SI All-American Candidate Jay Toia Highlights and Evaluation
Prospect: Jay Toia
Status: SI All-American Candidate
Vitals: 6-foot-3, 325 pounds
Position: Offensive guard
School: Simi Valley (Calif.) Grace Brethren
Committed to: USC
Projected Position: Interior OL/DL
Frame: Toia’s built like a classic interior trench prospect. Head to toe density with paws for hands.
Athleticism: At defensive tackle, he moves around at a completely different speed than everybody else. He wins with initial burst off the line of scrimmage and with power. His feet don’t stop firing. At guard, he’s an absolute mauler. He probably dreams about Oklahoma drills in his sleep.
Instincts: The level of violence and the motor he plays with together makes him stick out like a sore thumb. While the other lineman are slowing down, he’s running over them. Shows a good understanding of block recognition as well.
Polish: He’s got a defensive mindset and there's no question about it. He can blow you off the ball on offense, and he’s a disciplined pass protector too, but Toia looks like he can do a lot of damage at 3-tech in the PAC 12.
Bottom Line: Toia is as twitchy as you’re going to find for his age and size. He can be coached into a successful lineman on either side of the ball. Capable of stepping into USC and immediately ruffling some feathers in those Trojan trenches.