Giovanni El-Hadi, Rocco Spindler Named Top 10 Interior Offensive Linemen By SI All-American

SI All-American continues its positional rankings series with a look at the top 10 interior offensive line prospects in the college football recruiting class of 2021.

Just days after their selection to the SI All-American Watch List, Michigan commit Giovanni El-Hadi and U-M target Rocco Spindler were named as two of the top 10 interior lineman in the 2021 class. Out of those two prospects, Spindler checks in as the No. 4 interior lineman in the country with El-Hadi's selection as the No. 8 player at the position group.

Regarding Spindler, Michigan has long pursued the in-state prospect as a priority in the 2021 class. Spindler is part of a powerhouse program at Clarkston High School, and he lines up right next to LSU commit Garrett Dellinger on the left side of the Wolves' offensive line.

Despite playing side-by-side with one of the top tackles in the nation, Spindler stands out on tape due to his aggressiveness and advanced technique. Spindler has a wrestling background which has helped train the rising senior to hand fight in the trenches. When combined with a penchant for finishing plays with pancakes and blocking through the whistle, Spindler brings a tenacity that U-M offensive line coach Ed Warinner covets up front.

At the moment, Spindler is down to a final group of Michigan, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Penn State and LSU and is set to announce his college decision on August 8. Spindler previously had a decision date set for August 15 but moved his announcement up.

Here is the SI All-American breakdown of Spindler, which details why he was selected as a top five interior lineman:

4. Rocco Spindler, Clarkston (Mich.) High

6-foot-4, 295 pounds

Schools of Interest: Michigan, Notre Dame, Penn State and Ohio State, among others.

We feel lineman with wrestling backgrounds tend to possess a better understanding of leverage, among other nuances, than most who do not wrestle. Spindler’s wrestling background shows up on tape from his ability to work with good power and get under his opponent’s pads at the point. He has a good punch that illustrates some strength in his mitts, along with good movement skills to produce in space and on level 2 as the scoop player. His short set can stymie pass-rushers and throw off their timing while he lands and stout punch and trigger his anchor. Spindler is another player on this list who currently works as an offensive tackle and our staff feels good about as an IOL at a big time college program.

Moving down the list, El-Hadi was a bit of a surprise to make this list due to the position he currently plays. Last year at Adlai Stevenson, El-Hadi lined up quite a bit at right tackle but also spent time on the left side of the line as well. This fall, El-Hadi said that he expects to play left tackle and will help protect his quarterback's blindside throughout the 2020 season.

El-Hadi is Michigan's longest tenured commit in the 2021 class, but he still trains as if he were searching for his first offer. This offseason, El-Hadi is focusing on improving his strength, speed and agility so that he can take the field as a more complete lineman this fall.

Here is a look at how El-Hadi was graded by SI All-American and why they chose to classify the Michigan commit as an interior lineman for the purpose of these rankings:

8. Giovanni El-Hadi, Sterling Heights (Mich.) Stevenson

6-foot-6, 280 pounds

Committed to Michigan

An in-state Michigan commitment, El-Hadi has excellent length and an ideal frame for a high-end blocking prospect. He carries his weight well and easily, and has room to add even more mass. He works good strength and toughness at the point, and he’s currently asked to perform a myriad of down-blocks, reaches and deuces. He can use solid upper-body strength to sustain and does a fair job of churning to move his targets off their mark. El-Hadi has a solid 45-degree pass-set, though he will mix in a jump-set occasionally to alter a rusher’s timing. Another key element to El-Hadi’s game is his motor, which shows up consistently on tape. Whether he mans the right tackle position or moves to the interior in Ann Arbor, El-Hadi has the traits of a solid Big Ten trenchman.

If Spindler joins El-Hadi as a Michigan commit a couple weeks from now, the Wolverines would lay claim to a pair of top 10 interior offensive lineman in addition to center Raheem Anderson and combo guard / center Greg Crippen, two players that are solid lineman prospects in their own right. Spindler's addition would solidify U-M's 2021 O-Line class as one of the top groups in America. 

What do you think of SI All-American's rankings for Spindler and El-Hadi? Where would you slot the two talented prospects on the list? Let us know!