Michael “Big Mike” Carroll is one of the most sought-after OL recruits in the entire country. The Central Bucks East IOL has proven himself to be one of the best. He is a pancake-making machine. At 6’6 | 305 Carroll has all the size you need from an Offensive Lineman. His frame allows him to be versatile with what he does! Big Mike has done his fair share of traveling this spring. Let’s break down what’s been going on!
 

Spring Visits: Alabama, Michigan, Clemson, and Georgia
 

Spring Offers: Clemson, UCLA, Texas, Texas A&M, NC State, and Georgia
 

Carroll has picked up 30+ offers during his recruitment but recently shaped it down to 12 programs that he will be considering. Penn State, UCLA, South Carolina, Michigan, Rutgers, Texas, Georgia, Florida, Clemson, Tennessee, Wisconsin, and Alabama. Michael has already locked in official visits with Michigan and Penn State. Keep an eye on this big-time prospect as he starts to decide on where he will take his talents! 

Eval based on (2022, 2023) Highlight tapes, four in-game live occurrences.

Two-year starter, second season at LaSalle College HS, third year at Central Bucks East. Son of Penn-State player Mike Carroll. Played under former Explorer HC John Steinmetz, now under CB East HC John Donnelly. Measurement timetable as stated above, has grown exponentially over the years. Currently stands at a whopping 6’6.25, 305 pounds. Has recorded 11-inch hands(unverified). Two different tapes (2022 & 2023) showcase his abilities at several different alignments, inevitably working in Carroll’s favor. Second year at LaSalle saw Carroll fit into his current mold at guard, with the majority of reps having Carroll stationed as a ROG. That being said, 2022’s tape proves Carroll could succeed at right tackle in emergency situations, handling some St. Joseph’s Prep talent well. I recorded a left tackle rep on tape, as well as one single rep at IDL. As we progress to Carroll’s 2023 tape, we can witness Carroll primary as a LOG for Central Bucks East. CB East had no problem deploying Carroll as a 3-4 DE, an area he succeeded in because of necessity. Four/Five different alignments witnessed throughout a two-year span. Unsure about special teams alignment/contributions. Carroll still translates to interior OL play in the future, yet it’s good to know Carroll can succeed elsewhere at this level. I will not speak on Carroll’s injury history or grades, solely because I do not know them, nor should I. Offer list includes: Maryland, Boston College, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Virginia Tech, Texas A&M, Temple, South Carolina, Rutgers, Penn State, Missouri, Michigan State, Michigan, Miami (OH), Kentucky, Nebraska, Pitt, Arkansas, Minnesota, USC, Alabama, Georgia, Cincinnati. Competition level is high, developed, and played at 6A Pennsylvania programs. Sparred against the likes of Roman Catholic, St. Joseph’s Prep, and Malvern Prep’s alike.

Mentals – Tough for me as an outsider looking to truly know what kind of mental makeup Carroll carries. That being said, I’ve been in touch with the young man since he was 15, and am a bit familiar with his upbringing, as well as some of the HS environments he’s surrounded himself in. I’ve only heard good things about his leadership qualities. His confidence is through the roof, a must for OL to be successful at the next level. An incredibly polite young man who can clearly flip a switch on the turf, his tape is anything but smiles. Love to compete from what I hear, Carroll checks off many off-the-field mental boxes, especially when translating him to the collegiate level. Unsure of the exact reason for switching schools last off-season, that alone should highlight how he and the family handle adversity, never an easy thing to do. His tape shows he can excel on the field in terms of knowledge retention. Can adjust on the fly, has a clear understanding of run/pass concepts. OGs, as well as their responsibilities, vary between each program, even down as far as the HS level. Not every OG role is the same. Numerous HS, some collegiate, programs prefer having one beefy/powerful guard on one side of the football, with a more athletic OG opposing him on the other side of the center. At the top level of college football, this style of thinking has jumped the shark a bit. Both guards should be somewhat interchangeable, at least in terms of physical make-up. Both guards should be powerful, explosive, and aware of their surroundings at all times. Two guards that can provide girth, drive-blocking capabilities, and lower-body strength are necessary when solidifying the middle of the trenches. It’s equally important that prospects like Carroll can adjust in space during run plays and screen sets to attack defenders who are also on the go. Carroll embodies the ideal guard at the Power Five level. Speaking a bit further about Carroll’s mental make-up, it’s important that OL ENJOY football, I can’t actually know this without speaking to Carroll, but from the looks of the many pancakes left on tape, I’d imagine he’s enjoying every minute of being on the field. I’ve heard his training habits are bulletproof.

