The Line Showcase: Session Two Standouts
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Today I wrap up my coverage of The Line Showcase in Elkhorn, WI with the standouts from Session Two of the event. This group was filled with absolute studs from the ’21-’24 recruiting classes. This led to an amazing showing…
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Continue ReadingToday I wrap up my coverage of The Line Showcase in Elkhorn, WI with the standouts from Session Two of the event. This group was filled with absolute studs from the ’21-’24 recruiting classes. This led to an amazing showing of technique, traits, and strength throughout the combine, drill work, and one on one battles. After going through my notes from the session, I have come up with nine athletes who caught my eye the most out of the group. In this article, I want to give everyone a look into how those nine players were able to catch and hold my eyes through the session. Here we go!
Mack Indestad Mack Indestad 6'6" | 265 lbs | OL Lemont | 2022 State IL , OL, 2022- Lemont (IL)
Mack was the first player in a stacked group of OL that stood out to me during Session Two. He has exceptional size and length checking in at 6’6″ 260 lbs and his frame looks like it has so much room left to continue to fill out to an elite level. Where he stood out from the crowd was that he also moved that size so naturally and easily. He had some of the cleanest technique in the drill work and when they got to the 1 on 1 battles he proved that he could keep that technique and add the strength to be able to mirror defensive linemen and then shut them down. His ability to use his length really jumped out to me in the drills too. He was making contact before a lot of the defensive linemen were able to get their hands on him. That allowed Mack to get the initial punch to slow the defender and then steer them past the QB dummy. Great day for Mack.
Joshua Sander, OL, 2022- Hinsdale South (IL)
Joshua was another offensive lineman in this group that has the prototypical build of a top offensive line recruit with measurements of 6’5 3/4″ and nearly 335 lbs. Grown man size and grown man strength to match. Watching him move in the different drills really showed me that not all people are created equal. Joshua has impressive traits across the board. His body control and reactive athleticism allowed him to stay between any defender and the QB dummy and his length and punch made it impossible for defensive linemen to create separation. That punch and overall upper body explosion were on display during his powerball toss as well as he had one of the longest tosses of the day. I can’t wait to check back into all these Illinois studs in this article after they get a chance to play this spring. I think they all are about to see their recruitment go through the roof.
Jake Paulline, DL, 2022- Metea Valley (IL)
It has become kind of an overused phrase lately, but Paulline is legitimately built different. On the hoof, Jake was one of the most impressive looking athletes out of the entire event. He is wide, thick from his feet to his hands, and strong, yet is still able to move well. According to his measurements on the day of the event, Jake is 6’.5″ 295 lbs with a 6’6″ wingspan. When I say he can move, the times support it. Jake had some of the best 10 and 20 yard sprints in his group. That athleticism paired with the frame made him must watch in the one on one battles. He didn’t disappoint either. He came out of his stance with a lot of power and was able to win at times with his hand usage and other times with his raw strength. Jake was definitely a tone setter in the trenches in the battles and is going to be must watch on the field this spring.
Carter Helt Carter Helt 6'2" | 205 lbs | LB Sun Prairie | 2021 State WI , DL, 2021- Sun Prairie (WI)
Up next we have our first Wisconsin standout from Session Two. He is also looking more and more like a steal for a program still searching for pass rushers in the 2021 recruiting cycle. I noticed that Carter had a lot of buzz after the event and it was well deserved. Helt checked in at 6’1 1/4″ and 205 lbs with a 6’4″ wingspan. During the combine portion of the workout, Carter posted two of the top times in the entire showcase. That was just the start of the athleticism he showed off throughout the day. In the drills, Carter displayed his quickness and flexibility setting himself up to finish the day strong in one on one battles. Helt didn’t disappoint. His first step explosiveness, speed, and bend around the edge in one on one battles was some of the best on display. Linemen couldn’t stay with him and didn’t have the ability to play and bend as low as he could. This dude is going to be a steal for the next level. Jump on him!
