Class of 2028 O-Line check-in

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Class of 2028 O-Line group is beginning to take shape. We have a few blue-clip players, plus a few who I expect to develop into Division 1 players. Below are my quick impressions regarding four offensive linemen and a bonus DT. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>OT | [player_tooltip player_id='1158798' first='Antijuan' last='Wilkes'] jr | Cass Tech</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Antijuan is a 6'7" offensive lineman at Cass Tech. Need I really say more? Right off the bat, I absolutely give Antijuan the benefit of the doubt. Elite size + the excellent prospect development at Cass Tech make for a safer bet than usual. <br>Yesterday, Antijuan released a 3-minute highlight tape. Kicking off his tape are a few dominant blocks against Grandville. In short, Antijuan displayed excellent run blocking, and I'm mainly impressed by his agility. He moves incredibly quick for a 6'7" lineman, and that's a giant green flag when trying to predict trajectory. Plus, his motor and mentality look great. A few nitpicks regarding footwork, but those should be easily fixed this offseason. I absolutely view Antijuan as a power 4 prospect. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>OG | [player_tooltip player_id='1616102' first='Nico' last='Schwartz'] | Divine Child</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>An extremely powerful offensive guard. Some of the most physical run blocking you'll ever see. Once Nico delivers his initial punch, he does an excellent job staying balanced, anchoring down, and powering through his block. Half the time, the initial punch is enough to knock the opposing defender off-balance. <br>There's also promising tape on the defensive side of the ball. Expectedly, Nico displays phenomenal anchor and does a good job keeping his eyes in the backfield. Really, my only nitpick is that Nico is not awfully agile. An upgrade athletically may propel Nico into being a great D1 prospect. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>OT | [player_tooltip player_id='1687400' first='Torain' last='Johnson Jr'] | Harper Woods</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Not a ton of tape from Torain this season, but I am intrigued by his size and power profile. A lot like Nico, Torain isn't the most agile tackle, but he stands out with his power. He's got a hard punch and easily cuts down lower-level defensive linemen. At the CFB prospect factory that is Harper Woods, I'm confident Torain will continue to develop. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>OT/OG | [player_tooltip player_id='1627334' first='Ethan' last='Wiebusch'] | Howell</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ethan is a pretty well-rounded run blocker, exactly what you'd expect from Howell. He's above par across the board. Good agility, good power, good footwork, good size, but not elite in any single category. Worst-case scenario is that Ethan is a great high school offensive lineman who is one of the best O-Linemen in the KLAA. That's a pretty good place to be. Honestly, for Ethan, it's a little too early to tell where his college value will be. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>DT | [player_tooltip player_id='1398340' first='Kameron' last='Smith'] | Groves</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Groves has a phenomenal track record when it comes to developing the trenches. I really love Kameron's upside on either side of the ball, but his current tape is at DT. First off, he's a big body, but not overly sluggish like most young DTs. Second, Kameron does a good job being a gap-to-gap run defender. If a ballcarrier runs in an adjacent gap, Kameron does a good job reading the play and getting in on the tackle. Plus, his anchor is above average- he's hard to move! If [player_tooltip player_id='1398340' first='Kameron' last='Smith']'s height is accurate (6'0"), I think he has a great chance to develop into a D2 prospect at the very least. I'd love to see better explosiveness in the future. This offseason will be extremely important for Kameron's college value. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->