Prep Redzone Iowa Showcase Standouts: OL/DL

Let’s continue our highlighting of the standout players from each position at the Prep Redzone Iowa Showcase. Today, I want to dive into the trenches and take a look at the offensive and defensive linemen that caught my eyes at the Showcase. Both sides had players that I am very confident will be able to play football at the next level. That talent on both sides of the ball led to a high level of competition in the 1 on 1 battles. There are several players to highlight in this group. So, let’s get it started with the offensive side of the trenches! <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Offensive Line Standouts</strong></span> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="23994" first="Liam" last="Becher"], 2022- Iowa City West</strong> One of the things I like to keep track of when I go to these Showcases is who looks the most impressive on the hoof and then do those players with the impressive builds perform well? Liam was player #1 when it came to who had the most impressive frame. He was also one of the most impressive players when it came to moving with that size. Liam stands at roughly 6’6’’ 310 lbs with long arms to match. I couldn’t wait to catch his 1 on 1 battles. It didn’t disappoint. He used that exceptional length to get contact before the defender, and thanks to his heavy hands, he was able to get a strong punch every rep and then control the defender through the rep. He was also light on his feet. He easily slide laterally to mirror pass rushers. Liam was one of the best players at the Showcase and I expect him to be a popular name in Iowa recruiting this year. [embed]https://twitter.com/OliverJamesWes1/status/1388590058756878337[/embed] <strong>Ben Decker, 2023- Noblesville (IN)</strong> Ben was another member of my list for most impressive frames at the Showcase. The sophomore came in at 6’6’’ 270 lbs and he holds it very well. Just looking at him you can see that he has room to continue filling out and getting to the size needed to play at the highest levels of college competition. When it came to the 1 on 1 battles and positional drills you could see his wrestling background coming through as he showed off his body control and sharp technique. Ben quickly popped out of his stance with equally as fast hands as they delivered punches right to the center of defender’s chests. No doubt this is a name to know going forward. I loved what I saw. [embed]https://twitter.com/BradDecker7992/status/1389011955315355649[/embed] <strong>Mason Sorensen, 2023- Dubuque</strong> An underclassmen that I enjoyed watching on Saturday was Mason. Standing at 6’1" 285 lbs, the sophomore showed off solid and consistent upper body strength from the center position. He was able to control interior pass rushers with that upper body strength and had a strong anchor to prevent any defenders from bull rushing him off his spot. The short area lateral agility was there too as he was able to slide and mirror defenders. While we weren’t looking to finish players to the ground, there were times where Mason did have the strength and leverage advantage to the point where he did end up putting defenders on the ground. He is a young IA OL that schools are going to want to keep note of going forward. [embed]https://twitter.com/masonsorensen1/status/1388638425880973312[/embed] <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="125574" first="Cody" last="Fox"], 2024- East Buchanan</strong> Maybe the most impressive frame at the Showcase belonged to Cody. The FRESHMAN came in at roughly 6’4" 260 lbs and wasn’t struggling to move with it. I couldn’t help but go to his game film from this past season to see how he played in varsity action. The film is even more special than what I was thinking during the Showcase. Cody moves so easily for that size. He can quickly get to the second level and hit his target. He generates a ton of push in the run game and that athleticism shines in pass protection. Iowa has a special talent on their hands with Fox. It is not an exaggeration to say he has D1 potential. Very impressive prospect. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="23952" first="Carter" last="Gorder"], 2022- Mason City</strong> One of the upperclassmen linemen that caught my eye on several reps was Carter. He has the size needed to succeed at the next level at 6’4" 260 lbs. Carter’s greatest strength on Saturday was his athleticism. He was light on his feet and it allowed him to be able to get into position and stay in a position of strength throughout his battles. Even when it seemed like he may have reached or over extended his quick feet and body control allowed him to correct himself and get right back in position to win the rep. Oliver West actually caught this perfectly in the rep he posted on Twitter! The 2 time First Team All- District lineman has the talent to play at the upper level of college football. [embed]https://twitter.com/OliverJamesWes1/status/1389263591254147077[/embed] <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Defensive Line Standouts</strong></span> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="101038" first="Andrew" last="Harris"], 2022- Southeast Polk</strong> The best frame in the defensive line group belonged to Andrew. he came with a good blend of length and mass at 6’2" 240 lbs. He is a stout DE and even in shorts you could see the strength that he brings to the position. I liked his burst off the line and the way he can generate the power and burst off the line into his upper body as he works to disengage blocks or bull rush offensive tackles. He also had the necessary lateral agility to defeat blocks once he was able to shed the block. Harris was definitely one of the best DL in attendance no Saturday. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="152868" first="Landon" last="Stolte"], 2023- Lisbon</strong> Landon is a quick twitch prospect at 6’2" 225 lbs. Most of his experience seems to be on the offensive line thus far in his high school career, but he does project best as a DE at the next level. With a couple more years of filling out still ahead of him and the current quickness in his movements tells me he could develop into an impressive prospect by 2023. If he can continue to develop his pass rush moves I think he could be an impressive player by his senior year. I did watch through some of his sophomore film and I love how aggressive he is and how much of a finisher he is. I also like how well he moved in person during the showcase. Landon is a prospect to watch going forward. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="119142" first="Zavion" last="McMurran"], 2023- Estherville Lincoln Central</strong> Zavion is a pass rusher that I believe will be heavily pursued when his time to be recruited arrives. The 6’3" 215 lbs DE prospect has a good blend of get off and overall play speed to be very disruptive off the edge. He is only going to become even more disruptive as he fills out and gains even more strength to further round out his game. When it comes to athleticism and size combinations, Zavion was one of the most impressive athletes at the Iowa Showcase. It was a good day for the sophomore.