6’5” – 324 lbs.
Background:
Four-star recruit who redshirted in 2018, then appeared in a reserve role the following year before starting at left guard for the Sooners in each of the past three seasons.
Positives:
Three-year starter for a highly-regarded program. Very well-built, with excellent thickness. Plays with toughness and effort. Functional strength is very good, with nice thudding power on contact. Able to physically overwhelm defenders in a phone booth, with good leg drive to generate movement. Has impressive power in his hands to sling down defenders. Grip strength is above-average and can sustain through the whistle when he locks on. Displays a killer instinct to finish opponents when he has the opportunity. Despite his size, was asked to execute some pretty athletically-demanding assignments in school, including pulls to the right side of the formation. Not the most athletic guard prospect, but has enough short-area quickness to chip and move on to a second defender. Shows good arm extension as a pass protector. Keeps his head on a swivel, looking for people to block.
Negatives:
Played on the left each season, so might have a little bit of an adjustment period if teams plan to shift him to the right side. Short-area quickness and lateral quickness are both closer to average; may not be considered a great fit for offenses with heavy use of zone concepts despite what his offensive scheme in college asked him to do. Not a great knee-bender. Has some issues with balance and waist-bending; technique isn’t quite where it should be for a three-year starter. Can rely on his upper body to defend against power rushers, without a solid lower-body foundation; causes him to drop a later anchor than a player with his size and strength should. Not very light on his feet and may be susceptible to speed rushers. Some snaps in which he lowers his head and whiffs, rather than playing within his frame.
Summary:
A three-year starter with plenty of size and power, but whose lateral quickness leaves something to be desired and whose game is not quite as polished as his extensive starting experience would suggest. Did a lot of blocking on the move in college, but is clearly better-suited to playing in a phone booth, where he can better use his functional strength and impressive grip to create movement in the run game. Could be of interest to inline/power teams if they think they can clean up his technique, teaching him to play with a more stable foundation in his lower-body.
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