Biggest out-of-state grabs: Offensive linemen
Mark Pszonak contributed to this report.
Out-of-state recruiting is especially important if you want to vie for a national championship or even contend in your division. In this series we look at players recruited out of state that will have a big impact on their teams – and conference battles – in 2019. We continue with some of the offensive linemen that stand out.
RELATED: Biggest out-of-state quarterback grabs | RBs | WRs | TEs
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Recruiting: In December of his senior season, Little committed to Stanford over Texas. According to Little, the Cardinal were able to pull him away from his home state due to their pro-style offense and how that would prepare him to be an offensive lineman in the NFL.
Farrell's take: Little was a five-star talent and a huge get for Stanford, and he’s had a great impact so far. He is a perfect fit for the pro-style offense Stanford runs and is equally impressive as a run blocker as he is in pass protection. This is how Stanford can recruit nationally.
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Recruiting: Hainsey trimmed his list down to Notre Dame, Michigan and Michigan State before committing to the Irish during the summer leading up to his senior season. He mentioned the history of the program, the coaching staff and the business school as reasons that he committed to Notre Dame.
Farrell's take: Hainsey played most of his high school football in Western Pennsylvania before heading to IMG Academy his senior season. Notre Dame is one of the best programs in the country when it comes to out-of-state recruiting and the way they have been recruiting along the offensive line has been very impressive. Hainsey will step up as a leader this year.
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Recruiting: Wilson took official visits to Georgia, Florida State, Michigan and Alabama before committing to the Bulldogs in December. This was thought to be a battle between the Tide and Wolverines before Wilson’s final official visit to Athens.
Farrell's take: This is an example of Georgia’s ability to stay in the race for any recruit as many felt they trailed here until the end. Wilson is a physical freak who has shown flashes of his ability but this should be the year he breaks out. National recruiting is a huge deal for Kirby Smart at Georgia.
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Recruiting: Becton took January official visits to Louisville, Virginia Tech and Oregon before committing to the Cardinals a few days prior to National Signing Day. Michigan and Oregon were also in the picture until the end, while the home-state Hokies were considered the favorite by many.
Farrell's take: This was a tough loss for Virginia Tech and an example of how players are slipping out of the state of Virginia too easily. This was a great recruiting job by Louisville and even though the program is a mess right now, Becton will be a leader on the offensive side of things.
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Recruiting: In November of his senior season, Wills committed to Alabama over Kentucky, Michigan, Notre Dame and Tennessee. Many thought that Wills was set to commit to the Tide in August, but he held off a few months to make sure that his commitment would be final.
Farrell's take: There’s no need to talk about Alabama’s ability to recruit nationally under Nick Saban because it’s become so commonplace. Kentucky threw everything it had at Wills to keep him home and finished a distant second. Wills is a key starter and will only get better with more experience.
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Recruiting: Sewell trimmed his list of top schools down to Oregon, Utah, Alabama and USC before committing to the Ducks on National Signing Day. He also considered Nevada, where his brothers play. Overall, this was a guessing game until the end for most, as he kept his process relatively quiet.
Farrell's take: Sewell doesn’t get the attention he deserves but he’s going to be a star offensive lineman at Oregon and a potential first-rounder. California is very important to Oregon when it comes to recruiting, so landing Sewell and wrestling him away from USC and others was crucial.
