Boston College Commitment Scouting Report: OT Stephen Gales
Last week Boston College landed a commitment from '22 offensive tackle Stephen Gales out of Alliance (OH). But what kind of player will the Eagles be getting? Here is our scouting report on the latest commitment:
Name: Stephen Gales
Position: Offensive Tackle
High School: Alliance, Ohio
Height: 6'8
Weight: 295
Rating via 247 Sports: Three Stars
Other Offers: Ball State
Scouting Report: Stephen Gales is an offensive tackle prospect from Alliance High School in Alliance, Ohio. Gales will play his final year for the Aviators this fall and committed to Boston College as a member of the Class of 2022. He is between 6’7” and 6’8” and 290 pounds and played both offensive tackles and defensive line. Gales will come to BC as an offensive tackle, the latest in a resurgent pipeline of offensive line talent joining the Eagles (Ozzy Trapilo, Kevin Pyne, Drew Kendall).
Gales played right tackle for the Alliance Aviators, most likely on account of his size. He uses his size and strength well in the run game to easily overwhelm his opponent, displacing them from the gap with ease. Gales also displayed the ability to pull from the tackle position and climb to the second level, where he consistently buries linebackers. He moves well both as a run blocker and in pass protection. Gales looks fluid when moving along the arc in a vertical pass set and can ride rushers past the quarterback easily. Despite all these skills, it is clear that Gales is quite raw when it comes to the more technical aspects of the game. He’s big, strong, and athletic; but he plays a bit out of control. Gales needs to learn to play with more patience and rhythm in the pass game.
Additionally, he tends to bend at the waist (especially in jump and 45-degree sets), which completely takes away his leverage and could get him into trouble at the next level. On a similar note, it’s clear that Gales is always one of, if not the, biggest players on the football field, allowing him to defeat his opponents purely with size and strength. He comes from a relatively small school and league, indicating it could take some time for him to acclimate to the speed of college football. Nevertheless, Gales has excellent physical tools that make him an interesting prospect and an exciting ball of clay that the BC coaching staff cannot wait to get their hands on.