The top OL is Kaden Garland Kaden Garland 6'4" | 280 lbs | OL Oak Park-River Forest | 2024 State IL out of Oak Park- River Forest. He has been picking up steam on the recruiting trail recently. The tape shows why. Kaden fits the idea of a dancing bear perfectly. His lower body allows him to slide and mirror rushers in pass protection or accelerate out of his stance in the run game to wall off DL or LBs at level two. His upper body brings the power. The heavy hands control opponents. The senior did. great job of keeping those heavy hands inside when striking too. Between the size, strength, and athleticism Kaden looks like an FBS prospect.

This dude checks off a lot of boxes you look for in a high end OL prospect. He has a towering 6’4″ 280 lbs frame. It is packed with power and the mean streak to go with that power that results in Kaden throwing and driving DL wherever he wants them to go. When the senior clamps those massive mitts onto his man there is no getting away. The big fella has quick feet and a strong base that stays square under his body so he always can access his full power while driving off the line in the run game or stuffing edge rushers with his anchor in the pass game. The massive prospect is quick and agile out of his stance. He can maneuver his body to be in position to have the leverage advantage. He is a special talent with size, power, agility, and mentality for D1 football.

Coming into the season, I was very excited for Kaden’s potential blowup on the recruiting scene. That is what we saw. The dominant tape has the big OL earning PWOs from the FBS level among other offers. The tape is so fun to watch. Kaden is a massive man, with equal power to match. His first punch is devastating, like a heavyweight boxer. The power Garland is able to play with is special. He tosses DL around, drives them off the ball and where he wants them. Plus the big man has nimble feet to be able to stay out at OT at the next level if needed. Either way, Kaden has the size, and power to dominate the trenches and set the tone. Kaden is a steal at this point in the recruiting process.

The 6’4″ 285 lbs center looks like he is shaping into a big time steal in the IL trenches. It looks like he is still looking for his first offer, so I highly recommend heading over to the film. The big man is asked to do some zone blocking type movements and he has shown the range and body control to be able to move along the line of scrimmage, hold the line, and control his man while opening up running lanes and cut back lanes for his RB. When covered by a NG, Kaden has shown he can get the snap off quick and still land a solid first punch. When uncovered, Garland does a good job of scanning for blitzers or giving help to his OGs in the pass game. In the run game, he provides help or uses that range to quickly close on LBs. There is a lot to work with and mold here. Give him a look.