Personal Statement

I am position flexible.  I have played games at both guard positions and center the last two years.  I am comfortable at any interior position and even tackle in a pinch.

I succeed with more than size and strength.  I started 3 games as a 225-pound sophomore playing at 50+ pounds less than my opponents. I am a black-belt in taekwondo and this training has helped with my balance and footwork.  I threw shot put and discus briefly last spring until Covid-19 ended our season.

I have developed in a complex spread offense.  Our offense averaged 36 points per game this year.  We averaged over 400 yards on offense with 270 passing and 130 rushing.   We run a lot of no-huddle and tempo.  We play with QB primarily in pistol formation but occasionally under center.  Our running game is primarily wide-zone and tight-zone.  Our passing game includes a variety of screens which allows me to play downfield in space.  Athleticism, discipline, and communication are key for success as a lineman in our offense.

I play against top competition every week.  Our league, the GCL South, has been rated the 2nd best (USA Today) and 4th best (MaxPreps) league in the nation within the last couple of years.  Our top 7 opponents this past year went a combined 59-10 other than their games versus us.  Many of my highlights are against FBS-committed players.

I know what it takes to succeed.  I am proud to say that we are Ohio D1 (big school) state champions in 2020.  We beat undefeated and nationally 11th-ranked Pickerington Central 44-3 in the state championship game.  It was the biggest win in Ohio state championship history. We finished the year as the 18th-ranked team in the country (MaxPreps) and 3rd best in the Midwest (USA Today).

My development (and our success) is rooted in great coaching and competition every day in practice.  Our program has won 4 state championships in the last 16 years including 2 in the last 5 years.  Our head coach has built a culture that demands hard-work, accountability, and a team-first mindset.  I have been taught the game and great position technique.  Our program had more than 25 players on college rosters (two at Dartmouth) this past season including 10 playing FBS football.   More recently, I was matched up with our NG and MLB daily and both have committed to play football at Air Force. Practicing at this level every day gives me a great advantage.  

I am a good student and will have a great educational foundation for college.  St. Xavier is a premier college-prep school that offers more than 25 AP courses and an average ACT score of 28 across all students.   I have a 3.66 weighted GPA.  I have already passed 2 AP exams and expect 3 more by the time that I graduate.  I have superscores of 34 ACT and 1400 SAT.  I expect to pursue an undecided STEM degree.