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Top 10 interior offensive linemen in the final 2024 On300 rankings

Collin-headshotby:Collin Ginnan02/03/24

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On3 has released its final recruiting ranking for the 2024 class. This final update comes after the end of the high school playoffs and postseason All-American games, where top prospects across the country faced off in a week of practices and ended with nationally televised games.

These are the top 10 interior offensive linemen in the final 2024 On300 rankings.

1. Cooper Cousins — Penn State signee

Penn State offensive line recruit Cooper Cousins
Future Penn State offensive lineman Cooper Cousins made another big move in the On300. (Credit: Ryan Snyder | Blue White Illustrated)

School: Erie (Pa.) McDowell
On300 Ranking: No. 27
On3 NIL Valuation: $152K

Scouting Summary: Cooper Cousins is a big, physical offensive lineman with the skills and positional versatility to be a game-changer along the interior. Measured in at north of 6-foot-6 and around 305 pounds prior to his senior season. Has solid length for an interior offensive lineman with arms over 33 inches. Has a rock solid build without much bad weight. Has seen significant action as a high school center and enters college with advanced skills for the position. A weapon in the run game. Overwhelms smaller defensive linemen at the point of attack. Has good bend and flexibility that he uses to get underneath defenders. Uses his core strength to drive through and uproot defensive linemen with his blocks.

“Naturally strong and shows a powerful punch. Moves well when working to the second level. Backs up the movement on film with solid athleticism in the combine setting. Also seeing time on the defensive line as a senior, making plays behind the line of scrimmage due to his strength and movement skills. Has a high floor and notable upside as a big center prospect who would give an offensive line a big, physical presence in the run game. Could also line up at guard or tackle depending on need. Will need to adjust to an uptick in competition but has the build and physical development to potentially contribute early in his college career.”

2. Casey Poe — Alabama signee

Casey Poe Alabama Crimson Tide
Alabama OL commit Casey Poe on his official visit with the Crimson Tide. (Photo courtesy of Poe)

School: Lindale (Texas)
On300 Ranking: No. 48
On3 NIL Valuation: $193K

Scouting Summary: Casey Poe is a rock solid interior offensive line prospect with an outstanding combination of functional strength and movement skills. Measured a shade under 6-foot-5 and around 290 pounds prior to his senior season. Arms check in a shade under 33 inches, with his hands measuring between 10.5 and 11 inches. Touts a terrific build with his weight evenly distributed throughout his frame. Has continued to add good mass over his high school career. Paves the way for an aggressive downhill running game at his high school, primarily lining up at left tackle and left guard. Shows suddenness in his initial movements.

“Drives off the snap with very good flexibility and bend. Plays low and understands leverage, getting underneath the pads of defensive linemen. Has pop and violence in his hands at the point of attack. Plays with physicality and tenacity as a run blocker. Lacks ideal length to play tackle at the next level, but has the reactive quickness and control to be a plus pass blocker along the interior. Could potentially play tackle in a pinch. Doubles as a top track athlete, winning a state title in the shot put as a sophomore, with a personal best throw of 57-4.5 feet. One of the cleaner offensive line prospects in the 2024 cycle with a very high floor.”

3. Grant Brix — Nebraska signee

School: Logan (Iowa) Logan-Magnolia
On300 Ranking: No. 63
On3 NIL Valuation: $191K

Scouting Summary: Grant Brix is an aggressive offensive lineman with high-end functional movement skills that are among the best at the position in the 2024 cycle. Measured at close to 6-foot-6, 290 pounds. Has good length, particularly for the interior with a 33.75-inch arm. Plays in a downhill, run heavy offensive scheme for a small high school. One of the better movers among top 2024 offensive linemen. Light-footed and moves like a smaller player. Looks like a tight end at times. Fires off the ball with vigor.

“Works to finish blocks with authority once engaged. A dominant blocker at the second level. Stalks down and plants linebackers into the ground. Does what he wants against the competition for the most part. Has an encouraging multi-sport profile. A three-sport athlete as a good wrestler and state finalist in the shot put with a personal best of 50-2.5 feet. Does not face top competition and will need to continue developing in pass protection at the next level. Likely projects inside given his skill set.”

4. Emerson Mandell — Wisconsin signee

Emerson Mandell
Emerson Mandell/Instagram

School: Saint Paul (Minn.) Irondale
On300 Ranking: No. 81
On3 NIL Valuation: $83K

Scouting Summary: Emerson Mandell is a mauling presence along the interior. Has a case as the best pure drive blocker on film in the 2024 cycle. Measures as one of the biggest interior offensive linemen in the cycle, checking in at over 6-foot-5, 325 pounds prior to his senior season. Has plus length for an offensive line prospect with arms over 34 inches and a big frame that he’s continued to fill out over the years. Primarily lines up at right guard in a run-heavy offense. Has also played on the left side. Typically towers over everyone else. A twitchy, explosive mover.

“Fires off the snap and blows up outmatched defenders with regularity. Comes off of the ball with great bend and plays with excellent pad level. A pure people mover. Fires through his hips. Rag dolls defenders at the point of attack. Shows strong finishing ability. Also flashes his athleticism as a defensive lineman. Doubles as a standout in track and field. Finished fourth in the state finals in the shot put, with a 54-10.5 foot throw, an elite mark for an offensive line prospect. Will see an uptick in competition at the college level and will need to hone his pass set. One of the more gifted and physically-developed interior offensive linemen in the 2024 cycle.”

