UW- Whitewater Mega Camp: Best of the OL

June has been a fantastic month of getting out to the D3 programs across the state and their Mega Camps. Our path this year included a stop at the UW- Whitewater Mega Camp, our first time at the event. It was well worth the trip to southern WI. Their padded OL/DL session brought out a strong representation from the Class of 2026 and a very exciting group of dominant 2027 athletes. To begin our coverage of the Mega Camp let's go through my notes and talk about the OL who caught my eyes and put together a strong overall showing.    One of the seniors in Session I who continuously caught my attention with his reps was Zachary Langdon of Elkhart. It started off with just being impressed by his sheer size. Zachary checked in at 6'5" 275 lbs and at that size ran a solid 5.25 40, broad jumped 8', and ran 5.18 in the shuttle. All solid numbers for a massive athlete. Where the really strong impression came was in board drills where the big man was able to show that he could quickly get hands inside while never stopping his feet and driving DL off the ball. His quickness out of his stance and closing on the DL was a big advantage for him, and once engaged he could lock on with his strong hands and let that powerful lower body completely remove DL from the trenches. I believe the big man is looking for offer #1. Check out this steal.     An athlete who I have become more and more of a fan of this offseason is Madison West's OL Joshua Douglas. I have seen him at a couple camps this June and had positive takeaways every time. Looking primarily at his Whitewater efforts, Joshua checked in with an excellent build at 6'4" 300 lbs. Josh is a kid that makes his talents known when the contact drills start. The '26 is a kid that can generate so much power with his big frame and leg drive. We have seen it over and over this summer. When Douglas is able to get hands on, attack right out of his stance in a power type of run scheme he can overwhelm opponents and reset the line of scrimmage. Don't sleep on this kid.     Chase put together a solid day that resulted in him leaving with an offer from Elmhurst. The 6'2" 295 lbs incoming senior is an under the radar prospect from the Land of Lincoln who made it into my notes on multiple occasions. Chase is a kid that packs a punch on initial contact in the run game. Once he gets his man off balance we saw him be able to drive DL off the line. Bance also does well with his lateral movement in small areas to be able to position himself better or pick up a stunt as shown by his tape. It was a solid day for the Illinois product.     Coming into the event we were already big fans of the impressive center out of Germantown. Carter looks the part of a high level IOL recruit. He is big, strong, and athletic. He can win with overwhelming power and effort or he can beat you with his ability to get to spots quickly and understanding of leverage. The dude can drop his pads and get under his opponent, consistently demonstrated winning hand placement and was quick and violent when working to reset his hand placement. Carter is molding into a very well rounded 2027 recruit.     The tools to suggest a bright future are all there when it comes to the 2027 OT out of Germantown. The 6'5" 235 lbs athlete is continuing to grow and add size/length to his frame. The impressive frame is loaded up with next level athleticism too. Brady was able to hit a 4.97 40, 4.81 shuttle, and broad jump 8'8". No doubt about it, Brady brings the size and athleticism needed to shine at the next level. He also took to coaching really well and showed that he could find success with power the more he was able to put his hips into his battles. The long, lean athlete also didn't struggle with dropping his pad level as he tried to dig DL out of the trenches during the board drills. As he continues to grow and add strength we could see more leaps in his talent and recruitment.     Max put together a strong showing at the Whitewater Mega Camp putting himself right in the middle of my radar. He has a really solid frame to continue to build on, but more impressive was how he looked in live action with the pads on. Hicks put together impressive reps in pass pro and run blocking. In the run game Hicks has a solid initial burst out of his stance, showed good hand placement and active hands that could fight to stay inside. The big man also did well utilizing leverage, sinking his hips, and then running his feet to drive DL off the ball. His lateral agility also helped him out in the run game, but more so in pass pro where he could slide laterally and change direction to mirror pass rusher moves and counter moves. It was a strong showing for the incoming junior.     Another Appleton North OL standout was '27 [player_tooltip player_id='1620333' first='Curtis' last='Leopold']. The 6'4" 285 lbs junior is a punishing athlete at the guard position. He is a heavy-handed OL that can deliver a firm punch and once he clamps on with those big hands Curtis proved he could control and throw DL around the field. His quickness out of his stance quickly turns into power, and his power is even more emphasized with the way he can bend at the knees to drop his pad level and get underneath opponents. Curtis was another kid from this group that took to coaching tips well and was able to put them into action in his reps.     It was a great showing for the 6'1" 245 lbs junior OL out of Hartford Union. Jaxon is clearly a kid that focuses on the finer parts of his game, leading to him always being one of the more technically sound athletes. His active hands, flexible knees/ankles, and nimble feet always had him in position to take on the DL. To go along with the athleticism and technique, Jaxon checked off the strength box with his ability to stand up bull rushers and plow the DL off the line of scrimmage. I'm a big fan of Jaxon's athleticism, technique, and violence.     An incoming freshman was able to make some noise during the Mega Camp along the OL. Verona's Myles Manning was ready for the step up in competition, taking on high school kids. Against the underclassmen Myles was able to match power and physicality, and on several occasions prove that his power was superior. In the board drills against DL Myles really impressed me. He was able to get win after win with his combination of hand placement, leg drive, and some flashes of leverage. The technique will continue to improve, and that has me very excited for Myles' future because the natural tools are strong.

June has been a fantastic month of getting out to the D3 programs across the state and their Mega Camps. Our path this year included a stop at the UW- Whitewater Mega Camp, our first time at the event. It was well worth the trip to southern WI. Their padded OL/DL session brought out a strong representation from the Class of 2026 and a very exciting group of dominant 2027 athletes. To begin our coverage of the Mega Camp let's go through my notes and talk about the OL who caught my eyes and put together a strong overall showing.