Connor Lanfear is a top offensive line prospect in the class of 2015, unsurprisingly resulting in an offer sheet from some of the premier programs in the nation.
Connor Lanfear scouting report: College guard or offensive tackle?
Will the Hays product be able to stay outside at the next level?
Lanfear attends Buda (Texas) Jack C Hays High School, and is projected to play either offensive tackle or offensive guard at the next level. Rivals, ESPN and 247sports all list him as an offensive tackle, while Scout projects him as an offensive guard. He is listed at 6’5.5 and weighs in at 285 pounds.
Lanfear is considered a four-star recruit by 247sports and Scout, but is given three stars by both Rivals and ESPN. Scout is highest on him, ranking him as the third-best offensive guard in the nation. The 247sports composite, which aggregates the ratings of all four major recruiting services, considers him a four-star, ranking him as the 21st-best offensive tackle in the nation and the 30th-best player in the state of Texas.
Lanfear claims offers from Texas A&M, Arizona State, Baylor, Florida State, Miami, Oklahoma and Texas.
From a physical standpoint, Lanfear has the ideal measurables to continue playing tackle in college -- he has the height at 6’5.5, he has a projectable frame with little bad weight at 285 pounds, and he has solid arm length.
However, as mentioned above, there are some projections that have Lanfear as a guard in college because his feet, athleticism, and overall movement abilities aren’t as strong as his frame, length, and run-blocking ability.
In the run game, Lanfear is an agile player who can combo block to the second level effectively and can work in outside zone because his mobility is good enough to have him as a consensus four-star prospect. He does have some flexibility to bend at the knees instead of the waist and roll through his hips as a blocker to displace opponents. Once he initiates contact, he keeps his feet driving to ensure that he can effectively finish plays.
There isn’t much on film about his ability in pass protection and he didn’t provide any further evidence of his strengths and possible weaknesses in that regard because he didn’t participate in either of the Nike NFTCs in Texas this spring. If he can handle opposing pass rushers by effectively kick setting and can hone his technique with his hands, he has a chance to stay outside in college as a right tackle.
Otherwise, he projects as a guard who can get to the second level and make plays against smaller defenders and any liabilities in pass protection from a body quickness standpoint wouldn’t be exposed. The challenge in that scenario would be keeping his pad level low consistently to work against smaller players than he would see on the outside.
