SCOOPHD: A Growing Lead

GONZALES, La. - In his first year at East Ascension high there were plenty of expectations placed at the feet of Rivals250 offensive tackle Adrian Ealy. The 6-foot-7, 282-pound Ealy elected to transfer to EAHS as a senior, following three years as a starter at Baton Rouge University, as part of his plan to graduate in December.

But with that decision now in the rearview mirror he has begun his season for Ascension and continued on Friday night against an undefeated Baton Rouge Scotlandville team.

And though the Spartans came up short, to the tune of 34-20, it wasn't for lack of work from their starting left tackle.

On the night Ealy, with his tremendous length, and natural athleticism in his lower body looked dominant in pass blocking. That explosion and natural bend at his knees, on occasion, left him ahead of the attacking defender - opening an alley to his inside shoulder. In run blocking Ealy could sometimes be a bit high but when he pulls or has to get to the second level that athleticism, again, is an overwhelming presence that allows him to bury defenders.

That issue can also, somewhat, be attributed to, the reality that Ealy can let his feet go quiet sometimes and get beaten by a pass rusher's second move.

As he continues to fill out and works on his initial punch, his ability to win at the point of contact will develop quickly thanks to his feet and willingness to drive them after contact.

As some evidence of the strengths and areas of growth for his game, much of Ascension's success when running to the right - opposite of Ealy - but in a similarly unanimous fashion was his role as a pulling blocker for much of their success.

So while Ealy may not be the refined player he'll need to become his massive frame, elite athleticism, and real potential make it clear why he is the nation's No. 20 offensive tackle with a massive list of offers.

*Central Florida defensive end commitment Justin Harris is another guy who has the prototypical size that schools are looking for and though at times he got caught cheating inside he has some athletic ability to make plays on the edge - particularly in the run game.

*Another player who more than passed the eyeball test was 2018 offensive tackle Cameron Wire who, at 6-foot-7, looks incredibly lean even at 260-pounds. If he can continue fill out his length could make him a very real prospect in 12 months time.

*Not surprisingly an undefeated Scotlandville team had plenty of talent of their own, led by seniors Levi Lewis a Louisiana-Lafayette commitment, as well as UTSA offensive line commitment Brian Thomas. Lewis is a playmaking quarterback while Thomas showed some ability working along both lines of scrimmage. Another senior definitely worth of notoriety is tight end/outside linebacker Triston Brown who mixes a sturdy build with some natural playmaking ability.

*In the 2018 class Raymond Pope also has the size and talent to work on the interior of the line. At 6-foot-4 and 280-pounds Pope moves a pile and shows the footwork to be a strong interior blocker.