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Rivals Recap: Nashville Lineman U

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- More than 100 offensive and defensive line prospects turned out at Tennessee State University for the inaugural National Playmakers Academy “Lineman U” event Sunday. Ultimately a trio of prospects took home MVP honors, but that was just the icing on the cake of an eventful day.

Cole Bentley
Cole Bentley ()
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I was impressed with...

Belfry, Ky. three-star offensive lineman Cole Bentley burst onto the recruiting scene with a strong showing at last month’s Army Combine and he continued to impress Sunday. The 6-foot-4, 286-pound guard won nearly every rep, including several against future FBS defensive linemen. Bentley is relatively new to playing guard, but his strong lower body helps him make up for his rawness at the position. He’s picked up offers from Charlotte and Marshall but several other programs will take along look at Bentley as the spring evaluation period approaches.

I was surprised by...

Knoxville (Tenn.) Central defensive lineman Isaac Buell took home MVP honors on defense and he surprised with his quickness as well as his array of pass-rushing moves. The event had more prospects on offensive line than defensive line, making Buell’s MVP win that much more impressive. Western Kentucky have shown interest, but Buell has yet to receive an offer.

Other observations...

Class of 2018 offensive lineman Max Wray has spend the past few weeks collecting offers from Auburn, Georgia and Tennessee and Sunday, the Franklin, Tenn. prospect took home MVP honors. Wray continues to add weight and already has ideal height and length. He’s still a little raw as a tackle but as he continues to get more reps, he will only continue to get better.

Three-star defensive tackle Ben Hutch got off to a slow start, but seemed to get better as things went along. The Nashville (Tenn.) Hillsboro product picked up early offers from Vanderbilt, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ole Miss and others, but his recruitment has been rather quiet since. Assuming he can show the aggressiveness he did on Sunday going forward, Hutch could start to turn the corner and show why programs were interested in him to begin with.

Class of 2017 Nashville (Tenn.) Davidson Academy offensive lineman Obinna Eze had an up-and-down day, flashing the tremendous potential that has helped him land several offers already, including LSU and Texas A&M. He still needs to work on using his long arms to get into defenders early off the snap in order to avoid getting beat by smaller, quicker defensive linemen. Even so, Eze’s raw physical potential makes him a special prospect to watch going forward.

Class of 2019 defensive end Ani Izuchukwu continues to be one of the most physically impressive prospects in the recruiting world, regardless of graduation year. The 6-foot-5, 220-pound prospect showed an impressive ability to fire off the ball and won several reps during one-on-ones. He’s still learning the game, but with LSU already offering, it’s clear he’s going to be a star down the road.

Wray shared MVP awards with 2017 Franklin (Tenn.) Centennial offensive lineman Eli Katina. The 6-foot-2, 291-pound prospect was nearly unbeaten during one-on-ones and showed a good strong base while facing interior defensive linemen. If Katina can play center full-time, he could find himself an FBS home, likely outside of the Power Five. He is waiting on his first offer.

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