SI All-American: Ranking the 10 Offensive Tackles in the Class of 2021
After compiling several months worth of data in addition to cycling back for a closer look at the 2019 football season, SI All-American has put pen to paper at each position group.
As we work towards the preseason SI99, ranking the top college football prospects regardless of position, establishing a top 10 ahead of the 2020 season for each position group plays paramount. For the future offensive tackle group, we're tracking blockers with the best foundation to play on the edge at the next level physically, athletically and from a technical standpoint.
Here are the best of the best ahead of the 2020 football season.
1. Tommy Brockermeyer, Fort Worth (Texas) All Saints Episcopal
6-foot-6, 280 pounds
Committed to Alabama
Brockermeyer is among the elite blue-chip prospects in this class, regardless of position. He is a rare prep OL prospect who has the skill set, frame and athleticism to be regarded as a pure left tackle. The Texan has good snap quickness and movement skills, which allow him to win on reaches upon contact on the run game. There, he consistently brings his feet and hips. Brockermeyer has good target adjusting ability to factor on the second level and can work with a nastiness that appears on tape. He has a solid base in pass-protection, as he mirrors well and can deliver a solid punch before riding opponents around the arc. At this point, Brockermeyer can fit fine in both zone and gap-scheme concepts.
2. JC Latham, Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy
6-foot-6, 305 pounds
Committed to Alabama
His ceiling. Latham is blessed with rare movement skills for a big man and his game is still developing. Once an aspiring defensive lineman, he made the permanent switch to OT last season and began to flourish. The ‘Bama pledge possesses good balance in his lower half that allows him to be the mythical “dancing bear” OL coaches covet. He can shadow rushers in space from a 45-degree pass-set with quick feet and shows the required recovery quickness needed to anchor the left island. His natural bend and easy agility will allow him to execute pulls, lateral reaches and climb to the second level without issue in the run game. As he improves his strength and refines his punch timing, Latham projects well as a future starting left tackle in Tuscaloosa.
3. Amarius Mims, Cochran (Ga.) Bleckley County
6-foot-7, 295 pounds
Schools of Interest: Oklahoma, Alabama, Florida State, Tennessee, Auburn and Georgia
Mims is another prospect with high-end left tackle traits. He carries his weight with ease and still has room to add even more mass. He’s a natural knee-bender with excellent athleticism and length. The Georgia native uses both a 45-degree set and mixes in a short-set in pass-protection to dance versus pass-rushers, and recovers well to combat inside moves. He uses his big hands to stymie, trap and bury, after playing to his size at the point. With his imposing frame and mass, Mims is effective as a base-blocker in the run game, and also takes solid angles when working up to cut off linebackers. As he continues refining his punch accuracy and progressing at blending his athleticism with technique, Mims should blossom.
4. Kingsley Suamataia, Orem (Utah) High
6-foot-4, 278 pounds
Schools of Interest: Oregon, BYU and Georgia, among others
Suamataia can bend well for his size and is a well-balanced athlete with good lower-trunk athleticism. He’s effective both versus the run and pass, as he uses good agility and redirect ability to execute his assignments. He can pull and trap, as well as reach and climb from deuce blocks. Suamataia has good movement skills to mirror in pass-protection and can instinctively counter with his mitts during a rush. While he could be a great guard at the college level, we feel he projects well as a left tackle who excels in zone-blocking concepts in the run game.
5. Tristan Leigh, Fairfax (Va.) Robinson Secondary
6-foot-5, 280 pounds
Schools of Interest: Penn State, Virginia Tech, Ohio State, LSU and Clemson, among others.
While he currently works as a left tackle, we feel Leigh has the potential to play right tackle and perhaps even move inside to guard, if needed. He’s an effective drive-blocker who engages in a hurry and uses a strong grab at the point to win his base-block matchups. Leigh also possesses good second-level vision and takes good angles in his approach when climbing. He will need to acquire more reps as a pass-protector, as his current offense places a big emphasis on the run. Yet Leigh does flash solid knee bend and a 45-degree set with good patience. His versatility projects him to be capable of playing multiple roles across the offensive front in college.
6. Blake Fisher, Avon (Ind.) High
6-foot-6, 335 pounds
Committed to Notre Dame
Among a group of simply massive men, Fisher may be the first you’d want off the bus. He has an imposing frame that is supplemented by tremendous mass. Yet there is more to him than just his size. Fisher has a strong punch at the point and sustains well with good strength. He can engulf linebackers when working on level 2 and is reliable when down-blocking. The Notre Dame pledge has a good push from his set leg to jump out to wide-alignment pass-rushers and has some savviness and awareness to pick up stunts. Fisher plays left tackle right now, yet he is another prospect we strongly feel could kick over to right tackle.
7. Garrett Dellinger, Clarkston (Mich.) High
6-foot-6, 280 pounds
Committed to LSU
Dellinger is another offensive tackle prospect with versatility in his skill set. He has a solid bucket step when working in outside zone concepts in the running game and is productive on deuces, combos and when scooping. The LSU commit executes an accurate punch with good hand-placement. He also flashes good athleticism to adjust to moving targets in space. His pass-protection skills feature a solid 45-degree set on the edge and enough athleticism ability to off-set pass-rushers along the arc. With additional pass-protection experience, Dellinger should develop into a well-rounded offensive trenchman in Baton Rouge.
8. Wyatt Milum, Ceredo (W.V.) Spring Valley
6-foot-6, 285 pounds
Committed to West Virginia
As strongly as we feel about the left tackle prospects on this, we feel just as strong about Milum as a classic right tackle. He has steady footwork and lower-half movement skills, along with fair bend ability. Milum has plus length, good strength to win early at the point and maintains control to dictate to his targets with power. Although he lacks some pass-protection experience, the future Mountaineer has a solid pass-set and mirrors well when engaged. He flashes a strong punch to stymie rushers and can trap and bury to end a rep. Milum’s most impressive at the point, where he plays to his size and with ideal nastiness and ruggedness in the run game from a right tackle.
9. Reuben Fatheree II, Richmond (Texas) Height
6-foot-8, 305 pounds
Committed to Texas A&M
Fatheree is a long and athletic offensive tackle prospect with high-end traits. He’s also a basketball standout and his movement skills translate to the offensive front. Fatheree has good redirect ability for a big man and can engulf and swallow targets on the second level. He will need to add strength to his trunk, yet he does flash some ability to drive targets off their mark in base-block situations. His length aids him in pass-protection, as he is able to keep clean on the edge while using his athleticism to mirror rushers. Fatheree still has some development to be made, yet we feel he could develop into a prototypical left tackle in College Station.
10. Michael McLaughlin, Parkland (Fla.) Marjory Stoneman Douglas
6-foot-7, 260 pounds
Committed to Miami
A former tight end, McLaughlin is off to a solid start in his transition to offensive tackle. He possesses a long frame that will be able to add substantial mass over the next several years, along with good athleticism and foot quickness. The Sunshine State native can execute short-pulls, traps and attack half a man with good angles when down blocking. He uses a classic vertical-set in pass-protection and shows steady awareness for stunts and blitzes. The Miami commit is not a finished product by any means, but projects as a solid right tackle with the capability of kicking over to left tackle later in his college career.
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