When looking at Connor Galvin, he looks like your prototypical D-1 offensive tackle. Standing at 6’6”, Galvin definitely meets the height requirement that is needed for coaches to look at you seriously as a candidate for the next level. Connor Galvin is also listed at weighing ~250 lbs., while this is a much bigger weight than your average high school player, Galvin is definitely on the lighter side when it comes to offensive line prospects. But what Galvin lacks in physical density, he makes up with perfect technique.
What makes Connor Galvin different from other offensive line prospects is his dedication to his technique. When watching Galvin go through his footwork it felt as if I were watching a college level lineman. Not only does Galvin get his feet in the ground fast, he has proper step spacing and maintains great hip bend as well. What really impresses me about Galvin is not his ability to crush defenders when he down blocks but rather how he hooks defensive ends on outside runs. It takes nothing more than a big body and a little bit of strength to be a good down blocker, controlling the edges takes a sense of finesse, which Galvin no doubt possesses.
Another aspect of Galvin’s game I found praiseworthy was the use of his hands, especially when pass blocking. In high school the man with the better hand placement will win 99.99% of the time. Hand placement has nothing to do with strength and everything to do with discipline and control. If you control a defender’s chest you control that defender, if you don’t believe me, watch Galvin stonewall players during his pass pro down after down. When you combine Galvin’s wingspan with the ability to perfectly place his punches, it’s easy to understand why, even before his senior season, he has many college coaches drooling.
My biggest concern when it comes to Connor Galvin is his weight. Like I said earlier at 250 lbs, Galvin is by no means small, but his a rather lean offensive lineman. Undoubtedly, wherever he goes the strength coach will put about 30 pounds on him within his first year. But, my concern is how much extra work will be required by Galvin to maintain that weight level. Trying to put on mass puts the body through a lot of stress, that in combination with the brutal adjustment period into college football puts an athlete at increased risk of injury.
Connor Galvin is a unique recruit for sure, it’s fairly common for players to have great natural ability but be very raw technique wise headed into college. This isn’t the case for Galvin, Galvin’s ceiling is so high not because of his physical attributes, but rather because of his true dedication to his technique. If recruiting was based solely upon physical ability I would say that Galvin realistically would end up at a smaller D1 school, but due to the sheer amount of skill he brings to the table I wouldn’t be surprised to see him end up with a good handful of Power 5 offers before NSD next year.
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