Designated by the Mayans as a year of doom, in recruiting circles, it’s a year of plenty and prosperity in the market for offensive linemen.
In spite of the bounty the Ducks have gone bust in their search for big guys this recruiting cycle. Zach Banner, Josh Garnett, Andrus Peat, Kyle Murphy and others have passed through town or exchanged a few phone calls before crossing the Ducks off their lists for one reason or another Four and five star wonderkinds shot across the sky and landed in another back yard, Murphy and Garnett to Stanford, Banner to USC. One by one they passed on the Ducks, wanting a different academic challenge or drier weather or a bigger town.
Sometimes, not getting want you want is a stroke of luck. Shane Brostek, a 6-3, 300-lb. lineman from Hawaii Prep Academy, may wind up being better than all the big names.
Photo left: Brostek won’t replace LaMichael James, but he may pave the way for Byron Marshall and Tra Carson if the Mayans are wrong about the future.
He’s the son of an 8-year NFL veteran, Bern Brostek, and the state gold medal winner in the shot and discus. He’s smart and athletic, moves extremely well for his size, and his father is also his high school coach, making him a competitive, sharp, well-tutored lineman who’s a bit under the radar because he plays on an island with a population of 150,000.
Hawaii Prep was the school of Oregon great Max Unger and the elder Brostek coached him also. One problem: Brostek is a former Husky, a star at Washington, and some say the son is a Dawg legacy. But the family, which has kept an extremely low profile in the recruiting frenzy, insists that all options are open.
And Oregon has proven to be a great option for smart, mobile linemen who want to excel in college and prepare for a shot at the NFL.
The video available on Shane is from his freshman and sophomore years, but it shows some good things:
Scouting Notes:
:12 Takes a carry at fullback and a play or two at linebacker; indicating he has good agility and explosiveness for his size, good feet.
:18 Drives his man out of the play and stays on him. Good leverage and control, hands inside the shoulder pads. Has been well-coached by his father, an 8-year NFL offensive lineman.
:28 Can take on another big body. Tremendous strength and a powerful base. Like a lot of young lineman he tends to work a little high, keeping in mind this is a freshman and sophomore highlight tape, taken at ground level with one camera.
:34 Gets a push in run blocking and moves his man off the line.
:48 Very effective in short yardage situations, the SEC-style physical confrontations. Extends his arms and gets the defender off the line of scrimmage. A competitor. His track background has improved his agility and explosion. Understands competition and gathering his energy for a supreme effort.
:55 Great energy on the field. Works upfield and can block at the second level. A good fit for the Oregon scheme that requires smart, mobile lineman like Max Unger, who went to the same school and also played for Brostek’s father. In turn, the Oregon system will improve his conditioning and agility and ready him for the NFL. A natural at guard or center.
1:02 pulls out on the off tackle play and he is plenty quick, able to lead block for a quick tailback, essential because Oregon has a couple of those.
1:50 Puts his man on the ground. Good aggressiveness for a gentle giant. Able to block smaller defenders in space, much needed in zone blocking. Can get out ahead of the play and block on the perimeter and the second level.
1:56 Lined up at left tackle, turns the edge defender upfield and out away from the play for a big gain. Uses the end’s momentum to neutralize him completely and destroy contain.
2:00 Still blocking his man 15 yards upfield, displaying tenacity and excellent coordination for a big man. The shotput and discus state championships are further evidence of his athletic ability and drive. He’s just a baby bull in this tape but you can see the potential.
2:04 Again at left tackle, caves in the weakside in run blocking. Good explosion and drive off the line. A nice, low stance and fire for a young, big player, better coordination and setup than Zach Banner in the same weight class, truth be told.
2:16 Good slide step inside on the off tackle play. He’s working against smaller defenders in this tape but doesn’t give up anything in quickness and agility. Good footwork. Greatwood could refine him in quick time, make him a part of a cohesive unit. Has a good grasp of fundamentals and a solid foundation. They like to redshirt offensive linemen at Oregon but Brostek has the size, technique and sound coaching to contribute early and start three years. Understands team line play and can execute a variety of assignments, slide step, kick out, pull, straight ahead.
2:22 Sustains his blocks and his effort through the play and gives his runner time to make a move and find a seam. Has the smarts to know when to let go of a guy and avoid a penalty. Good awareness of where he is on the field and where the ball carrier is. Won’t negate a good gain with a stupid flag.
2:28 Pulls all the way around the right end leading a play, and does so with good speed for his size, a big truck with extra gears, a pretty fearsome sight for a linebacker or cornerback assigned to protect the corner or turn a play in. Has good body control squaring up on a target, levels him.
2:52 Even as a freshman he could pull and lead a play. Finds the correct target and blasts him, blocking ten yards upfield. Takes pride in team accomplishments and understands his role. Good work ethic on the field. Runs very well, better than Armstead with the same dimensions. A sleeper who’s gotten good instruction very early, underrated like many players from the islands. Advantage too that he’s faced good competition in a region with tremendous football and family pride, and faced big defenders in high school competition.
3:05 Another play from left tackle with Brostek pulling, and he moves extremely well taking on the linebacker, remarkably agile for a kid probably 6-3 250 as a freshman. Dwarfs everyone on the field but could hold his own in a pickup basketball game as far as getting up and down the floor. His pull and trap-blocking experience gives him an advantage adjusting to college ball.
3:28 A pretty sophisticated blocking scheme for a freshman, guard and tackle pulling, and his execution is excellent. Blocks the right guy. This important because the Oregon system requires linemen to make reads and work as a unit, adjusting to the defensive alignment without a huddle. Shane’s had pro-style teaching and understands sophisticated concepts and applies them on the fly. The Ducks need linemen who can think and work cohesively. He’s a great fit that way.
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