Rep Eval- Instinctive, phenomenal play recognition post-snap, in-game. Makes assignment hunting look easy. Has killer instinct, the type of flash of violence you want your lead run-blocker to have. Incredible explosion off the ball, witnessed displacing defenders off the ball. Witnessed countering rip moves with leverage, witnessed countering bull-rushes with ease thanks to his wide hips and build. Witnessed countering speed and power alike, is a great and natural leverager. Carroll’s next-level frame makes it easy for him to stay composed in terms of body control. There aren’t too many equals in terms of physique, so Carroll can keep his feet underneath his frame if the beginning of reps don’t go as planned. He shouldn’t be this fluid off the snap, his initial quickness of the ball is arguably the best I’ve seen from any PA OL prospect within the last five years. Small nitpick, not always a knee bender but certainly passes the bend test more times than not. Might be a bigger deal if we were projecting him to tackle. Carroll’s open-field vision, his ability to key and zero in on a moving target is second to none. His ability to break down at all levels of the field stands out on tape. A testament to his footwork.

Speaking a bit to the guard position specifically, Carroll is likely to be tasked with matching up with elite 3-techs both against the run and the pass. 3-techs at the next level are likely to be just as big and athletic, does Carroll show the skills to handle beef and power? I believe so, I bring up Carroll’s foot quickness and leverage skills again. Carroll has the lower body flexibility that should give him the upper hand in these situations. Tack on effort, balance, and powerful legs/thighs of his own, he should be able to keep up with SEC/BIG10 3-techs. Pulling if involved in counters, screens, or sweeps to the perimeter. Second-level blocking should be a breeze, I’d argue it’s where he’s most comfortable, rare to say that for any OL. Back to his abilities as a puller. Carroll displays the smooth balance necessary to get out of his stance and run through gaps like a back. Watching him work his hips, steer, and turn into a desired hole, he almost makes it look too easy. Is an unfair trapper. His pad level drop, while maintaining momentum is an actual scary sight to see on tape. He isn’t going to be obliterating kids and catching anyone off-guard at the next level, so I’d want to see more technique here. More inside hip leverage, more reps showcasing his ability to stay square on the frame. Carroll the run blocker, tough to really poke holes in this part of his game. His inside hand position is phenomenal, his back is flat more times than not, his hip-roll/leg-drive combination is what SEC run-blockers need to have.

So let’s recap, there isn’t anyone I’ve watched throughout my short career that run blocks better than Michael Carroll Michael Carroll 6'6" | 290 lbs | OL Central Bucks East | 2025 State FL . As a true future ROG/LOG, he’s in good favor.

What’s Carroll like as a guard in pass-pro sets? Obviously, if Carroll is going to play guard at the Big10/SEC level, his primary focus won’t be to be an elite pass-protector. That’s good, because there just isn’t much on highlight tapes to break down in terms of Carroll the OG pass-protecting. Makes sense, he wants to show off his paving abilities in the run game. I will say, however, Carroll does have occasional reps stationed at right and left tackle. Great reps, reps where Carroll doesn’t look too unnatural in terms of strike/recoil/anchoring. Why do I bring this up? Can Carroll serve as a potential emergency tackle at the next level? Maybe. Another question, can/should Carroll make the transition to RT/LT? I think he’s capable, but there’s a small problem. One, he’s likely going to need to be taught. Another problem, I’d make the case that Carroll the run-blocking OL is more valuable than Carroll the potential RT. In a world where tackles are infinitely more valuable than guards, I think Carroll is that special.

