Nolan Rumler blocking
[David Nasternak]

Future Blue Originals: Nolan Rumler Comment Count

Adam Schnepp October 10th, 2018 at 1:00 PM

Previously: Hello post

A one-week reprieve from breaking down film of a lineman sees us turn our focus that direction once again, this time to the offensive side of the ball and four-star 2019 OH OL Nolan Rumler. David filmed this game in early September, and I regret to inform you that I have scoured my texts and cannot find any sign of what restaurant he tried on this trip. Just like that, an emerging FBO tradition is squashed. [Edit: David just texted me that it was City BBQ] Also squashed that evening was Wayne, Archbishop Hoban’s opponent, 47-28. That’s not surprising given that MaxPreps has Archbishop Hoban ranked 47th in the nation and third in Ohio and Wayne 332nd overall and 25th in Ohio.

Rumler committed so long ago that his Hello post leads with a photo of him and Tim Drevno and features a good deal of speculative scouting, noting what he’s good at while also feeling the need to include how he might develop. This makes him an excellent candidate for a senior-season FBO. All you have to do is…

[…hit THE JUMP]

Every-Snap Film:

[#70, usually LT but occasionally LG]

Scouting:

It’s clear from the first couple of snaps that Rumler is physical and finishes his blocks in the run game, as seen again at 1:00 or, more emphatically, 10:16. He shows off the strength when blocking down to steer a guy down the line at 1:35 and 1:47, opening a big gap in his wake. Rumler’s hand placement is excellent, and his grip strength is the best I’ve seen this season. Over and over he would get his outside hand under the defender’s shoulder pad and his inside hand on the defender’s pec, which allows him to direct where the defender goes. For a few examples, check the plays at 4:22, 4:33, and 9:57. Just about every play from 9:20 on shows his upside as a run blocker.

Archbishop Hoban’s offense passed more than is typical for the high school offenses we’ve been scouting, which gives us a good look at what is usually the weakness of high school linemen. At 1:49 the defensive lineman got his punch off at the right time and rocked Rumler back, but he’s strong enough that with feet the right width apart and a little bend, he was able to absorb the hit and fire back. Rumler shows some speed off the snap at 2:46, pulling around the tight end and getting to the second level in time to meet a linebacker; the force of impact doesn’t knock over the linebacker, so Rumler uses his upper body strength to throw him to the turf. He’s especially quick off the ball in the run game but not necessarily to the second level, though better conditioning should help him with second-level blocks. He did show every sign of knowing who he was supposed to be blocking once he got past the line, though.

At 3:18 you can see that Rumler’s footwork in pass-pro isn’t great for a tackle. By the 8:02 mark you can see that he’s winning his pass-pro reps by virtue of his hands and vastly superior strength. He’s slated to play on the interior at Michigan and I don’t see that changing. Rumler does show good lateral movement in pass protection, as at 7:59. I thought he wasn’t using his hips to generate additional power; if you’re an OL guru, I’d be interested to hear your thoughts. Rumler has a tendency to stand up fairly quickly on double teams, which makes his aiming point (shoulder) higher than the ideal target, the hip. There’s an example at 9:54. This is obviously pretty nit-picky, as it’s something a little coaching and practice should clean up and will make him a more effective guard.

Summary:

Rumler is an excellent run blocker with remarkably consistent hand placement and the best grip strength I’ve seen yet from a high schooler; if Rumler gets his hands on a defender, he gets one under a shoulder pad and doesn’t let go until he chooses. He’s quick off the snap but can get upright too quickly, though he doesn’t lose reps at this level because he’s so much stronger than everyone else. Rumler is very physical in the run game and finishes through the whistle.

His pass protection footwork showed some areas for improvement, particularly on his kick step. He did display lateral quickness, but I think his size, length, and athleticism make him a higher-ceiling prospect at guard than tackle; this is not a huge surprise.

Overall, Rumler is what you picture when someone mentions a road-grading guard. He has the strength, hand technique, and tenacity to excel as a Division I guard, and his size—6’4”, around 300 pounds—is ideal. Assuming he sticks at guard, there are no obvious weaknesses in Rumler’s game that cannot be solved with time and coaching, and there is upside derived from his strength and hands that most offensive linemen don’t have.

Comments

Section 1.8

October 10th, 2018 at 2:36 PM ^

Archbishop Hoban has such great uniforms for a high school.  Looks like something that Navy might come up with.

What's with the anchor-symbolism helmet logos... in that great shipping port, Akron?

Section 1.8

October 10th, 2018 at 3:44 PM ^

"Archbishop" should have given me a clue, but it didn't.  Your post was the clue for me.  And I quickly got to this helpful webpage that filled me in on Roman Catholic symbolism involving anchors and archbishops.

Many thanks, and very interesting.  Where else have you seen Archbishop/anchor symbolism popularly displayed?