The titans of the trenches

October 22, 2011

Resuming our position-by-position rankings, this week we rank the top offensive linemen in Southeastern Pennsylvania.

We turned this list into a top 15 because of the high number of players involved. It is based on, among other things, strength, technique, footwork, smarts, ability to dominate regularly, and potential to excel at the next level.

Please note that some quality two-way linemen, such as Malvern Prep's Connor Mahoney and Plymouth Whitemarsh's Kavon Johnson, will get their due when we run through the area's best defensive playmakers.

Story continues below.

1. J.J. Denman, Pennsbury, senior, 6-foot-6, 310 pounds, center. Denman, moving to center after playing guard and tackle last season, is the muscle behind the Falcons' ground-and-pound attack.

The run-blocking stalwart, who last weekend switched his college commitment from Penn State to Wisconsin, has bench-pressed 360 pounds, squatted 455, and power-cleaned 315.

2. Frank Taylor, Archbishop Wood, senior, 6-4, 290, tackle. Running behind Taylor, a two-way beast who has committed to Boston College, the Vikings are averaging 43.3 points.

3. Mike Mooney, Malvern Prep, senior, 6-5, 255, tackle. The two-way play of Mooney, bound for Virginia, will be key in the Friars' bid for the Inter-Ac League crown.

4. Chris Muller, Boyertown, senior, 6-6, 295, tackle. Muller, an ever-improving Rutgers recruit, excels at clearing space for running backs Jon Neiman and Max Marcus.

5. Brandon Arcidiacono, Archbishop Wood, senior, 6-5, 250, center. Athletic and fast, Arcidiacono, who will join Muller at Rutgers, is expected to be even better when he fills out physically.

6. Mike McGlinchey, Penn Charter, junior, 6-8, 275, tackle. A major force on both sides of the ball, McGlinchey, tough and ornery, has scholarship offers from Boston College and Virginia.

7. Madison O'Connor, Pottsgrove, 6-6, 305, junior, tackle. O'Connor has attracted recruiting interest from the likes of Penn State, West Virginia, and Pittsburgh.

8. Jack Willenbrock, Downingtown East, senior, 6-3, 260, tackle. In Friday's 44-14 win over Downingtown West, the Virginia Tech recruit helped the Cougars total 375 yards of offense.

9. Nick Arcidiacono, Archbishop Wood, junior, 6-2, 230, guard. The up-and-comer will no doubt follow brothers Brandon and Mark, a redshirt sophomore guard at Penn State, into the Division I-A ranks.

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