Tackle recruiting has been a problem for the Kentucky football program in recent cycles. A top goal for new offensive line coach Eric Wolford was to help the Wildcats alleviate that problem. A big step in the right direction was taken on Sunday.
Following his official visit to Lexington, Paw Paw (Mich.) High senior Darrin Strey decided to end his recruitment with a commitment to Kentucky.
Kentucky’s latest commitment in the 2025 class addresses a big need for the Wildcats. Strey is a true left tackle prospect with size, power, and movement skills. KSR’s Film Room is taking a closer look at Strey’s junior tape to see what the top-500 recruit will add to the offense in Lexington.
Movement skills
Darrin Strey is a multi-sport athlete playing center on the basketball team while throwing shot and discus for the track and field team. Spending time with those three sports seems to have made the three-star recruit a well-rounded athlete. That shows up on tape.
At 6-foot-6 and 295 pounds, Strey moves very well for his size.
On gap scheme runs, the right tackle shows the foot speed to get outside on a sweep play and the mobility to get downhill on a GT counter. The big guy can move at nearly 300 pounds and does a good job of bending his knees and exploding through the block once locked onto smaller defenders. These movement skills should translate.
Strey will bring some value as a puller in the gap scheme run game, and those athletic traits should show in pass protection. The latest Kentucky offensive line commit is a well-rounded athlete who is flexible and can move. That and his size should translate to the next level.
Flexibility equals power
When looking at tackle prospects who are in the 6-foot-6 to 6-foot-7 range, it is important to monitor pad level. It can be hard for players of this size to play with proper flexibility. Football is quite often a game of leverage, and that can be hard to achieve if tackle prospects are unable to bend.
Darrin Strey can bend, and his flexibility allows the prospect to play with good pad level in the run game.
Strey has a flat back in his stance and does a good job firing off while keeping knee bend. This allows the tackle prospect to roll his hips upon contact. That is a required need for big offensive tackles on drive blocks. Strey has a massive size advantage in high school, but his ability to be flexible and use proper technique at the beginning of drive blocks should help him find success against bigger competition.
Translatable traits
Darrin Strey is a massive tackle prospect with good length, movement skills, and flexibility. The top-500 recruit is a multi-dimensional athlete. The latest Kentucky commit checks a ton of boxes.
Like with any high school offensive line prospect, there is a bit of unknown regarding Strey in pass protection, but there is a reason to believe the ceiling is high. In the run game, the Michigan native flashes the ability to move, bend, and finish blocks. Add that with his length and that gives the Kentucky commit the tools to become a productive pass protector. Those tools also give him the versatility to succeed in both a zone and gap scheme run game in college.
Kentucky has simply struggled to find legitimate tackle prospects recently. There is no denying that Strey is a legitimate tackle prospect. The Wildcats’ latest recruiting win in the Big Ten footprint plays a physical brand of football and does it with athleticism showing good feet and knee bend upon contact. That will give the 2025 prospect a good chance to develop into a quality SEC tackle.
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