5 Offensive Linemen from the Sac-Joaquin Section You Should Know About
The oldest cliché in football is “games are won and lost up front.” Every team needs good offensive lineman to win the battle in the trenches and the Sac-Joaquin Section has a rich history of turning out quality big men.…
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Continue ReadingThe oldest cliché in football is “games are won and lost up front.” Every team needs good offensive lineman to win the battle in the trenches and the Sac-Joaquin Section has a rich history of turning out quality big men. Just a year ago, Folsom High alum and Alabama standout Jonah Williams was the 11th overall pick of the NFL Draft and paved the way for other linemen in the section.
Williams is just one of several linemen from the area to put together a successful prep career, and this year’s class looks to add to that list. Below is a look at five players to keep an eye on in 2020 and what they bring to the table.
Joshua Nagaluafe – River City – Class of 2021
Size: 6’2″ 325 lbs, Position(s): OT, OG Hudl Profile
As you might expect from someone with his size, Nagaluafe is an absolute mauler in the run game. He has a good get-off with good hand placement on the chest of the defensive lineman and very good leg drive to get a push and finish blocks. When working up to the second level, the River City product displays good acceleration and angles to cut off linebackers. He has very good upper body strength in pass protection to stop pass rushers’ momentum and execute the snatch and trap technique. If he can improve his knee bend to play with lower pad level and work to get depth when pass blocking, he’ll be a dominating force this season. Nagaluafe currently holds one offer from Cal Poly.
Vincent Carter – Granite Bay – Class of 2021
Size: 6’4″ 250 lbs, Position(s): OT Hudl Profile
While Carter’s size may not jump off the page, he has plenty of traits and skills to make up for it. His good pad level, leg drive, wide base, and solid lower body strength allow him to get a solid push on base blocks and double teams. When working up to the second level on combo blocks, he has good awareness and quickness to pick up crashing linebackers. In pass protection, the Granite Bay native has very good pad level and hand placement on the breastplate of the pass rusher, and he can uncork hips to put smaller defensive linemen on the ground. If Carter starts keeping his shoulders back when pass blocking and add some size to his lean frame, he’ll attract a lot of attention from college coaches this season.
Ben Newman – Granite Bay – Class of 2021
Size: 6’3″ 275 lbs, Position(s): OT, OG Hudl Profile
Granite Bay should have a pretty strong offensive line this season as Newman is another impressive big man for the Grizzlies. He’s very physical at the point of attack when run blocking and has some nastiness to finish blocks with defenders on the ground. In pass protection, he has good quickness to get depth on his vertical sets while maintaining good posture by keeping his shoulders back, and he has active hands with good accuracy. If the Grizzly can keep his feet moving on initial contact and learn to use his hands when run blocking, he’ll be extremely difficult to beat. Newman is also very versatile as he is an impressive defensive lineman as well.
Dean Abdullah – Antelope – Class of 2021
Size: 6’4″ 250 lbs, Position(s): OT, OG, C Hudl Profile
Abdullah is another versatile player who played all five spots along the offensive line and at defensive end last season. As a run blocker, he has good physicality at the point of attack with good pad level, leg drive, and grip strength to stay engaged and finish blocks. When pulling, he has good quickness, agility, and awareness to find someone to block. The Titan also uses good tempo and angles when working up to the second level, ensuring that he doesn’t overrun linebackers. In Pass protection, Abdullah is good at matching the rusher’s speed and has solid upper body strength, giving him a solid impact with his punch. There is some room for improvement in his technique as bringing his elbows in when run blocking will improve his power, and he has a tendency to open up his hips on vertical sets in pass protection, but his athletic tools and overall physicality are very impressive. Abdullah currently holds one offer from Eastern Washington.
Joaquin Gamez – Capital Christian – Class of 2021
Size: 6’5″ 315 lbs, Position(s): OT, OG Hudl Profile
The best way to describe Gamez is to call him a heavyweight prizefighter. On base blocks, he has very good upper body strength combined with good hand placement on the breastplate of the defender to get a good push and finish. When down blocking, he takes good angles and shifts his hands to the defender’s side and with his impressive play strength, defensive linemen have no chance to stay upright. In pass protection, it’s more of the same. The Capital Christian product has good timing, placement, and strength with his punch to stop pass rusher’s in their tracks, and he uses a good snatch and trap technique. He does have some room for growth with his footwork as he false steps off the line of scrimmage and relies on his strength instead of moving his feet when run blocking, but Gamez’s power is something just about any coach at the next level will be happy to work with. He currently holds two offers, one from New Mexico State and another from Northern Arizona.