Published Jun 28, 2016
The Five-Star Challenge Five-Year Team: Offensive Line
Mike Farrell and Mark Pszonak
Rivals.com

The fifth edition of the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge presented By Under Armour is in the books and, with such an important anniversary of an amazing event, we thought it would be cool to look back at the top five prospects that attended at each position. Today we look at the offensive linemen.

Note: The order is based on a combination of success at the event, success at the high school level and, in many cases, success in college.

MORE: Five-Star Challenge Five-Year Team: QBs | RBs | WR/TEs | Full Five-Star Challenge Coverage

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The Skinny: Hyatt had little drama during his recruiting process. After taking a return visit to Clemson in late March, Hyatt committed to the Tigers over Ohio State, Georgia and a host of other schools. What Hyatt accomplished at Clemson during his true freshman season was nothing short of amazing. He became an immediate starter at tackle and the protector of Deshaun Watson's blind side on a team that played in the national championship game.

Farrell’s Take: Hyatt weighed in at only 266 pounds in Chicago in 2013, but the five-star (at the time) more than held his own with his feet, length and awesome technique. It was when we saw he hadn’t filled out by the end of his senior season and after a solid but not spectacular week at the U.S. Army Bowl when we dropped him from five to four stars. That’s on me, coach. This kid has been amazing so far.

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The Skinny: Little was initially committed to Texas A&M, but re-opened his process during the summer leading up to his senior season. After taking official visits to LSU, Auburn and Alabama, he committed to Ole Miss before solidifying his plans with an official visit to Oxford in late January. With the departure of Laremy Tunsil, it’s natural for people to assume that Little will slide right in at tackle.

Farrell’s Take: Little was a two-time participant at the Five-Star Challenge, making back-to-back solid performances in Baltimore in 2014 and 2015. He’s a special prospect with light feet, the ability to re-set quickly and a nice punch. I fully expect him to be a star in college and beyond and his improvement from year one to year two at the Five-Star Challenge shows how much he learns from facing top competition.

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The Skinny: Tucker originally committed to USC as a junior, but then re-opened his process after the season. As the offers began to pile up, Stanford and Arizona State were the two schools that pulled away from the pack and led to his commitment to the Cardinal in late January. Stanford has become one of the top programs for offensive linemen in the last decade, and Tucker has the potential to be the next great one. Only one of two returning starting linemen in 2016, a great deal more will be expected out of him, and he has the ability and talent to produce.

Farrell’s Take: Tucker is another two-time participant who was at our debut event in Atlanta and then came back to Chicago to help lead his team to the Big Man Challenge title. A tireless worker, Tucker was also very physical and had a great frame to fill out. He’s been overshadowed a bit at Stanford by some other first-round offensive linemen, but this year could be his time to shine.

The Skinny: Since an impressive showing as an underclassman at the 2015 Rivals Challenge, Wills has seen more and more offers come his way. He has been a recruiting priority for Kentucky since day one. The local five-star is a must get for coach Mark Stoops and the Wildcats, but if they don’t show progress on the field this season it is likely that a school like Notre Dame, Tennessee or Alabama will swoop in and pull Wills away from Kentucky.

Farrell’s Take: Willis is also a two-timer at the Five-Star Challenge, coming out of nowhere to earn a spot in Baltimore in 2015 and showing his skills as a veteran of the event in Atlanta this year. He was one of the most consistent linemen in both years, getting out of his stance quickly, showing excellent hand placement and being patient as he reacts to his opponent's move. He could be a guard or tackle in college and beyond and should be a star.

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The Skinny: At the 2016 Rivals Challenge, Leatherwood was the most physically impressive offensive lineman in attendance. The Floridian has been committed to Alabama for over a year, but it has not stopped him from visiting multiple schools since that time. Auburn, Florida, Florida State, LSU and Michigan are all remaining persistent, while USC may be the biggest threat. The Trojans just hosted Leatherwood for a camp last week and the interest seems to be mutual. Nick Saban rarely loses a recruiting battle like this, but it will be interesting to see how Leatherwood’s process plays out in the coming months.

Farrell’s Take: Leatherwood is a physical specimen for sure and he came ready to battle at this year’s event. He was as aggressive and physical as we’ve seen him and showed a ton of emotion. He took the action to the defense and used a great punch, excellent balance and his strength to win the MVP award. He could have a fifth star in his future.

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