FBS Commits and Recruits Dominate the Offensive Trenches

Maybe the deepest position group of the 14 teams in attendance at Camp Randall was the offensive linemen. We had a pair of Power 4 commits, a few others in the Class of 2027 that hold D1 offers, a D2 commit and several potential steals and names to know in the senior and junior classes. That is just the Top 10 from the position too. I highly recommend diving into the OL on each roster to ensure you don't miss any. Before doing that, dive into our Top 10 OL from the State Games and make sure that at least the uncommitted ones are on your radar and boards.    The top OL talent of the State Finals was 2027 Notre Dame commit, [player_tooltip player_id='1226897' first='Richie' last='Flanigan']. The junior has elite traits for the trenches. Explosive power, violent and active hands, flexibility, and quick feet that keeps him square on his target. Richie also offers excellent range to be able to pull across and kick out edge defenders. Whether it be just coming out of his stance or pulling, Richie is able to generate so much power so quickly. That power has made him an outstanding run blocker. Perfect for the offense they run at Green Bay Notre Dame. Richie is able to clear gaps or reset the line of scrimmage with his power and violent play and set the tone for the rest of the team. He is also a very impressive DL.     The WI Badgers commit had a strong final HS game on both sides of the ball. He made some plays at DT including blocking a field goal attempt, but it was his play on the OL that had him looking his best. The OT has outstanding range, easily getting across the formation and leading through. The big man is a dancing bear, moving that 285 lbs frame swiftly and turning that quickness into power on contact. The big man has heavy hands that match that lower body power. Whether you watched the final game or his senior season highlights you see that strong initial punch that can put DL on their backs. I'm really impressed with the strides he has continued to make to his game and it has me excited for what he could continue to turn into while in Madison.     The WDP offense was blessed with two outstanding junior OTs. We will talk about one a little later, but first up we have LT [player_tooltip player_id='1412712' first='Sam' last='Schmidt']. I saw Sam in 2024 and was intrigued. Fast forward to this year and now it is a feeling of vindication. The 2027 is one of the top OL in a very deep class. Outstanding frame with length, power, room to grow/fill out, and athleticism that helps him shine on the blindside. Sam was excellent in their final game. Light on his feet, nimble to mirror counter moves, and powerful to shut down pass rushers when he got good hand positioning. Sam is further verifying that he is one of the best of the best in this Class.     What a career for the Arrowhead IOL. He played early in his career, piling up experience, growing, learning and developing. It all came together this season in the form of a D1 championship game victory. Mitchel has developed his way into a dominant force. He does well moving in those tight spaces on the interior, but his best comes out when he engages. That initial punch is powerful and his big hands are able to clamp onto guys and control them as he drives that big lower body downfield. Mitchel does really well winning the hand positioning battle too and showed that he could reset or get the DL hands down and keep reworking until he wins that battle. Once he wins the 295 lbs athlete is going to run you off the line in the run game. It has been a fun ride watching Mitchel develop and play over the years. Pumped to see him at the next level.     David had a great D2 Championship Game performance. We have been a huge fan of him since he entered high school. It is easy to stay a big fan because the kid is always improving. He came into this season bigger than ever, yet he has maintained the footwork, balance, and athleticism to succeed at OT at a high level. That pass protection reactive athleticism vs pass rushers was on full display this season in the WDP offense. David has made huge strides in using his length, knowing when to set his anchor vs power, and also mirroring speedy/agile rushers. David had a tough matchup in the final game, but held his own which allowed his QB to orchestrate a fantastic day. Great showing from the consistently improving junior OT.     I absolutely love watching this kid play football. I have seen the sophomore in person twice during these playoffs and each time I leave fired up for his potential down the road. First off the physical tools. A strong frame with heavy hands and a leg drive that never quits. Also an elite motor that allows him to be a force on the OL and DL. Landen takes that strength to the next level because he moves so well while also always being ready to unload that power into a defender. I also love the way Landen plays. You see a confidence and a swag to him that you don't see from kids in the trenches. Especially as an underclassman. But Landen plays fearless and lets his talent take over games. Big things ahead for this dude.     I'm very intrigued by the potential of this Mayville OL. Huge frame with that raw power that comes with a 6'5" 265 lbs frame. The junior was moving kids during their Championship game. Firing out of his stance and winning with his power. We saw him completely wash his man down the line and take others with them. He was able to walk them off the line back into level two as well. Mayville goes into every game with the goal of whooping you in the trenches and having a kid like Collen gives you an advantage. Coaches, time to get this kid on the radar if he isn't already there.     Noah could have made the list as an OL or DL standout, but I wanted to fit him in here because of his dominance in the run game. Noah is a ball of power at 6' 280 lbs. He plays OG and is built to move big IDL. He can fire out of his stance and instantly have power in his movements. Power that allowed him to get hands on and instantly control and drive them off the ball or out of a certain gap. Noah plays with that relentless tenacity you need while doing that dirty work in the trenches. He is the tone setter that you need on an offense that lives by the run game. The senior was a key piece to the Little Chute success this season and he is a steal at this point in the recruiting calendar.     Michael looks like he could be a steal in the Class of 2026. He is very new to my radar, but the more I watched him and dive into since the game, the more I really like him. Michael has a solid frame and some serious talent loaded up into it. The senior dominates in the run game. Leverage, hand placement, overwhelming lower body strength all come together to make a road grading IOL. Michael has a talent for creating a surge in the trenches as he runs DL off the line of scrimmage with his ability to get underneath them and overpower them. He has that bully mentality where Michael is going to finish every block to the dirt that he gets a chance on. Don't sleep on this kid. I can easily see him on a D2 roster.     Alex was another member of this article who played both sides of the trenches, but once again he looked at his best and most impactful on the offensive side. While the senior is undersized at 5'10" that doesn't hinder him. Instead the senior uses that as natural leverage to get underneath DL and drive them off the ball or stand them straight up in pass pro. Alex is blessed with short area burst that he can turn into power on contact that gets DL off balance or on the ground. I loved the way that Alex uses his hands too to gain control. While he may not have the size, Alex has the quickness, power, and punishing mentality to be a viable option for a D3 program. Teams need to check out his tape. He was a key piece to a dominant offensive performance in the D7 Championship.

Maybe the deepest position group of the 14 teams in attendance at Camp Randall was the offensive linemen. We had a pair of Power 4 commits, a few others in the Class of 2027 that hold D1 offers, a D2 commit and several potential steals and names to know in the senior and junior classes. That is just the Top 10 from the position too. I highly recommend diving into the OL on each roster to ensure you don't miss any. Before doing that, dive into our Top 10 OL from the State Games and make sure that at least the uncommitted ones are on your radar and boards.