Summer Standouts: Top OL making a push
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The summer camps have wound down and the Rivals.com recruiting analysts were all over the country, scouting hundreds of prospects. Over the next week, Rivals.com is releasing our Summer Standouts list, position-by-position. Here is our list of
offensive linemen.
Note: This does not reflect a guaranteed move up in our next set of rankings. Many players listed had excellent summers but also proved we had them ranked in the correct range in our previous rankings. These are in alphabetical order.
Josh Boutte, New Iberia (La.) Westgate: Boutte showed off violent hands
and an anger level that turned heads at the Rivals Five-Star Challenge in late
June. He recorded three pancakes against elite-level competition in Atlanta and
dominated interior defensive linemen at the LSU team camp just a few weeks
later.
William Clapp, New Orleans Brother Martin (2014): Being the top offensive
lineman at the LSU team camp is one thing, but claiming that title as a 2014
prospect is more impressive. Clapp was the aggressor against every defensive
lineman he faced at the event and is expected to be one of the top offensive
line prospects in Louisiana next year.
Ira Denson, Madison, (Fla.): At 6-foot-4, 317 pounds, Denson didn't
blow anybody away during testing at The Opening, but once the competition
started, he took his game to the next level. The Florida State commit defeated
every player he faced in one-on-ones at least once, showing a great motor and a
brand of physicality that set him apart from other linemen at the camp.
Steve Elmer, Midland (Mich.): Elmer showed up at The Opening sporting
one of the best bodies for a tackle and put that body to work a few weeks later
at Top Gun Camp. He was the top performer among linemen at Top Gun and used his
well-rounded skill set to avoid losing a single rep we saw. It's hard to say if
Elmer will make any movement in the rankings because of his high current
standing, but that doesn't make him any less impressive.
D.J. Foster, Lincoln (Neb.) Southeast (2014): He came into the Rivals
Underclassmen challenge without much buzz, but Foster changed that by earning
MVP honors in dominant fashion. He turned heads with his punch and a powerful
lower body that that guides his 295-pound frame. Foster was an under-the-radar
prospect at the start of summer, but that's hardly the case these days.
Grant Hill, Huntsville (Ala.): A standout on the undermanned Southeast
team at the Rivals Five-Star Challenge, Hill never stopped working at the event.
He participated in every possible rep, showing off quick feet and elite-level
physicality. It was his willingness to put in extra time that really impressed,
however. The work ethic he showcased says good things about his upside on the
college level.
Cameron Hunt, Carona (Calif.) Centennial: Controlling defensive lineman on
contact was the status quo for the well-coached Hunt at the Nike Oakland camp in
late May. He was the top O-line performer at the event, showing off violent
hands and the type of balance typical in high-level linemen.
Jamarco Jones, Chicago De La Salle (2014): Heading into his junior year,
Jones already has nine scholarship offers and showed why at Ohio State's Friday
Night Lights. His long arms and wide frame helped land him on the event's top
performer list. He had already made a name for himself at Michigan State's team
camp earlier in the summer, but his perforce at Friday Night Lights solidified
his spot on this list.
Denver Kirkland, Miami Booker T Washington: Kirkland made his summer
splash at Jimbo Fisher's Florida State camp. The massive, 6-foot-5, 330-pound
lineman showed agility not common for man of his size, as he routinely exploded
out of his stance quickly and deliver a strong initial punch than his opposition
struggled to overcome.
John Montelus, Everett (Mass.): Montelus' mark on the summer was made
at Top Gun, where the Notre Dame commit put his power on display from the guard
spot, handling most interior defensive linemen he faced. Montelus has a
reputation as a prospect with a mean streak and he proved it at Top Gun.
Christian Morris, Memphis (Tenn.) East: Morris turned heads at The Opening
at 293 pounds and the UCLA commit could add more weight to his frame. Morris is
already equipped with long arms and good feet. His performance at The Opening
improved his stock significantly, as he frustrated high-level defensive linemen
by riding them to the outside.
Thomas Oser, North Hollywood (Calif.) Harvard Westlake : A late
decision to attend June's SoCal Showcase paid off for Oser, as the 2014 prospect
was able to make his mark on the event. The underclassmen's long arms controlled
defensive lineman and earned him a spot on our list of top offensive performers.
Oser finished the summer with nine scholarship offers, and those are just the
start for the young guard.
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Joshua Outlaw, Lithonia (Ga.) Martin Luther King: Outlaw made an early
mark on his new school by impressing at Florida's Friday Night Lights. He
projects as a guard in college, but looked good taking reps at tackle in front
of the UF coaches. His size and quality footwork make him a player with the
potential to play either spot. His versatility might be his greatest strength,
and that's saying something.
Kent Perkins, Dallas Lake Highlands: He didn't explode out of the gate
at the Rivals Five-Star Challenge but by the time one-on-ones started, Perkins
had it figured out. He made a name for himself by beating top-rated defensive
linemen when it mattered and earned a spot on our All-Camp team. It will be
difficult for Perkins to slide up the rankings because of his already high
standing, but he deserved a spot on this list nonetheless.
Alex Redmond, Los Alamitos (Calif.): The Opening provided Redmond, a
three-star prospect, a chance to surprise everyone, and the future Oregon Duck
cashed in his opportunity. He grabbed attention with physicality and raw
strength and actually seemed to get stronger as time passed. His always-running
motor will serve him well at the next level.
Khaliel Rodgers, Elkton (Md) Eastern Christian Academy: Already
established as the nation's top guard and committed to USC, Rodgers didn't have
to show much this summer. Thing is, He did anyway. The future Trojan lived up to
his billing at the Rivals Five-Star Challenge by dispatching of everyone he
faced with a violent undertone. He was consistently dominant at the challenge
against many of the country's top defensive linemen.
Casey Tucker (2014): A long and lean frame helped Tucker, an
underclassmen, turn heads against older players at the Rivals Five-Star
Challenge. He didn't win every rep, but he certainly held his own against some
of the nation's best defensive ends. With so much time to improve before hitting
a field in college, there's no telling just how good Tucker could become.
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