Season recap: Max Garcia
When discussing Norcross (Ga.) offensive tackle Max Garcia with Blue Devils offensive line coach Dale Farr, one word comes up over and over again:
Dominant.
“He was dominant at times,” Farr said of Garcia, who committed to Maryland earlier this month. “The last game against Collins Hill, he graded out at 90 percent. He was definitely the best player on the line for both teams, without a doubt. He would just take the defensive end and just drive him five or seven yards down the field. Just total domination. He’s just a special young man.”
The Blue Devils finished 5-5 with Garcia grading out at 80 percent in his final high school season. The 6-foot-5, 275-pound left tackle also recorded 50 pancake blocks, “which is phenomenal,” Farr said.
“He’s the best lineman I’ve ever coached, and I’ve been coaching for 28 years,” Farr said. “He kind of got overlooked a little bit in Gwinnett County because there are two or three huge tackles in the county, one who’s going to Alabama and another going to Tennessee. He didn’t get as much press because of the other two.”
Garcia was moved up to the Norcross varsity as a freshman, giving him four years to work with Farr. Throughout their four years together, Farr saw Garcia make the most of his physical gifts thanks to an unbelievable work ethic in the weight room.
“Well he’s gotten so much stronger,” Farr said. “He was always a taller kid for his age group. But he’s much stronger now. He power cleans over 300 pounds, bench presses over 300 pounds, squats about 450, which is pretty good for his height and his age. And his feet have improved tremendously. He’s very athletic for someone that size and he’s just a hard worker. He’s a tremendously hard worker in the weight room.”
Farr called Garcia “an ideal left tackle at the college level.” With Bruce Campbell declaring for the NFL draft, Farr said he wouldn’t be surprised if Garcia worked his way into the rotation immediately.
“I think he’s definitely got plenty of potential to [play as a freshman], yes,” Farr said. “I know how hard it is as a freshman because the blocking schemes are so much different than what you have in high school. But I think he has the potential to do it.”
Comments
Big story in MD recruiting right now is certainly the de-commitment of Terrence Ross. I cannot tell you how bad this whole thing angers me and the true MD fans who have supported this team through thick and thin. It adds extra insult to the injury that Duke is involved. As mad as I am here is what I know. Ross is a 17 year old kid and he has picked his game up to a level where the few elite programs are interested. It is probably very flattering and he wants to look at these programs. I also know that Stu Vetter has sent countless kids to MD and that he will continue to send kids MD's way in the future. He also may try to steer Ross back to his original commitment. However, if the Terp fan base attacks and destroys this kid on the internet we have no shot of landing him and probably lose a lot more recruits who will not consider MD because of the ridicule that they watched Ross receive on the internet message boards. I hope Ross becomes a Terp. If not I wish him well anywhere else that he plays, except for Duke.
Also, Matt did you or someone else at the Sun report that Ross had assured MD and the media that he was coming to MD after the fall recruiting period was over and he did not sign a LOI? I could have sworn that their was a story out there about this. Just wondering because I have heard that Ross has said he never was fully commited to MD. Wondering exactly what happened.
Posted by: TL | December 31, 2009 11:06 AM
TL -- The last time I spoke with Ross was in October for this interview. He also talked about his commitment to Maryland here.
Posted by: Matt Bracken | December 31, 2009 11:12 AM
TL is right - continue to recruit the kid - if he goes elsewhere that is the way things happen in this modern era - and don't think that the "elite" programs run a totally clean recruiting operation - Kentucky and coach K and Kansas (our KKK horror?) are too close to the Nike programs etc. to be clean as they pretend to be - they aren't saints!
Posted by: geoff smoot | December 31, 2009 5:32 PM