waterford. Peyton has an elite frame, with length and well filled out at 6'6" 275 lbs. Matching his size is Peyton's aggression and power in the run game. The junior does well getting off the line, getting hands on, and staying square on his man throughout the block. His leg drive allows him to remove defenders from gaps, and his power is so superior to his opponents that even if he doesn't have the perfect leverage or hand placement he can still get positive movement in the trenches. This is definitely a kid to keep an eye on going through the next year.      We talked about the Spencer RB who ran for 7 TDs and 400+ yards earlier this week. Now we are back to talk about one of the guys who made the alleys for him to run through. Junior [player_tooltip player_id='1671487' first='Reven' last='Zschernitz'] sure looks the part of a collegiate OL with his 6'6" 315 lbs frame. The small school stud was running DL off the ball with his wildly superior size and strength. While technically raw, Reven has so many of the hard or impossible to coach traits that teams are definitely going to be taking notice of him. He is without a doubt, one of the top small school offensive linemen in WI.

Wisconsin has seen a massive improvement in the QBs it has been developing at the high school level. The talent at TE and LB have long been consistent powers of the state as well. We have even seen plenty of high quality RBs come out of the state. But in the end, there is one thing that we are known for. The big fellas up front. The mass movers. The trench monsters, maulers, and bullies that churn offenses up and down the field every Friday night. Because of that, there are so many to talk about. So every 1-2 weeks we are going to provide an article where we shine the spotlight on a strong group of talent at the position. This group is going to be special. We have senior steals, elite juniors, and that next wave of up and coming underclassmen all in this article. So dive in, enjoy, and make sure you have these kids on your radars and recruiting boards!