'28 OL Deep Dive: The Depth of the Position

Year in and year out nothing can compete with the positional depth that the offensive line has. There must be something in the water, the air, or the Culver's because Wisconsin doesn't miss at providing college programs with dozens upon dozens of offensive linemen that will be ready to compete when they get to their respective campuses down the road. I wanted to try and illustrate that depth by looking at just the Class of 2028, but we are also going to narrow it down to just the athletes ranked from #65-#100. No matter how you slice it you will be able to see how much talent the Class of 2028 has throughout its OL position. So let's hit play on some tape and watch these big fellas do what they do best.    The left tackle out of Waukesha West is a very itriguing athlete to keep an eye on. 6'4" 260 lbs loaded onto a thick frame, but a frame that can still continue to add weight. The big fella has a ton of pass pro reps on his highlights and the consistency of his technique is great to see. He can get depth pretty quickly, does a great job of always getting his hands on and inside the chest of the DE/edge rusher. Liam is able to slide laterally to mirror defenders or while engaged and he is able to work to gain the body position advantage while engaged.   n the run game Liam is able to move guys with his size and strength, but I want to see him be more patient and trust his athleticism to get him to his man so that he doesn't get caught reaching. The building blocks are there with the 2028 OT. Check out the highlights.      Jax is a 6'1" 265 lbs wrecking ball at left guard for the loaded Germantown OL. Jax flashes range to pull across the formation and is able to hit targets at full speed and turn that speed into flattening power on contact. You see a lot of lateral movement of the pocket in pass protection and in those scenarios Jax is able to move laterally while also keeping his DL from beating him across his face or cutting back on him. That reactive athleticism is key to provide that secure pocket for his QB to step into. Don't overlook the LG when diving into this talented OL unit.      Max is a new addition during this most recent update, and his current spot is looking like it will be a launching point. He is a talented right tackle for Verona. The big man plays with effortless athleticism and overall mobility. He can reach DL, burst up to level two, or get the contain man hooked on outside run calls. Max is so light on his feet, yet delivers power instantly on contact. Everything is so fluid and efficient in terms of change of direction, range, and flexibility. He also does a great job of taking correct steps to his man and uses great angles to his target. Big things ahead for Max. He is on a path towards being one of the top at this position.     Jayden plays both ways for Racine Lutheran and his athletic tools honestly open the door to him playing either side at the next level. He has a solid frame to build on, but my favorite parts of his game are his play style and his quickness. For a long stretch of this tape Jayden ended every play with his man on the ground. He has that bully mentality. Even more impressive was how explosive Jayden is. Especially in tight quarters like jumping out of his stance into his man or quickly reaching a DL or simply using his first few steps to win the leverage or body position battle. His punishing play style and ability to get to spots and angles in a hurry make him a consistently positive impact in the trenches.      Finn locks down the LT position for Dodgeville, but he is built to dominate at the guard position when he gets to the next level. Finn is a powerful, physical, man-mover of an OL prospect. He is always loaded up for a powerful initial contact with DL and his heavy hands and powerful lower body are always enough to get the DL rolling backwards. Even his pass pro reps lean towards that of an IOL. He is able to win with his lateral agility to get out to guys and sets a strong anchor to prevent the pocket from collapsing. Don't overlook the Dodgeville product. Check out the updated highlights that just came out on 1/28.      The center for the Oshkosh North varsity is next up. The 6'3" 270 lbs athlete is the anchor of the OL. He is strong at the point of attack and shines in the run game. Rep after rep you see the big man be able to not only reset the line of scrimmage downfield but also always does well with walling off the defender from the designed gap. When faced with a NG or DT on one of his shoulders the sophomore shows he can still get off accurate snaps and quickly get his hands up to engage the threat. The sophomore has the size and the physicality along with that accurate snapping prowess. Now I want to see him continue to build up his mobility and flexibility so that he can be even more dominant with more leverage usage. I'm excited for Aidan to continue to develop.

Year in and year out nothing can compete with the positional depth that the offensive line has. There must be something in the water, the air, or the Culver's because Wisconsin doesn't miss at providing college programs with dozens upon dozens of offensive linemen that will be ready to compete when they get to their respective campuses down the road. I wanted to try and illustrate that depth by looking at just the Class of 2028, but we are also going to narrow it down to just the athletes ranked from #65-#100. No matter how you slice it you will be able to see how much talent the Class of 2028 has throughout its OL position. So let's hit play on some tape and watch these big fellas do what they do best.