Ben Hughes
Posted: Sat Jun 21, 2008 10:43 amFantastic pickup for the Ponies. I'm sure the coaches have built a strong relationship with the guy, which is a good thing, because he will collect more offers  probably a lot more  before February rolls around.
A lot of rankings have Hughes as the No. 1 center in Texas, and that's certainly legitimate, but this guy has OFFENSIVE TACKLE written all over him. I think he has gained some weight since some reports have been published, as the last report I got had him at a legitimate 6'5" and 260, and he might not be done growing. Whether or not he gets any taller, though, the guy will get a lot stronger. He has a perfect frame to add lots of bulk. He has a wide chest and very long arms that will carry much more muscle, and he can pack on a lot more size in his hips and legs, too. With simple physical maturity and a college weight program, he easily could get up to 300 pounds or more. If he redshirts, he could get close to that before he even takes the field at the college level.
Part of Hughes' effectiveness is a center is his intelligence  he reads defenses quickly. But what makes him project as a tackle is his quickness. He has been clocked under 5 seconds in the 40, and moves extremely well. His quickness is mirrored by excellent footwork, and projects well as a tackle when he'll need to move with fast defensive ends.
His arms not only are long, they're also very strong, as are his hands. Hughes often towers over the players he's blocking, but he stays balanced over his center of gravity, allowing him to use his long arms to hold defenders at bay  a skill that will be vital if and when he moves to tackle.
Hughes is a smart, versatile guy who probably could play anywhere on the offensive line, if needed. But with center looking like a position of strength  and depth  over the next few years at SMU with Enright and Robiskie, it would be surprising if Hughes is not a starting tackle in a few years.
A lot of rankings have Hughes as the No. 1 center in Texas, and that's certainly legitimate, but this guy has OFFENSIVE TACKLE written all over him. I think he has gained some weight since some reports have been published, as the last report I got had him at a legitimate 6'5" and 260, and he might not be done growing. Whether or not he gets any taller, though, the guy will get a lot stronger. He has a perfect frame to add lots of bulk. He has a wide chest and very long arms that will carry much more muscle, and he can pack on a lot more size in his hips and legs, too. With simple physical maturity and a college weight program, he easily could get up to 300 pounds or more. If he redshirts, he could get close to that before he even takes the field at the college level.
Part of Hughes' effectiveness is a center is his intelligence  he reads defenses quickly. But what makes him project as a tackle is his quickness. He has been clocked under 5 seconds in the 40, and moves extremely well. His quickness is mirrored by excellent footwork, and projects well as a tackle when he'll need to move with fast defensive ends.
His arms not only are long, they're also very strong, as are his hands. Hughes often towers over the players he's blocking, but he stays balanced over his center of gravity, allowing him to use his long arms to hold defenders at bay  a skill that will be vital if and when he moves to tackle.
Hughes is a smart, versatile guy who probably could play anywhere on the offensive line, if needed. But with center looking like a position of strength  and depth  over the next few years at SMU with Enright and Robiskie, it would be surprising if Hughes is not a starting tackle in a few years.
