Todd Smith has so many options on his offensive and defensive lines year in and year out, but why is that?

Because you have players like J.P. Gottschall who get into the program early to learn and work hard, and they just get better and better every year.

Gottschall is a Class of 2025 offensive and defensive lineman that is already 6-4, 300 pounds. Smith has made a career out of getting these types of linemen into the Hun School and turning them into Division 1 players: he will send his 100th player onto college to play in 2022 when the players sign their NLI, and many of them have been in the trenches.

Jacob Allen (Rutgers), David Siegel (Vanderbilt), Jake Bingham (Penn), and Greyson Brockriede (Monmouth) all played on the line for Hun in 2021 and helped show Gottschall what it takes to become a D1 player. That kind of experience is invaluable for a freshman, and something that Gottschall can use to become a better player.

“This kid is 15 years old and already 6-4, 300 pounds, so you can imagine the upside for someone like that. One of the important things for Gottschall is that he got into the school early and got to learn from some of the best lineman in the country. When you look at some of the kids that played on the 9-0 team in 2021, that might have been the best thing for him. Gottschall got to see how hard they worked in the weight room every day and at practice.

“He is already a massive human and has a chance to become an elite player with three more years at Hun. I can’t stress enough just how important it is to be around Todd Smith, his coaches, and some elite players that not only want to win but dominate. If Gottschall is a sponge, by the time he is getting ready for his junior season in 2023, he will be a monster. Just watch his progression from 2021 to 2023: there is a chance he is going to be a big-time prospect.”