Mo Latu in UA All American Game

Mo Latu (Perry HS, Gilbert, AZ) will play in the UA All American game today on ESPN.

Latu is a big man who should garner the interest of recruiters with his ability to potentially fill a few different roles in the trenches. He plays on both the offensive and defensive line in high school and could project in college as a defensive tackle, guard, or center. Whether he plays offense or defense he has good size with solid height and good bulk and looks to have a thick and powerful build. He may be limited in how much more size he can add to his frame, but he looks big enough. He is a tough and active defender and could very well land on defense or at least get a shot on that side of the ball first. He can be an explosive kid out of his stance, but you would like to see him work on getting off on the snap of the ball a little better. He comes across as a strong and powerful kid and he can be good with his hands. He can loose them at times, but displays the ability to be able to bring his hands and quickly separate from or violently knock aside a blocker. He can be tough at the point of attack, but does need to watch his pad level. He can be tough to move off the ball, but can get tall and be pushed back. Not an overly disruptive and rangy tackle, but he can stay on his feet and work laterally and be active along the line of scrimmage. He has a good motor and stays after the play and is a solid tackler. As a pass rusher he can create pressure as he can get into a blocker and generate power and be violent with his hands. It is not hard to see Latu on defense, but he may have a little higher ceiling on offense and his size and experience as a center may be tough for some teams to overlook. He could fit well at guard, but he has experience snapping the ball and could fit well at center. Displays a quick and clean snap with the quarterback under center. Needs to work on snapping and stepping, but can quickly get out of his stance and into a defender. Like on defense he needs to watch his pad level. When he stays low and gets under a defenders pads he can drive him off the ball, but despite his size and strength he can struggle to get the push he is capable of when he plays tall. He gets hands on, but needs to work on placement. Does a good job of working up to second level and takes good angles. Looks comfortable when asked to pull. Displays the ability to be able to get to the far number and move his feet and reach a defender. As a pass blocker can punch and mirror in a short area, but needs to be sure to bend at the knees and sit back more. Latu may not be the best prospect at any one of the positions he plays, but he is a big dude who does well and is productive at whatever he is asked to do. Where he goes will likely determine where he plays, but center may end up being the most appealing to most recruiters.