Zielinski a top, tough OL target

Junior to Watch: Ray Zielinski

School: Arlington (Texas) Martin

Position: Offensive line

Size and speed: Zielinski measured in at the Rivals100 Metroplex Junior Day at 6-foot-3 and 302 pounds. He has a 275-pound bench press and a 450-pound squat

Honors: Zielinski was a first-team all-district pick as a junior.

Favorite Schools: Zielinski lists TCU, Iowa, Oklahoma, Texas A&M and UCLA as his top teams.

Skinny: College coaches know that offensive line prospects are often a work in progress. You can work with a prospect to get stronger, move his feet quicker and work on technique, but the thing you can’t coach is size. And that’s one thing that Arlington (Texas) Martin offensive guard Ray Zielinski brings to the table.

The 6-foot-3, 302-pound Zielinski is one of the bigger linemen in the state of Texas and on film review he does present a lot of positives to college coaches. The No. 1 thing he has is the ability to always find somebody to block – even if it’s after he’s already taken one man down to the ground.

“I hit hard,” Zielinski said.

“I always, always, always play to the whistle. I also play mean.”

All of which – especially the mean part – sounds like music to the eyes of college coaches. You have to love kids that aren’t afraid to get a little dirty to get the job done.

Zielinski said when it comes time to make a decision he’ll look at key factors like the overall strength of the college program.

“I think the prestige of the program is important,” Zielinski said.

“I think the coaching also will be a factor. I’ll also look at the academic support and what school offers me the best situation.”