Wahooze on the Trail: Offensive Line

Wahooze on the Trail continues with a look at the big men in the trenches, the Offensive line. UVA is coming off a good year recruiting wise, so the O-Line might not get the kind of attention it did in recruiting last season. That being said there are some good names that the Hoos are targeting on the line this season. It appears that most of the targeting will remain in state however as the coaching staff seems to prefer getting lower level in state kids to develop rather than chasing the big time out of state names. That being said since the list is so small there are a few other out of state targets on the list this year. Enough talk, let’s get into it.

Parker Osterloh                                6-6 270lbs.          Williamsburg, VA            Warhill

                Osterloh is the top lineman in Virginia in what is an exceptionally shallow class. A very tall tackle, Osterloh has excellent mobility for a kid his size. Most of his highlights are in run blocking where his mobility can be used to his advantage. The way the offense at UVA tends to be going though, he will be used more in pass protection. His height could work to a disadvantage in that regard as he will have a tougher time getting down to gain leverage. However the coaching staff seems to love his footwork and his pass protection abilities. I have nothing but confidence in the staff to both fill out his frame and improve his technique to make him a dominant pass blocker as well as run blocker. He has the mobility that you really can’t teach for a kid his size.  Osterloh currently has offers from VT and UVA as well as JMU. He is drawing some interest from out of state schools, but as he is not a dominant, national level talent I don’t expect him to get out of Virginia. I think UVA is in great shape here for an in state battle with the Hokies.

Probable Destination: UVA. I think there are several reasons UVA will win out but the most important is development. UVA is starting to become known for developing offensive linemen. Look at just the last 7 years. We have had 3 linemen drafted in the first round, (Ferguson, Albert, Monroe) and produced multiple other successful lineman, (Paztor, Barker) and now two bookends that will most likely end up in the NFL (Moses, Aboushi). It’s hard to turn down that kind of success.

Braxton Pfaff                                     6-5 290lbs.          Lynchburg, VA                   Liberty Christian

                That school sound familiar? Yes that is where Mike Rocco went when he was in school. Will that be a factor? Maybe. As of now it looks like this is going to turn into a battle once again between the in state schools.  That being said thanks to his proximity to Charlottesville and his relationship with the Rocco’s Pfaff has made a ton of visits to UVA for football games and seems to love the atmosphere. Will that work in the Hoos favor. I think absolutely. Pfaff will most likely be in the 3 star range but has a ton of potential to develop. This seems to be exactly the kind of lineman that the coaching staff wants to acquire and develop.

Probable Destination: UVA. I think the connection with the Rocco’s is too strong to pass up. Barring a good pitch from Richmond Pfaff should join the fold.

Mike McGlinchey                            6-9 280lbs.          Philadelphia, PA              William Penn Charter

                McGlinchey is one of the big out of state targets for this season. He has incredible size already for a junior and is drawing interest from some big time programs. McGlinchey holds offers from such powerhouses as Florida, Michigan, and Wisconsin, not to mention both Pitt and Penn State. If UVA is to land this big fish they are going to need to have a lot of breaks. One of which could come tomorrow when he is here for Junior Day. Surprisingly McGlinchey looks very lean for 280 pounds which makes his potential that much higher. UVA will have to sell its line development well and hope for the best.

Probable Destination: Boston College. Surprisingly I think BC has a pretty reasonable shot here. McGlinchey has visited twice already and seems to enjoy it. He wants to get this done early so any lead BC has will be to their advantage.

John Montelus                                 6-5 295lbs.          Everett, MA                       Everett

                Montelus is the other big time out of state prospect the Hoos have offered. While there is mutual interest I think there is much more from the UVA side than from Montelus. Just how much traction they get could be a big factor, especially since some big school like USC are about to come knocking on his door. The leader in the clubhouse appears to be BC at this point but it will quickly turn into hometown vs. big time. I think that sadly might eliminate the Hoos from contention. That being said Montelus would be a great prospect to get. Already a solid size he is the kind of player that could in theory see some PT as a true freshman. Think Morgan Moses but smaller. Wherever he goes he has a chance to step in right away and be good. That will have to be the angle UVA sells him on, but how many other schools can do that?

Probable Destination:  West Virginia. I'm not entirely sure why but they seem to be taking the lead. They are relatively close to him but not a "local" option by any means. If Montelus sees them as an up and coming program, which isn't unfortunately that far off, he might want to get in for the ride.

Marcell Lazard                                  6-6 293lbs.          Bloomfield, NJ                  Bloomfield

                Lazard is most likely going to be a 3 star recruit out of New Jersey, but has already received some big offers, but interestingly not one from in state Rutgers.  Recently Lazard listed his top two as Miami and West Virginia, with UConn, Michigan, and Virginia as other possibilities. UVa obviously has some work to do in this department but is still right there. The one thing the Hoos do have in their favor is that Lazard wants to go to a good academic school and the pending investigation surrounding the Miami program. That being said I think Miami will be tough to beat in the end. Lazard has the ideal size for the position and would be a great prospect for anyone to get.

Probable Destination: Miami. Barring the university getting shut down I think the tradition, academics, and coaching is going to be too much to overcome.

Brandon Kublanow                         6-3 290lbs.          Marietta, GA                     Walton

                Kublanow is the only prospect the Hoos are looking at that plays guard. He is the number 243 player in the Class of 2013 and also has some big offers. In addition to UVA Kublanow has offers from Vandy, Florida, and of course Georgia. It looks like the Dawgs are going to be mighty tough to beat. However Kublanow has listed two main factors, academics and winning. This could help UVA’s chances if they put together a solid season, but as of now this is looking like a long shot.

Probable Destination: Georgia. It has to be. The dawgs are on the upswing again and have the state on lockdown. Good luck getting him out of there.