2019 Prospect Peek: Greg Little, OT, Ole Miss

Little is a top-notch athlete, but the true junior needs to show better polish.

Dane Brugler | Jul 27, 2018

Greg Little, OT, 6-6, 328, 5.12 (40 yards), junior

Expectations for 2018:

After studying his sophomore film, it is easy to see why Little was regarded as one of the best recruits out of high school. He moves very naturally for a left tackle his size and sports the athletic feet required to play the position at a high level.

Ole Miss will not go to a bowl game this season due to sanctions, but the Rebels' roster is stacked with future NFL talent. Quarterback Shea Patterson has moved on as a transfer to Michigan and the offense needs to replace a 1,000-yard rusher in Jordan Wilkins, but Ole Miss returns eight starters on that side of the ball, including Little, who started all 12 games at left tackle last season.

He boasts NFL bloodlines as the son of Derrick Little (sixth rounder in 1989 NFL Draft out of South Carolina), who was tragically murdered in 2016.

Entering the 2018 season, Little is one of the top offensive line prospects for the 2019 NFL Draft, but he has work to do if he wants to hear his name called in the top half of round one. He needs to improve on the finer points of the position because the NFL is full of top-notch athletes; it is often the detail-oriented players who get drafted top-10 and flourish.

What the 2017 tape says:

Little is a balanced knee-bender who uses leverage and natural body control to stymie rushers. His lateral athleticism easily cuts off edge speed without sacrificing pad level. He looks the part and carries 325-plus pounds very well, flashing the raw strength to hold his ground. Little does a nice job with movement to execute combination blocks and advance to the second level.

Little is still gaining experience and needs to show better polish to earn the high draft grades his natural talent suggests. His hand placement tends to get wild mid-kickslide, and he needs to better anticipate pass rush moves to counter -- he is routinely in correct position, but can be a tick late reacting.

If someone from the future told me Little went on to be a first-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft and had a Pro Bowl career, it wouldn't come as a surprise. However, he isn't quite there yet and needs to improve on those details this season to reach his full potential.

Background:

A five-star recruit out of high school, Little was a substantial part of the success at Allen (Texas) High School during his tenure, including a 46-1 record as a three-year starter and two Texas state Championships. He was widely viewed as the top offensive lineman in the 2016 recruiting class, and Rivals.com tabbed him as the No. 4 overall recruit regardless of position (Michigan's Rashan Gary, Clemson's Dexter Lawrence and Ole Miss signee Shea Patterson were the only names ahead of him). Little, Patterson and wide receiver A.J. Brown were the main reasons the Rebels earned a top-five finish in the team recruiting rankings.

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-- Mississippi State QB Nick Fitzgerald

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-- Kentucky LB Josh Allen

-- N.C. State QB Ryan Finley

-- Boston College DE Zach Allen

-- Washington LT Trey Adams

-- Auburn QB Jarrett Stidham

-- Iowa State RB David Montgomery

-- Ohio State DE Nick Bosa