Top Five Offensive Linemen for the Class of 2023
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Arizona has some outstanding offensive linemen for the class of 2023. Two of the top five are from the same High School – Highland High School in Gilbert. Here’s a profile of each of the top five, all ready…
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Arizona has some outstanding offensive linemen for the class of 2023. Two of the top five are from the same High School – Highland High School in Gilbert. Here’s a profile of each of the top five, all ready to enter their junior year:
Elijah Paige Elijah Paige 6'7" | 305 lbs | OL Pinnacle | 2023 State AZ is a 6-6, 290-pound sophomore at Pinnacle High School in Phoenix. He is also an outstanding basketball player while maintaining a 3.6 GPS. Eli has received a full scholarship offer from the University of Arizona and more are on the way. He recently attended the Under Armour All-American camp.
Eli is athletic, tough, and very physical. The 3-star tackle has the ideal size, frame, and length to play at the next level. He also has good feet and lateral agility. He is an outstanding blocker and does a great job in pass protection where his quick feet will let him sustain blocks. Eli has good strength and power at the point of attack.
He has a great chance to be an impact offensive tackle at a Power 5 college.
James Durand James Durand 6'4" | 280 lbs | OL Basha | 2023 State AZ is a 6-5, 280-pound offensive and defensive lineman for the Basha High School Bears in Chandler. He started as a freshman in 2019 for Head Coach Chris McDonald, playing in Arizona’s toughest division – the 6A Premier Region. Two local powers – Chandler and Perry – are in the division with Basha. James’ brother Jonathan is an O-lineman at Yale.
James is a very physical lineman with solid position versatility. He gets leverage on opponents and then utilizes his strength. He picks up stunts well and possesses great drive in the run game. He is outstanding in pass protection and will only be getting better in his junior and senior years. To date, he has received offers from three colleges – Northern Arizona University, Iowa State. and New Mexico. That list will certainly grow in the months ahead.
Makura Pole is a 6-3, 300-pound offensive lineman for the Highland High School Hawks in Gilbert. He is of Hawaiian, Samoan, and Mexican descent and has a 3.85 GPA. He is an outstanding blocker for the Hawks’ running game and stood out as a pass protector for Highland’s passing attack. Highland averaged 190 yards running per game and 210 yards passing. He started all but one game as a freshman playing for Head Coach Brock Farrel. Last fall the Hawks finished the season with a 7-4 record. Farrel was AZCentral Coach of the Year in 2018.
Makura made Honorable Mention All-Central 6A as a freshman. Last fall Highland lost to Chaparral in the Arizona High School 6A State Championship Game, 24-14. To date, Makura has two college scholarship offers – Arizona State and Utah. With two full years of eligibility remaining two things are certain – he will become a better overall player and more offers will come pouring in.
Cade Alisa is a 6-5, 275-pound offensive tackle and defensive end for Poston Butte High School in San Tan Valley. He was selected to the regional All-Conference second team last fall as an offensive lineman. Having a weighted GPA of 3.5, Cade also made Honorable Mention for the 4A-5A Sports 360 All-Academic Football team. He was also a finalist for the ArizonaVarsity.com Offensive Lineman of the Year Award for 2020 and his complete O-line was a finalist for the 4A Team Offensive Line of the Year.
Cade plays for Head Coach Dain Thompson. The Broncos finished 6-2 in 2020. However, Poston Butte averaged 300 rushing yards per game, anchored by Cade Alisa. He is an outstanding blocker as well as pass protector with two more years of eligibility remaining. He is currently the fourth-rated offensive lineman in Arizona. Cade continues to show improvement every year in many categories and he will be receiving scholarship offers down the road.
A.J. Dutchover is a 6-3, 250-pound offensive lineman who plays center, guard, and tackle for the Highland High School Hawks. Specializing in pancake blocks, A.J. is an outstanding blocker and pass protector for the Hawk’s offense. While maintaining a 4.66 GPA, he bench presses 235 pounds, can do 10 reps of 185 pounds as a bench press, can squat 330, deadlift 330, and clean 230 pounds. Playing in the 6A Central Division, Highland finished 7-4 in 2020.
The Hawks finished second in scoring in their division and lost in the State Championship Game to Chaparral High School. A.J. is also an excellent long snapper and attended a specialized camp to improve his long-snapping. The Highland offensive line was selected as a finalist by ArizonaVarsity.com as the 6A Offensive Line of the Year. Highland is loaded for the 2021 season as A.J. goes into his junior year.