Overview

Oher (pronounced "Oar") arrived at Ole Miss with much fanfare -- partially because of his mammoth body and excellent athleticism and partially due to the Michael Lewis book "The Blind Side" detailing Oher's childhood and recruitment. Despite only two years of high school football -- one year on the offensive line -- he was named a Freshman All-American as a starter at right guard in 2005, then a second-team All-SEC left tackle as a sophomore before garnering first-team honors as a junior. Oher considered going pro, but returned intent on improving his run blocking and overall physicality. Oher raised his draft stock, earning All-American accolades along the way. Oher may not be able to duplicate Jake Long's feat of being the first player drafted overall, but many NFL scouts believe he is the draft's top talent. Had an arm span of 33 1/2 inches and a hand span of 10 3/8 inches at the combine.

Considered one of the top offensive linemen in the nation ... Earned first-team USA Today and EA Sports All-America honors ... Played in U.S. Army All-America Bowl in San Antonio, Texas ... Member of 2005 Tennessee Athletic Coaches Association All-Star team selected to compete against Kentucky on June 16, 2005 at Commonwealth Stadium in Lexington, Ky. ... Picked by Tom Lemming/ESPN as the nation's top offensive tackle ... Named to SuperPrep All-America team and was ranked No. 24 among offensive linemen by that publication, which also had him on its Dixie Team, ranking No. 6 on its Tennessee Top 20 ... Rated No. 5 best offensive lineman in the country by Scout.com as well as first team All-America, No. 8 overall player in the South, and No. 37 overall player in the country ... Rivals.com 100 selection, ranking No. 48 among prospects in the nation, regardless of position ... Also rated by Rivals.com as the No. 7 offensive lineman in the nation and No. 2 player in Tennessee ... Selected the No. 1 player in the State of Tennessee by the Knoxville News-Sentinel ... Rated as the No. 2 player in the South by the Mobile Register as a member of its Super Southeast 120 squad ... Named to Atlanta Journal-Constitution Super Southern 100 and rated as No. 22 on its Top 25 recruits in the nation list ... "Mr. Football" in Tennessee ... Offensive Lineman of the Year in Tennessee ... First-team All-South selection by Fox Sports ... Chosen to Orlando Sentinel All-Southern team ... Named to Student Sports Hot 100 list, ranking as the nation's No. 5 offensive lineman ... Was named to PrepStar preseason Top 100 Dream Team, ranking No. 52.

Two-time All-State selection ... Rated by The Commercial Appeal as No. 1 on Shelby-Metro's Most Wanted list ... As a senior, was credited with 130 "pancake" blocks, allowing no sacks, and grading out at 90 percent ... Didn't allow a sack in his two years and had 200 "pancakes" and an 85 percent grade ... Helped lead Briarcrest to 10-3 record and 2004 state championship ... Earned two letters in football ... Coached in high school by Hugh Freeze ... Also lettered twice in basketball and twice in track ... Basketball team went 27-6 in 2004, winning district championship ... Averaged 22 points and 10 rebounds in basketball, earning All-State honors as well as making the Sun Coast All-Tourney team ... In track, was state runner-up in discus.

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Analysis

Positives: Prototypical left tackle build. ... Has good height and excellent athleticism. ... Unlike some left tackles, he has girth in his lower body. ... Uses his long arms to lock onto the defender to nullify the pass rush. ... Gets into his pass set quickly and has very good lateral movement. ... Not fooled by dancing on the line. ... Shows the feet to pull inside, get to either shoulder as a run blocker and nullify linebackers outside on screen passes. ... Sustains and mirrors as long as possible and will play through the whistle. ... Improvement as a run blocker as a senior. Began to play with more aggression and physicality at the second level. ... An ascending talent who should only get better.

Negatives: Only has three years experience at left tackle and is still learning the game. ... A better pass blocker than power-run blocker, as he does not consistently get great push off the edge. ... Needs more consistency in using his punch, which can be devastating against rush ends. ... Can be beaten in pass protection by quicker hands. ... Loses balance when lunging in pass protection. ... A bit tentative in the open field. ... Gets a bit lazy moving his feet when the play is run away from him and could stand to gain more stamina. ... Does not always adjust to outside blitzes, but handles inside pressure just fine. ... Has a very quiet, passive demeanor that some many characterize as lacking passion.

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