Amari Walker, OL, 2022- Homewood- Flossmoor (IL)
What Amari showed me in one on one battles has to be talked about. Without a doubt, Walker had the best anchor strength at the event. He lined along the interior of the offensive line in one on one battles putting him up against some of the biggest and strongest defensive linemen in the group. No matter how big and strong they were, as soon as they would make contact Amari would drop his hips and he became unmovable. If I were to rank the most impressive things I saw on display at the showcase my #1 moment would be watching Amari set his anchor and absolutely stonewall defensive linemen. It was eye opening to say the least. That ability was further elevated by his quick feet and hands which allowed him to get into the chest of defensive linemen quickly and from there he controlled them. Get on this 6’1″ 340+ lbs beast ASAP!
Jackson Funderburg, DL, 2022- Big Foot (WI)
Next up we have another Wisconsin native in Big Foot’s Jackson Funderburg. This was my first exposure to Jackson and after what I saw I know it won’t be the last. Jackson came in at 6’3 1/2″, 220 lbs, with a 6’4 3/4″ reach. Jackson grabbed my attention during the head to head battles. He showed me that he had active hands in his rush and he always kept moving forward. There was no wasted fakes or change of directions. The quickest way to the QB is a straight line and that’s the path he wanted to take. He used his length well in those battles and his flexibility allowed him to play at angles that were hard to get a good block on. You could see his wrestling background coming through in the reps. Big Foot is a school that moved to the spring here in Wisconsin, so I hope I can get out and watch him in more live action because I was very impressed with this first experience.
Luke Dalton Luke Dalton 6'5" | 300 lbs | OL Marian Central Catholic | 2022 State IL , OL, 2022- Marian Central Catholic (IL)
Despite being an Illinois prep, this was not my first experience watching Luke. He was at our Prep Redzone WI Showcase in December where he dominated. So I had him highlighted as a player to watch during Session Two. I had high expectations coming in for Luke and he still managed to surpass them. In these past couple months it seems like he has upped his game even more. He was very technically sound in drills and when it came to the head to head battles he was one of the most impressive players out there. He won reps with pure strength, he won reps using his length, and he won reps using his reactive athleticism to mirror defenders. Every way he could of won reps he did it. Going back to the drill work, Dalton really shined with his communication. He was one of the few players that were calling out who to block and who should have their eyes on which LB. It was awesome to see that he wasn’t just out there physically, but also he was mentally trying to improve as well. Add in the elite size of 6’4.5″, 303 lbs, and a nearly 6’6″ reach and you get my top offensive lineman from the whole event.
Evan Tyler Evan Tyler 6'4" | 240 lbs | DL Hudson | 2022 State WI , DL, 2022- Hudson (WI)
This is another player who I had high expectations for coming into the day. Evan had a really impressive junior season for Hudson High School, so I couldn’t wait to see how he held up against this star studded group of offensive linemen. Right from the weigh-in Evan had a really good day. He came in at 6’2.5″, an athletic looking 227 lbs, and my favorite measurement for him, over a 6’6″ reach. Evan has an excellent frame for the DE position and he has the body control to match. When it came time to start the one on one battles I quickly found Evan and watched every rep he had and I loved what I saw. Evan springs out of his stance at the snap with next level quickness and is able to bend and lean around the edge while using that great length to make it very hard for OTs to get into position or get a good punch on him to slow him down. Evan didn’t just try to run the loop though. He played with quick, yet heavy, hands that allowed him to keep OTs hands off him as he made his way to the QB dummy. It was a great day for one of the top pass rushers in Wisconsin.
Evan Malcore Evan Malcore 6'6" | 270 lbs | OL Sun Prairie | 2022 State WI , OL, 2022- Sun Prairie (WI)
This is going to be a dude to watch this spring here in Wisconsin. The Line Showcase was my second time getting to watch Evan live. Across the board he showed off a lot of improvement. First off, good luck finding an OT recruit with a better frame and build. The Sun Prairie product came in at 6’5.5″, 268 lbs, and had an amazing 6’9″ reach. I couldn’t wait to watch Malcore in the one on one battles. The three things I wanted to see were how well he was able to move, if he was able to effectively use that length, and how aggressively he attacked the defenders. He checked off all three things for me. He moved well and held his technique throughout the reps. He trusted his length too and didn’t get caught reaching or overextending. Evan also did a good job of being aggressive in the rep too. He didn’t just catch the defenders. He delivered a punch at the initial contact and maintained his blocks through the whistle. It was awesome to see the improvement over that two month window. Big spring coming for Malcore.