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| Photo courtesy of Rivals.com |
1) Just look for a tall 6-foot-6 lineman or...
2) Look for an offensive tackle shoving his defender back 5-10 yards away from the play.
Schroeder isn't just one of the tallest players on the football field with his 6-foot-6 frame, he also has to be one of the quickest offensive linemen in the state with his 5.03 40-yard dash time. His speed gives him a strong get-off once the ball is snapped and enables him to lock up with his defender right away.
It's not just his quickness or tall frame that scored points for me, its also his nasty demeanor. Schroeder doesn't come off as a lineman who will pop his hands once at a defender then quit, he tries to drive his opponent either down the field or to the ground. He gets low enough to gain leverage on his defender then use his quick feet to violently drive him out.
He does get caught with wrapping his hands around a defender, which can lead to holding. One other area of concern for me is his overall strength. He's a 265-pound kid, but he reportedly bench presses 285 pounds. That may cause red flags for certain schools with wondering how his upper body strength will be when going against a faster and stronger 285-plus pound lineman at the next level. Most four-year schools will want an offensive lineman who benches well over 330 pounds. They'll likely want weight room warriors out of the linemen they're looking for.
Schroeder's athleticism, however, is what's making him noticed on the recruiting trail. His academics have also played a role in his recruitment, thanks to his 4.0 grade point average which has given him a bevy of interest from Northwestern, Harvard and Cornell. His lone offer right now is from Idaho. An off-season of developed strength and improving quickness could make him an offensive tackle in California who could explode with several offers. His size and speed already make him an intriguing offensive lineman prospect for the 2014 class.
More on Schroeder can be found here.
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