2020 OT Connor McLaughlin Receives Offer, Aims For Summer Visit

Matthew_Suero
3 min read
Last December, Miami signed OT Zion Nelson, who weighed just 240 pounds. While this move was highly-criticized at the time, Nelson is finishing spring practice as a member of the first team unit. With the Nelson experiment looking like a success so far, Miami has decided to recruit more undersized offensive linemen this cycle. The newest of these recruits to receive an offer is Tampa Jesuit OT Connor McLaughlin. This 6’7’’ 260-pound tackle was only offered by Miami a week ago, but there has been communication for a few weeks now.

“I have talked to Coach Barry for a week, and I talk to him the most. However, I have talked to Pop Cooney a little bit too.”

OL Coach Butch Barry has mentioned in the past that he prefers to build his linemen up rather than having to slim them down, and this is what he is selling McLaughlin on.

“How I’d fit into the program as a lengthy tackle and how I’d take a bit more time to develop, but with my length, could be a really good player.”

This message appears to hit home with McLaughlin.

“I like that a lot. Knowing that a former NFL coach would coach me, a guy who really knows how to teach long tackles is very important to me.”

Some players would feel uncomfortable being told that they are more of a project, but not McLaughlin. Here is what he said when asked if he was fine with that role.

“Yes because I like having to work for something. It will be worth it at a bigger school.”

McLaughlin has yet to visit Miami, but he plans on making the trip down sometime early in the summer. One thing that he does know is that his former teammate and 2019 Miami tight end signee Larry Hodges likes Miami.

“He just likes the coaches and vibes a lot, but we haven’t talked about the offense they run.”

Even for someone who has never taken a visit to Miami and was just recently offered, the turn-around under head coach Manny Diaz has been clear and noticeable

“I don’t know coach Diaz, but he seems cool, and he’s done a full 180 with the culture. That’s the first step, and he’s done it very well.”

Right now, the schools recruiting McLaughlin the hardest are Northwestern, Vanderbilt, Duke, Miami, and his father’s alma mater, Wake Forest. Despite growing up a Wake Forest fan, McLaughlin claims that he has no leaders. McLaughlin plans on taking summer official visits and them making a decision before the July dead period.

 

Comments (32)

Really good footwork in his film. Like that Barry is recruiting OL that can move rather than the 330 lb fat kids that want to say they have a mean streak when the rub their fat bellies into the 190 lb HS DL that they pancaked. McLaughlin plays at a high level of competition for a well coached team that requires real academics. Notice in his film how he moves to make key blocks at the impact point of a play. Notice how he will make two blocks on the same play. Notice his large frame that he can grow into and lack of a gut. Hope we get him. Really hope we get the kids from Michigan and Colorado as well as several out of states that Enos and Barry have identified..
 
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247 just moved him up in their rankings. Hopefully we can knock the visit out the park when it come. Pairing him with Rivers would be big for Coach Berry.

OT Connor McLaughlin, Tampa (Fla.) Jesuit–If you watched the first two days of the NFL Draft last week, you may have noticed that many of the offensive linemen to come off the board fit a similar profile as high school prospects- lean and athletic with the ability to move at the second level without sacrificing physicality. That's what we see in McLaughlin, who has a desirable combination of frame and room for growth at 6-foot-7 260 pounds and athleticism. The Sunshine State lineman has significant physical upside but is already a strong player, excelling from a movement perspective in addition to playing with very good pad level and physicality in finishing blocks. McLaughlin has added recent offers from Miami and Nebraska and has Northwestern, Iowa and Duke in the mix. He's set to make his way to Evanston for an official visit on May 17.
The move: McLaughlin makes a big move from a three-star prospect with a grade of 84 up to no. 183 overall, making him the no. 11 offensive tackle in the 2020 cycle.
 
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Visited NW twice already.
Hope he ain’t a gator fan. They’ll jump on him with the rankings boost.
Hope he love his visit down here.
 
I doubt we get Denis, that kid said on twitter months ago he feels he should be playing in the SEC
 
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I doubt we get Denis, that kid said on twitter months ago he feels he should be playing in the SEC

Agree here. Although it look like he might recommit a few weeks ago, he has recently been adding new SEC teams to his “Top Group” of schools.
 
Shouldn’t have to leave the state for OL with Walker, Rivers, McLaughlin, Mincey, Denis, and Leonard all from Florida.

It will be tight landing more than one. I am guessing the following.

Walker - USCe ( they drop an even bigger bag)
Rivers - UF ( proximity to Jacksonville wins out)
McLaughlin - NW (can't fault the kid)
Mincey - UF
Denis - whichever $EC wins the silent auction
Leonard - FSU (Cocoa kids are about that bag life, an FSU is know for securing the bag)

It sounds like UM will get 2020 OT Michael Rankins

Go Canes
 
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It will be tight landing more than one. I am guessing the following.

Walker - USCe ( they drop an even bigger bag)
Rivers - UF ( proximity to Jacksonville wins out)
McLaughlin - NW (can't fault the kid)
Mincey - UF
Denis - whichever $EC wins the silent auction
Leonard - FSU (Cocoa kids are about that bag life, an FSU is know for securing the bag)

It sounds like UM will get 2020 OT Michael Rankins

Go Canes
That would be disastrous. We better get at least 2 on that list.
 
It will be tight landing more than one. I am guessing the following.

Walker - USCe ( they drop an even bigger bag)
Rivers - UF ( proximity to Jacksonville wins out)
McLaughlin - NW (can't fault the kid)
Mincey - UF
Denis - whichever $EC wins the silent auction
Leonard - FSU (Cocoa kids are about that bag life, an FSU is know for securing the bag)

It sounds like UM will get 2020 OT Michael Rankins

Go Canes

Nah, I don't think UM misses on all of those above. 1-3 of that top group for sure. Berry/Enos seem to be making an impressions, and (knock on wood) the offense only can head one direction!
 
It will be tight landing more than one. I am guessing the following.

Walker - USCe ( they drop an even bigger bag)
Rivers - UF ( proximity to Jacksonville wins out)
McLaughlin - NW (can't fault the kid)
Mincey - UF
Denis - whichever $EC wins the silent auction
Leonard - FSU (Cocoa kids are about that bag life, an FSU is know for securing the bag)

It sounds like UM will get 2020 OT Michael Rankins

Go Canes
We can’t strike out on everyone on top of our board unless we play absolute 💩 on field. If we do well on the field then it will be realistic for Rivers and/or Dennis to end up in this class.
 
Rivers committed so that is good. Like Rankins film. Really want McLughlin. Walker is a take but IMO in that he is local, though not in the range of an Evan Neal.
 
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