School: Wenatchee High School (Wenatchee, Washington)
Position: Offensive Tackle
Vitals: 6’8″, 340 lbs
Rank:
- Rivals: NR
- Scout: #132
- ESPN: #76
- 247Sports: #78
Other Offers of Interest: Idaho
Best Attributes: Size, Great footwork, Good Hands
Prediction & How He Improves Cougars in 2013:
O’Connell is guy you look on paper and are just blown away by his size. Plus O’Connell has great footwork and comes off the ball pretty aggressively which is good for a player his size. He would’ve had the potential to come in and play right away for the Cougars, but O’Connell tore his ACL during his senior year and is still in the process of recovering.
This is probably the reason why Idaho was his only other offer, because of the injury. O’Connell will end up redshirting his first year at WSU due to this, but once fully healed, expect him to play right away. For a guy his size his great footwork as an offensive lineman is impressive and something Leach and his staff can’t hold back.
Since O’Connell missed most of his senior year of high school, getting back into the routine of football will be a long process but another year of sitting out will benefit O’Connell. This is a big steal for the Cougars and once fully healthy O’Connell will make a huge impact on the line. He has the potential to be an All-American or First Team Pac-12 type of player. I can’t wait to what this kid brings to the table when he is back to his normal self.
All Coug’d Up Recruit Grade (out of 5): 4
Highlights:
–Evan Baron (Follow Me on Twitter: @BaselineBaron09)