One of the two standout 2027 OTs on the Waterford roster was Gage Rooney Gage Rooney 6'5" | 320 lbs | OL/DL Waterford | 2027 State WI at left tackle. Gage is a massive prospect already and plays exactly to his frame. He is going to get those massive hands on you, attack straight out of his stance, and pound those feet into the ground as he drives you off the ball or out of a gap. We saw plenty of examples of him being able to displace kids with his overwhelming power and get his RB into level two before facing contact. It is a big offseason for Gage as he will have plenty of camp opportunities to show off his development that he is sure to have over the coming months.

Massive OT. His big hands are loaded up with power and it shows up over and over on tape with how easily he can whip DL around. Has that bulldozer power in his lower body to remove DL from the trenches and break open running lanes. Able to create an overwhelmingly amount of force quickly out of his stance.

When watching Gage play in the trenches you have a lot of positive words run through your mind. Big, strong, violent. The 6’5″ 315 lbs junior already looks the part of a high-end OL. The left tackle is loaded up with power in that frame and it is power that shines in the run game of course, but also the pass game. When he snaps into his pass set, Gage is able to set a strong anchor. Even when and edge gets his hands inside they can’t get the big OT off balance. Gage is able to then easily stay in front of the edge and run them past the QB. Then in the run game that power gets to go on the attack. He can drop his pads and does well getting hands on quickly and the power within them toss defenders around. I can’t wait to see the fresh tape coming from this kid.

Rankings Rise: 32 -> 7

Gage is a punishing left tackle. He checks in at an impressive 6’4″ 295 lbs, yet at that size the sophomore has shown he can get good depth in his pass protection to battle speed rushers on the blindside. Gage also flashes the ability to hit level two and also slide laterally to trade off and pick up new defenders during a play. It’s the run game where Gage truly gets to show off his best assets though. The big man is a punisher in the trenches. Once he clamps those hands onto his opponent Gage is able to drive them off the line until the whistle blows or he is putting them in the dirt. Rooney is a rising force in the trenches.

Rankings Movement: WL -> #32

Gage is the first athlete to make the jump from the Watch List up to the rankings. He debuts at #32 at the OL10. Gage played left tackle this past fall, and it will be interesting to see how he continues to grow and develop. Currently, the 2027 is showing traits that translate to the next level as a promising guard. An effective quick set in pass protection paired with a stout anchor to shut down bull rushes. He uses heavy hands to control his opponents movement and consistently makes first contact using his length to his advantage. Gage has a solid base of talent to build upon. Keep a close eye on Gage this fall.