Inside Look: 2018 OT John Dirksen
Not much was known about Maria Stein (Ohio) Marion Local offensive tackle John Dirksen throughout his recruitment.
His head coach, Tim Goodwin, did express to Blue & Gold Illustrated that the Irish offer was a "big one" for his star lineman, but that was about it in terms of the 6-foot-5, 290-pounder's interest in the program.
Dirksen took a visit to South Bend in late March and showed his thoughts on Notre Dame by committing to Brian Kelly's program and joining Brentwood (Tenn.) Academy product Cole Mabry in Harry Hiestand's latest offensive line class.
Dirksen committed to Notre Dame over publicly known offers of Michigan State, Northwestern, Kentucky, Boston College and Iowa State. It is quite possible his list is bigger, but due to Dirksen's quiet nature only the listed above are known.
Here, Blue & Gold Illustrated brings its readers all the important information in regards to Dirksen in one spot. Below you will find statistics, BGI's film evaluation, story links and much more in regards to Notre Dame's offensive line commit
BIO & STATS
* Missed most of 2016 after suffering a leg injury.
* One of the few freshmen to start in Marion Local history.
* Helped lead Marion Local in 2014 to a Ohio Dvision VI state championship with a 15-0 record.
* Part of an offensive line that helped Marion Local to a Ohio Division VI state championship appearance as a sophomore in 2015.
OFFSEASON UPDATE
Dirksen is about as quiet as it gets and simply goes about his business. He keeps a low-profile and it doesn't appear he participated in any camps during the spring or summer.
He did return to South Bend this summer for the program's lineman camp in late June.
THEY SAID IT
“He’s a prototypical offensive lineman at the next level. He’s got the package. He’s got the size, strength and the agility. He’s a smart and tough kid. He’s grown up on a dairy farm, so he’s got a work ethic like you wouldn’t believe ... Some kids were just born to be certain things. He was born to be a college offensive lineman. He has what people are looking for. He weighs 305 pounds right now and he’s got a wide frame to him and room to put on more. There’s a lot of potential there.” — Marion Local head coach Tim Goodwin.
BGI EVALUATION
"Dirksen is a physically imposing young offensive lineman. Using the term 'country strong' is more fitting for Dirksen than any other recruit, considering he lives on and grew up on a dairy farm. Like current Notre Dame linemen Mike McGlinchey and Liam Eichenberg, Dirksen is not pudgy and doesn't possess a lot of bad body weight. He's just large all around, and he showed very good strength even as a sophomore.
Dirksen comes hard off the line and shows an impressive leg drive, although he must learn to use his hands instead of forearm blocking most of the time. He's a quality athlete that projects as both a tackle or guard at the next level. Right now Dirksen makes his living as a run blocker, but he shows good instincts in protection and he's athletic and instinctive enough to handle himself in space." — BGI football analyst Bryan Driskell.
To read the full breakdown of all 16 Notre Dame commits CLICK HERE.
FOLLOW THE RECRUITMENT
8/18/17 - Irish Commits And Targets Set To Start 2017 Campaign
8/16/17 - Notre Dame OT Commit John Dirksen Ready To Return To The Field
3/27/17 - Commits of the Week: Power 5 commits from Mar. 20-26
3/25/17 - Notre Dame Lands OL John Dirksen
2/15/17 - John Dirksen Is a 'Prototypical Offensive Lineman'
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