2024 HSSN football position-by-position breakdown: Scouting the offensive line

TribLive HSSN will break down the top players at one position per day until Week Zero. Here is a look at the top offensive linemen for the 2024 season.

1. Jack Yatchenko

Senior, 6-3, 285

The Tigers are two-time defending WPIAL 6A champions and reached the state finals last season, thanks in part to a stout offensive line. Yatchenko, a Princeton commit, is the anchor. Stronger than most high school blockers, Yatchenko bench presses around 440 pounds and squats more than 500. His blocks helped NA’s offense gain more than 3,100 yards from scrimmage, including 1,995 on the ground. Unofficial stats credited him with 73 pancake blocks and zero holding penalties on 168 pass-block snaps. Coaches voted him a first-team all-conference offensive lineman for the second year in a row. Along with Princeton, he also drew college offers from Army, Columbia, Cornell, Bryant, Dartmouth, Harvard, Lafayette, Lehigh, Maine, Marshall, Navy, New Hampshire, Penn, Richmond, Robert Morris, Stony Brook, Towson and Villanova.

2. Nate Stohl

Senior, 6-3, 270

Stohl, like Yatchenko, is also a Princeton recruit. He earned first-team all-conference honors on both sides of the football last season. He plays guard and defensive end, but his college future is projected on the offensive line. His blocks helped the Upper St. Clair offense average almost 300 yards per game last season. As a sophomore, Allegheny Six coaches voted him to the first-team defense and second-team offense in 2022. He picked Princeton from a list of college offers that included Army, Brown, Bucknell, Colgate, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Duquesne, Fordham, Lafayette, Lehigh, Maine, Navy, New Hampshire, Penn, Richmond and Robert Morris.

3. Shep Turk

Senior, 6-5, 285

Turk won a WPIAL championship last school year, just not on the football field. The multi-sport athlete celebrated a WPIAL wrestling title at 285 pounds, pinning his first three opponents before celebrating a 3-0 decision in the finals. He finished the season 34-9 with 26 wins by fall. That athleticism also is evident on the football field as a tackle for the Jaguars. The team’s offense averaged more than 350 yards from scrimmage with him on the line a year ago. He committed to Pitt in May over offers from Boston College, Bowling Green, Buffalo, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Kent State, Lehigh, Maine, Navy and Temple. He earned all-conference second team honors in the Big Seven.

4. Brendan Alexander

Junior, 6-4, 275

Alexander was finishing up his freshman year of high school when his first Division I college offer arrived from Central Michigan. That list has grown since to include Pitt, Penn State, West Virginia, Akron, Arkansas, Boston College, Bowling Green, Duke, Georgia Tech, Maryland, Miami (Ohio), Michigan State, N.C. State, Stanford, Syracuse, UConn, Virginia Tech and Wisconsin. A returning starter at left tackle, Alexander has started putting his Power 4 potential to work on Friday nights. He earned all-conference honorable mention as a sophomore in Class 4A last year. His blocks should help the Warriors chase a WPIAL 3A title this fall.

5. Parker Cunningham

Senior, 6-4, 290

Cunningham committed to James Madison this summer. He and twin brother Troy (6-3, 270) are both first-team all-conference linemen for South Park, which has an outstanding run game. The Eagles averaged 170 yards rushing per game last season. Parker earned honors for offense while Troy was recognized on defense. Both brothers are Division I recruits. Along with James Madison, Parker had a FBS offer from Buffalo along with 18 FCS schools.

One to watch

Jimmy Kalis

Sophomore, 6-6, 280

Kalis is one of the WPIAL’s big recruits in the 2027 class, both in physical size and college offers. Pitt, West Virginia, Akron, Central Michigan, Duke, N.C. State, Maryland, Miami (Ohio), Syracuse and Toledo have already offered him scholarships.

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Position breakdowns

QB | RB | WR | TE | OL | DL | LB | CB | S | K

Tags: Central Catholic, Central Valley, North Allegheny, South Park, Thomas Jefferson, Upper St. Clair