Layton Von Brandt

Physical Profile

Listed at 6-6, 265 lbs. Taller than 46% and heavier than 5% of 2027 Offensive Tackle prospects in the SEC Scouts database (37 with a listed size).

Play Style

On film he's an aggressive, finish-oriented tackle who tries to end reps with defenders on the ground. In the run game he likes to work inside across a defender's face from a wide base, and he's comfortable pulling and connecting on counters, which is unusual for a 6-6 high school tackle. His best weapon is a heavy upper-body club that overwhelms smaller edge players. In pass protection his feet are good: he slides to recover and redirect instead of lunging. The tape shows a young, still-light lineman, though. He plays tall, catches rushers more often than he strikes them, and gets by on length and effort more than refined technique. Rivals' May 2026 evaluation sums him up as a towering tackle with quick reactions who should become a multi-year starter after some development time.

Strengths

• Tackle length: about 6-6 with arms near 34 inches, so he can stay outside at either tackle spot and reach wide rushers without overextending.
• Heavy clubbing punch: Rivals' evaluation notes he 'bullies smaller defenders' and creates surprising force with his upper body. His hands jolt defenders on first contact instead of just catching them.
• Mobility for his size: he's a capable puller who finds and connects with targets on counters, which fits gap and pin-pull run schemes and screens that ask tackles to move.
• Quick reactions: scouts point out his reaction time and his effort to finish blocks with takedowns. He plays with a finisher's temperament.
• Wide base and recovery in pass protection: he works from a wide base and slides his feet to readjust and redirect instead of lunging, a sign of body control that should hold up as he adds weight.

Areas to Improve

• Weight and lower-body strength: at about 270-285 he's under a college tackle's playing weight. He needs roughly 25-35 pounds of functional mass and lower-body strength so power rushers can't walk him back into the pocket.
• Pad level: he tends to play high, as tall linemen often do. He has to sink his hips and win with leverage, especially in the run game against shorter, thicker interior-type defenders.
• Punch timing in pass sets: scouts say he 'tends to catch more in pass sets.' He needs to strike on time instead of absorbing contact, or better SEC edge rushers will get into his chest first.
• Level of competition: Delaware high school football rarely gives him SEC-caliber edge rushers, so his technique against speed-to-power and counter moves needs work in college.

College Projection

He should enroll at Auburn in 2027 as a developmental offensive tackle, most likely at left or right tackle. Given his current weight and how rarely true freshmen start at tackle in the SEC, a redshirt or limited-snap first year spent in the strength program is the likeliest path. By year 2 (2028), at about 300-310 lbs, he should compete for a starting tackle job. Year 3 on, he projects as a multi-year starter. If his lower-body strength and pad level progress quickly he could move up that timeline, and the late recruiting win suggests Alex Golesh's staff views him as a cornerstone of the 2027 class.

NFL Outlook

His NFL potential rests on traits you can't teach: height, arm length, quick reactions and a violent punch are exactly what NFL scouts look for in tackles. If he reaches about 310 pounds without losing his feet and becomes a multi-year SEC starter, he projects as a Day 2 pick with a chance to reach the late first round if his pass-protection technique (punch timing, pad level) matures. The main risk is weight: long, light tackles who never add real functional strength often end up as swing tackles instead of starters. An NFL decision would realistically come after the 2029 or 2030 season.

Best Fit

He fits best in a program that has a patient, proven offensive line development track and uses a zone-gap run game with pulling tackles (counter, pin-pull), which puts his mobility to work. Auburn under Alex Golesh makes sense: an up-tempo spread offense that stretches defenses sideways rewards tackles who can move and reach, and the staff sold him on development, which he named his top priority. He needs one to two years of strength work before facing SEC edge rushers every week, so a roster that doesn't need him to start as a true freshman is ideal.