Deep Dive Rankings: Mecklenburg County Offensive Linemen

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of my favorite series of the year is the Deep Dives, where we at Prep Redzone North Carolina start going into counties or areas across the state of North Carolina, and ranking talent by specific positions in those areas. My colleague Will Helms has already done a great job in starting his rankings in the Raleigh area, and I will start in Mecklenburg County in the immediate area of Charlotte, then branch out from there.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We will miss some players here and there, and a lot of our evaluation is based on production, film, offers from college football programs, and the existing Prep Redzone North Carolina rankings. If you feel you should be included, be sure to let us know! This article will feature the top offensive linemen in Mecklenburg County, listed in ranking order. The Top 5 will get a detailed breakdown, then the other players will get a summarized analysis.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1600577"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69acfcf271d86"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">The top offensive lineman in our rankings is coming off an All-Conference season as a sophomore. He's recently picked up offers from Wake Forest, Texas, Boston College, and North Carolina, all in the month of January. Georgia, Miami, NC State, amongst others, have also offered Austin early. Ever since seeing Austin up close at a showcase when he was in 8th grade, he had big-time Power 4 potential. He is starting to realize that now, and really shows well in the running game with nice power and technique. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["946623"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69acfcf271dfd"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Switching schools from Independence to Hough in light of a coaching change at Independence was a big story, mainly because everyone locally knows how good a talent Nori is, and going to the reigning state champions really helps them in their efforts to repeat. Nori is really impressive in his run blocking, and when he gets his hands on a defender in the run game, it's usually lights out pretty quickly. I'm interested to see how much Nori grows under the tutelage of the Huskies' coaching staff. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1617272"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69acfcf271e47"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Brendan flies a bit under the radar as far as an individual talent, but I saw him up close in December at a Prep Redzone showcase, and he's every bit as good technique-wise as I was told. His physical frame and athleticism are also very impressive, and some college football programs have started to take notice. In a span of a couple of days in January, Brendan was offered by Kentucky, Liberty, East Carolina, and Wake Forest. With two more years in front of him, I really think Brendan is just getting started. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1150991"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69acfcf271e89"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Holding offers from Charlotte, East Carolina, Coastal Carolina, Liberty, and North Carolina - Moreno has become a fast riser from a recruiting perspective. The cool thing about Moreno is that he started as a defensive lineman, so he hasn't played offensive line very long, and he's already getting Power 4 attention and offers. The size is something you absolutely love with Moreno, and with him also going over to Hough High School, it's going to be fun to watch his development continue to grow exponentially. Moreno is really good in the run game, and moves his feet well in both run blocking and pass protection. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2056052"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69acfcf271ee3"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">East Carolina, Marshall, and Cornell have offered this talented interior offensive line prospect so far, and I think he's only getting started from a recruiting perspective. Cooper helped lead the Chargers to a state championship last season, and with his size, he could fit well on the collegiate level at pretty much any position on the line. Cooper also received some postseason honors, being named All-Conference and All-State, respectively. Cooper's footwork is impressive on film, especially on outside zone plays from his tackle position. Cooper ties his footwork well with hand placement and consistently seals the edge using great technique. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Honorable Mentions</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1607843' first='Khalil' last='Hansley-McNair']</strong> - West Charlotte<br><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1788164' first='Tauatevalu' last='Tuionetoa']</strong> - Hough<br><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1678645' first='Treveon' last='Pegues']</strong> - Hough<br><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1246669' first='Ephraim' last='Holmes']</strong> - Palisades<br><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1113107' first='Tim' last='Hames']</strong> - Palisades<br><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1616108' first='Achraf' last='Ouardi']</strong> - Mallard Creek<br><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1276355' first='Charlie' last='Stauffer']</strong> - Country Day<br><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1670269' first='Nick' last='Cherry']</strong> - Providence Day<br><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1151608' first='Christopher' last='Peavy Jr']</strong> - Providence Day<br><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1607800' first='Connor' last='Mullally']</strong> - Myers Park<br><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2126175' first='Will' last='Johnson']</strong> - Charlotte Catholic</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Analysis </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>What a talented group of honorable mentions! It was incredibly tough to pick a Top 5 out of this group of offensive linemen. Hansley-McNair at West Charlotte just moves people against their will consistently in the running game. Tuionetoa at Hough is one of the best centers in the state, in my opinion, and I'm excited to see him return this year. Pegues is moving to Hough from Providence HS and has some excellent size that college coaches absolutely love. Holmes at Palisades is starting to get more recruiting love and deservedly so, picking up a recent offer from Coastal Carolina. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I have liked Hames a lot since he was a freshman center starting on varsity, helping lead Palisades to the state playoffs. Ouardi at Mallard Creek has a big year ahead of him - he has a couple of early offers from Troy and East Carolina, but a lot of programs will have eyes on him for sure. Stauffer has been a linchpin up front for Country Day for years, and he's been steady and reliable for the Buccaneers. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1670269' first='Nick' last='Cherry'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1151608' first='Christopher' last='Peavy Jr'] from Providence Day should help form one of the state's best offensive lines overall. They both are technically sound, hard-working players who perform to the echo of the whistle consistently. Mullally at Myers Park looks to be having a strong offseason, and he will anchor a big Mustangs' offensive line next season. [player_tooltip player_id='2126175' first='Will' last='Johnson'] from the Cougars at Charlotte Catholic recently performed well at a local camp, and he's backing up the All-Conference selection he received last season very well. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->