5. Anthonie Knapp — Notre Dame signee

Anthonie Knapp
2024 OL Anthonie Knapp (Photo provided)

School: Roswell (Ga.)
On300 Ranking: No. 97
On3 NIL Valuation: $95K

Scouting Summary: Anthonie Knapp is a versatile, athletic offensive line prospect with a strong combination of movement skills, technical ability and physicality. Measured in at over 6-foot-4 and around 270 pounds prior to his senior season. Has added substantial mass over the course of his high school career. Has a multi-sport background and moved to offensive line as a sophomore. Arms measure a shade under 33-inches along with 10-inch hands. Has the look of an ascending prospect. Put together some of the best senior film at the position in the 2024 cycle. Lines up at left tackle for his high school. An athletic, nimble mover. Has very good ankle flexion. Shows dominant tendencies as a run blocker, getting a considerable push. Gets low and explodes through his hips. Shows good hand placement and grip strength to move defenders where he wants. Runs his feet once engaged, often driving defenders well downfield. Has significant pop in his hands.

“Stuns defenders to put them off balance. Experienced and reliable in pass protection. Plays with good technique, getting depth in his pass sets. Overall, very technically sound and has benefited from working with a former Power 5 offensive line coach at his high school. Plays tackle in high school and could play there in college but his length and skill set points to his highest upside on the interior. Could feasibly play all five spots on the offensive line. Will need to continue adding mass, particularly in his lower body to aid in his anchor.”

6. William Sanders — Alabama signee

William Sanders Alabama
William Sanders during unofficial visit to Alabama in June.

School: Brookwood (Ala.)
On300 Ranking: No. 100
On3 NIL Valuation: $142K

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Scouting Summary: William Sanders is a powerful, violent road grader who has upside as a multifaceted interior offensive lineman. Has a rock solid build at 6-foot-3, 295 pounds. Sports a big frame with plus length for the position. Measured in with 34.5-inch arms and 10.5-inch hands prior to his senior season. Has lined up at both tackle and guard for his high school. Projects inside at the next level. A weapon in the run game. Highly effective as a puller when working to the second level. Identifies and detonates on defenders while on the move. Shows pop in his hands.

“Plays with a natural core strength and flexibility that allows him to fire up through defenders on contact. High school employs a run-heavy offense. Will need to gain experience in pass protection but has all the tools to be very good in that regard with college level coaching and technique work. Had some strong performances in 1-on-1’s in the camp setting as a pass protector. Has an encouraging athletic profile. Threw 48-6.5 feet in the shot put in his first year of track and field as a junior. Also plays basketball.

7. Elyjah Thurmon — Clemson signee

Thurmon
Photo: On3

School: Hinesville (Ga.) Bradewell Institute
On300 Ranking: No. 114
On3 NIL Valuation: $126K

Polynesian Bowl Top Performer: “Clemson signee Elyjah Thurmon had what looked to be the cleanest game among the offensive linemen. The interior offensive line prospect was strong in run game, generating a push. Thurmon plays with excellent leverage and is always under control.” – Charles Power

8. Gabe VanSickle — Ohio State signee

School: Coopersville (Mich.)
On300 Ranking: No. 126
On3 NIL Valuation: $82K

Matt Parker’s take on Gabe VanSickle: “His 6-foot-5 frame impresses as he’s able to move pretty quickly on the field. The thing that sticks out most when looking at VanSickle is just how violently he plays. That’s something that now all four of the Buckeyes offensive line commits bring to the table. Running feet through blocks, finishing and playing until the whistle. There’s a real nasty streak when it comes to VanSickle and that’s something Ohio State needs as it continues to retool its offensive line room.”

9. Eugene Brooks — Oklahoma signee

Sooners OL Eugene Brooks
Eugene Brooks. Photo by: Josh McCuistion – SoonerScoop.com/On3

School: Chatsworth (Calif.) Sierra Canyon
On300 Ranking: No. 182
On3 NIL Valuation: $126K

Scouting Take: Eugene Brooks had a phenomenal showing at the Under Armour All-America Game. I think he was probably the strongest interior offensive lineman we saw at the point of attack. He’s just a bull on contact. Really was able to stone defensive linemen once he was able to get his hands on them and had a really good showing. Brooks has kind of transformed his body over the past year or so — cut a ton of weight, probably 60 pounds and is just moving much better. He’s a guy who is very explosive in short areas, strong, just has explosive power.

“He is a great shot-putter and just has a lot of natural play strength. Going to need to continue improving athletically and not overly long, but he’s just a rock-solid guard propsect and one who certainly helped himself in Orlando.” – Charles Power

10. Nathan Roy — Minnesota signee

Mukwonago lineman Nathan Roy (77) makes a hole for running back Wynn Stang (21) during the game at home against Muskego on Friday, Sept. 16, 2022. Mukwonago17 0742

School: Mukwonago (Wis.)
On300 Ranking: No. 187
On3 NIL Valuation: $88K

Scouting Summary: Nathan Roy is an explosive, athletic offensive lineman with the ability to be a mauling weapon in the run game. Has unverified size, but is listed at around 6-foot-5, 275 pounds. Moves at a different speed than most top offensive line prospects. A twitchy athlete who runs at the speed of a skill player once at the second level. A very strong run blocker. Caves in his side of the line as a point-of-attack blocker. Plays with advanced technique. Understands hand placement. Locks onto defenders and has the core strength to generate a big push, often resulting in pancake finishes. Shows good flexibility in staying low against shorter defensive linemen. Has the upside to be a game-changer as a puller at the second level.

“Owns a very strong multi-sport profile as a three sport athlete. Outstanding as a thrower in track, with a personal best of over 58 feet in the shot put. Also plays basketball and has some above-the-rim bounce, which is rare for an offensive line prospect. Unverified length and the fact he’s further along as a run blocker leads to some ambiguity around his ultimate position. Could slide inside long-term. Does not play top competition on Friday nights and may need some time to adjust to blocking Power 5 defensive linemen, but has the tools to be one of the better offensive line prospects in the 2024 cycle.”