Jarvis Strickland

Physical Profile

Legitimate power-conference tackle length: 6-6 with long arms and a wide, high-hipped frame that carried 280 pounds as a junior and 294-295 as a senior without losing movement skill. The frame is a clear plus — he has the shoulder width and hip structure to hold 315-320 pounds, which is where he'll need to be to anchor against ACC-caliber power. Right now the mass is soft rather than functional; he's a below-average anchor for his height because the play strength hasn't caught up to the length. What separates him from typical big-bodied high school tackles is short-area quickness: evaluators describe footwork 'bordering on elite' for a near-300-pounder, with real ability to move north-south and laterally. That athletic profile is why he graded as a top-50 tackle nationally rather than a developmental body project, and it's the reason 247Sports (IOL) and ESPN (offensive guard) both flag interior versatility while Rivals/On3 keep him at tackle.

Play Style

A left tackle who wins with feet and first contact rather than raw power. In protection he's a technician: patient kick-slide, hands late and inside, comfortable letting a speed rusher come to him and mirroring back to the quarterback's spot. In the run game he's an aggressive, downhill mover — Tilghman used him on pulls, on down blocks in gap schemes, and climbing to linebackers on outside zone, and his best reps come when he's asked to move rather than sit and dig out a nose. Tape shows him as a finisher in attitude but not always in execution, because the pad level costs him leverage late in the block. He is at his best in space and on the move, and at his most exposed when isolated against a heavy-handed defender in a phone booth.

Strengths

• Pass-protection footwork and mirror ability — sets with balance, doesn't over-set or open the gate, and redirects to stay square on inside counters. This is his most college-ready trait and the single biggest reason a Power 4 staff signed him as a plug-and-develop tackle rather than a project.
• Initial striking power in the run game — explodes out of his stance and delivers concussive first contact, then finishes with strong grip strength to control and steer defenders once he's latched. He plays with a genuine mean streak on down blocks.
• Movement skill in space for a 295-pounder — effective puller and reliable at climbing to the second level to fit up linebackers, which is rare at this size at the high school level and makes him scheme-flexible from day one.
• Advanced fundamentals for a high school senior — hand placement is already good enough to defeat swipe/chop counters, and multiple evaluators noted his technique is at an unusually mature stage, shortening the normal freshman learning curve.
• Proven at the highest level of his classification — three-year starter and blind-side protector for a state championship offense, not a camp-hype prospect with thin game film.

Areas to Improve

• Functional lower-body and core strength. He needs a full college strength cycle to convert his length into an anchor; against a legitimate long-arm or bull rush he currently gets walked back rather than sinking and resetting. Expect a 315-320 target weight with an emphasis on hip and posterior-chain power.
• Pad level and shoulder-leading in the run game. He drops his head and leads with the shoulder instead of striking with hands inside the frame, which produces glancing contact, whiffs on moving targets, and holding risk. It also compounds the anchor issue — high pads plus a 6-6 frame is the classic tall-tackle leverage problem.
• Sustaining blocks through the second and third phase. The initial punch is better than the finish; too many reps show contact won and then leverage surrendered as the defender works off the block.
• Position clarity. He has played almost exclusively left tackle but two of the four major services now project him inside (IOL/OG). He needs interior reps — tighter footwork, help/combo work in confined space — to be genuinely versatile rather than a tackle who might have to move.

College Projection

Redshirt-year developmental tackle with a realistic path to starting by year two or three. He is already in Louisville's program and reportedly working with the second-team offensive line at left tackle in his first fall camp — good news for his trajectory, but the strength gap makes meaningful 2026 snaps unlikely outside of injury or jumbo/short-yardage packages. Cooper Petagna's 247Sports evaluation calls him an 'above average starter at the collegiate level' who would benefit from a year in a college strength program first, and that is the correct read. Most likely timeline: redshirt in 2026, swing tackle/backup by 2027, starter at left or right tackle — or at guard, if the interior projection wins out — in 2028-2029. His floor is a quality multi-year rotational ACC lineman; his ceiling is a multi-year starting tackle with all-conference upside.

NFL Outlook

Draft-relevant but not a projected early pick out of high school. The traits that get tackles drafted are present — 6-6 length, sub-elite but real foot quickness, mature pass-set technique — and if he lands at 315-320 pounds with corrected pad level, he profiles as a Day 3 developmental tackle or a priority free agent with swing-tackle traits. As a low-end four-star ranked outside the top 400, his historical comparison group produces occasional late-round linemen rather than premium picks; the realistic bet is a four- or five-year college career with an NFL look, and the specific hinge is whether he can anchor against pro power. If he ends up at guard, the athletic profile plays well in a move/pull-heavy scheme but the draft ceiling narrows further.

Best Fit

A gap/power or mid-zone run scheme that puts him on the move — pulls, down blocks, outside zone climbs — paired with a pro-style dropback passing game that lets his footwork do the work. He is a poor fit for a purely drive-blocking, dig-out-the-nose downhill attack until the play strength arrives. Louisville is a reasonable landing spot on scheme grounds, and the fact that he followed his lead recruiter (Marrow) rather than the brand name suggests he'll respond well to a hands-on, technique-heavy line coach. He needs a program willing to redshirt and develop rather than one forced to play a freshman tackle out of desperation — burning his first year would expose the anchor before it's ready.