the recruit: R.J. Proctor

Name: R.J. Proctor
Position: OT
Hometown: Bealeton
School: Liberty
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 315

24/7:  85, three stars; #102 OT, VA #34
ESPN: 71, three stars; #159 OT, VA #49, East #220
Rivals: 5.4, two stars; VA #48
Scout: three stars; #122 OT

Other offers: ODU, JMU, VMI

The intervening months since R.J. Proctor's June commitment have made me begin questioning again Mike London's commitment to recruiting offensive linemen; with the class size we have, we should be bringing in at least five and probably six given the need.  Back when Proctor committed, though, it made two linemen in a row, for a total of three, and things weren't looking too bad.

Part of the problem, of course, is that the state of Virginia hasn't produced a lot of O-linemen lately.  And this year, with the numbers looking better, London's hot-seat status scared off a lot of the good ones.  London had to dig a little deeper to find Proctor, who never earned an out-of-state offer and rates at high-two, low-three stars.

Based on that, you'd be excused for thinking we might be reaching here.  Competing with JMU for a top-50 recruit in the state isn't the usual standard.  But then, reaching and digging aren't necessarily the same thing.  Proctor follows the same script as a lot of London recruits, which starts with him being a late bloomer.  Sort of.  Actually, what he did was get an early start on preschool, so he's still only 16 years old, and he hit his growth spurt(s) right around when you'd expect.  As a sophomore, he was 6'2, 260.  If he were a junior now, at 6'4" and well over 300 pounds, he'd probably attract plenty of attention.  And he's probably not done; doctors have told him he'll hit 6'7" before he finishes.

At that rate, even after turning fat into muscle, his playing weight could be more like 330.  Throw in a seven-foot wingspan (which at 6'4" of height is utterly freakish and another reason another growth spurt is expected) and you have NFL-prototype size for a left tackle.  I always wanted to see Morgan Moses played at guard, because his enormous size and strength would've done wonders for the inside run game, but part of the reason to play him at tackle was getting him ready for the League.  Proctor may be put in a similar place - certainly, at least his size and arm length would indicate it, though we don't know much about how his footwork and technique will develop, as that was always Moses's main limitation.

With Eli Hanback looking like a probable OG, Proctor's main competition within the class right now is Grant Polk.  As discussed last week with Polk, the current crop of tackles will graduate in plenty of time to give the next generation a long stint on the field.  Proctor will need to redshirt - his young age more or less demands it - and he should emerge with a strong chance for playing time.  He strikes me as a very boom-or-bust type of player, as his size could make him utterly dominant if his skills develop well.