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Instant analysis: Delance gives Texas a potential difference-making OL

Ketchum

Resident Blockhead
Staff
May 29, 2001
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Cliff-notes: Texas picked up its 13th commitment for the 2016 class on Saturday, as North Mesquite offensive tackle Jean Delance committed to Charlie Strong and Co. at the Under Armour game in Orlando.

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Rankings: The Rivals250 prospect is a mid-four star prospect that is regarded as the No.20 prospect from the Lone Star State in the Rivals.com post-season Texas Top 100. Overall, he’s regarded as the No.10 offensive tackle prospect in the entire country. In the recently released LSR Top 100, Delance is ranked as the No.9 overall prospect and No.2 offensive tackle in Texas.

Key Offers: Texas ended up winning this battle by defeating Jim Harbaugh’s Michigan Wolverines, but Delance had offers from almost every major program in the country, including the likes of Baylor, Florida, LSU, Ohio State, Oklahoma and Texas A&M.

Evaluation: Although he’s not the physical beast that Greg Little represents in terms of raw power and pure domination at the point of attack, Delance has enough talent in his own right that it wouldn’t shock me if he emerged as the best tackle in this class down the road. What Delance does have at 6-5, 270 pounds is a little more quickness/suddenness/raw athletic ability than almost any top-level line prospect in the country. Delance is very comfortable when put into motion and has a knack for actually getting his body onto defenders at the second and even third levels of the defense. Also, while he still needs to continue to develop the strength in his lower half, he plays a power game and is able to put guys on the ground without having to get his body on top of them. He’s still developing as a pass protector and there are occasions when he gets a little flat-footed, some of which could be related to not sensing where the pressure is coming from. Ironically, his ability to recover after taking false steps is one of the things you end up liking about him because it allows him to flash what he can become when he puts it all together. He might need a year or two to bake in the oven, but this kid has a chance to be an impact college tackle.

Why it matters: Outside of Shane Buechele, you can make a case that the commitment from Delance ranks as the most important among the 13 commitments the Longhorns have in the 2016 class. The need for high-level offensive tackle prospects is at a near all-time high within the Texas program and Delance gives new UT offensive line coach Mike Mattox exactly what he’s looking for at the offensive tackle position.

Enjoy: Here’s a look at highlights from Delance’s senior season.
 
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