SI All-American Candidate Eli Richey Highlights and Evaluation

Eli Richey is an offensive line prospect from Southern Academy in Greensboro, Ala. Richey is an SI All-American candidate.

Prospect: OL Eli Richey 

Projected Position: Offensive Guard 

Status: SI All-American candidate 

Vitals: 6-foot-5, 290 pounds 

School: Greensboro (Ala.) Southern Academy 

Considering: Georgia Tech and others

Frame: Big chest and wide shoulders. Average length. Strong trunk in lower half with big thighs and calves. 

Athleticism: Snap to whistle type. Anxious and urgent at the snap and engages quickly. Good upper-body strength and point explosion. Capable of bringing his feet and digging man out of alleys. Can climb to linebackers in his linear track. 

Instincts: Takes appropriate initial angle when asked to downblock and delivers good thump. Sustains with strength in base-block situations. At his best when short-setting in pass-protection to reduce space. Capable of using a decent power step to recover and bury when blocking half a man across the pocket. 

Polish: Plays left and right tackle. Executes mostly gap-scheme blocking concepts, via power and counter leads. Limited pass-protection reps and experience. May struggle with speed-rushers and recovery at college level. Can appear fairly heavy-footed when in space at times. 

Bottom Line: While he currently plays on the edges at left and right tackle, Richey likely will kick inside to guard at the next level. He’s a rugged trenchman with good upper-body strength and excels in phone booths.