There is no tape that I hold in higher regard, speaking on Caarroll’s Junior tape. Carroll is likely to take the one spot on our next 2025 update. I’d make the case that Carroll is the best OL prospect since Warwick’s Nolan Rucci.

Looking back to this time last year, I stamped LaSalle College HS’s Michael Carroll Michael Carroll 6'6" | 290 lbs | OL Central Bucks East | 2025 State FL as a surefire hit to be one of the best linemen representing 2025 PA prospects. Temple agreed after seeing him work last June, pulling the trigger on the young man in the form of an offer. The season came and went, yet if you are closely following Carroll’s recruiting journey, you’ll know the kid hasn’t stopped working or traveling. He and his family are doing all they can to cement the status we’ve laid out for him, the one his tape has laid out for himself. Junior days across the country, Spring Games came and went. On May 30th, after camping close to home at Rutgers, Coach Schiano and staff felt it was time to pull the trigger on Carroll, thus serving as the young man’s second offer under his belt. He’s progressing just as we expected he would. More coming.

Carroll is someone whose recruitment really should start picking up, the offers should also come calling sooner than later. Very good size, good athleticism, and the genes to boot as his dad played at Penn State. Could very well push for a top-12 spot in the future in this class if he continues to develop. Recently earned his first offer from Temple while he’s visited quite a few colleges over the last few months.

The second-ranked lineman out of LaSalle College HS, it’s been a couple of months since we’ve checked in on Michael Carroll Michael Carroll 6'6" | 290 lbs | OL Central Bucks East | 2025 State FL . Since his placement behind Roman Catholic rival Kahlil Williams Kahlil Williams 6'1" | 240 lbs | DL Souderton | 2024 State PA , you might not find a hotter OL in PA in terms of overall interests. Visits galore, Carroll, and family have been quite busy as they tour local campuses. Visits to BC and Maryland, as well as an upcoming visit with Rutgers on the 22nd of the month. Carroll has been gauging interest, yet some programs are still withholding offer calls. Hardly a time to worry, we still stand firm on our rank of the young man. Expecting to see him on the 30th or 11th of May.

We begin with none other than top dog Darold Dengohe Darold Dengohe 6'3" | 280 lbs | DL La Salle College | 2023 State PA . The James Madison commit already has a three-sack game logged this season, putting him on top of the sack and TFL leaderboards for the team. Dengohe is one of the more consistent players in the PCL, no matter if the team is trending up or downwards, you can count that you’ll get the best out of this kid. Hearing that Dengohe is also playing through injury, something that doesn’t surprise me. When the Explorers inevitably get back on track, Dengohe will be a huge factor as to why.

Kieran Campbell Kieran Campbell 6'3" | 230 lbs | DL La Salle College | 2024 State PA has gotten more looks inside the interior of the defensive line, alongside Dengohe at times, away from his usual defensive end spot. An interesting approach, one you understand when thinking of the potential duo through the trenches. Campbell is still getting his share of pass-rushing reps around the edge, yet the Explorers might be valuing his presence inside a bit more. It’s nice to see Kieran get reps everywhere, speaking from a scouting perspective. The more reps in different places, the more questions can be answered by coaching staffs at the next level.

Michael Carroll Michael Carroll 6'6" | 290 lbs | OL Central Bucks East | 2025 State FL is getting a nice blend of right guard and left tackle reps thus far, a good mixture of roles that Carroll can develop under. Here’s hoping that Carroll, an underclassman, is soaking in all there is to learn from the two very different positions. Nonetheless, Carroll is looking solid so far. He’s exploding out of his stance, finding his assignment, and making his presence felt in the run game. He’s showing a mean streak too, we know how tough you have to be in the trenches, always exciting seeing young players develop a chip on their shoulder.

Carroll already stands at 6-foot-5 and 300-pounds and shows an 80-inch wingspan. While he’s played the interior for La Salle, tackle is likely where he’ll project to at the next level. He earned an offer from Temple in June but has also received early interest from Penn State. He has a chance to be a big time prospect in the class of 2025 and could continue to rise up the rankings over the next several years.