SI All-American Candidate Damon Ollison Highlights and Evaluation
Prospect: Damon Ollison
Status: SI All-American Candidate
Vitals: 6-foot, 215 pounds
Position: Outside Linebacker
School: Akron (Ohio) Archbishop Hoban
Schools of Interest: Michigan, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Arizona State, Arkansas and Rutgers, among others.
Projected Position: Inside Linebacker
Frame: Taut and compact. Broad shoulders and wide chest. Long, chiseled arms. Short, powerful legs, with muscular trunk. Some room for more weight, but growth potential limited by lack of height and existing commitment to strength training.
Athleticism: Very good feet. Moves well in short areas, stuttering and chopping through traffic. Good speed and closing burst. Shows some hip flexibility. Powerful. Packs punch as a tackler. Impressive leaper. Questionable hands.
Instincts: Decisive. Quick to diagnose. Loves attacking downhill. Clear sense of timing and anticipation; blocked multiple punts as a junior. Prefers to shed blockers rather than sit and plug hole. Comfortable dropping into coverage.
Polish: Sound tackler; squares shoulders to ball and arrives with power. Times blitzes well. Occasionally fooled by play-action, but has speed and fluidity to recover. Must prove he can anchor in hole.
Bottom Line: Ollison is a powerful, attacking linebacker who has the foot speed to be effective in coverage. Best in the middle due to lack of length and pass-rushing tools. Assuming he settles in around 230 pounds, potential multi-year starter for Power-5 program.