CHICAGO — The University of Wisconsin’s tradition of molding and developing offensive linemen within its football program is well established. Class of 2023 verbal commit Chris Terek already looked the part of a Badger during Glenbard West’s season-opening road win against Marist last week.
Terek, sitting at around 6-foot-5½ and 310 pounds, played multiple positions for the Hilltoppers last weekend. The four-star recruit was utilized at the point of attack most of the time, and he can play tight end, tackle or guard. He appeared to work mostly at right tackle during the contest, though he also saw time at guard when needed.
Terek projects to play on the interior of the Badgers’ offensive line, and he listed reasons why UW likes him there.
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“They just like how I run block — I’m mean, nasty and I can move and bend,” he said.
That certainly showed Saturday, and there is a reason Rivals recently bumped Terek to the No. 218 player in the country for the Class of 2023.
Leading the way in the ground game
Glenbard West certainly can run behind Terek (No. 77 in these videos), and he provided some holes for the Hilltoppers to run through.
Terek lines up at tight end in the first clip. Watch how he works down to take out a defender at the second level, which allows the back to run through the hole and ultimately find his way to the end zone.
The second snap sees Terek take his assignment and seal him inside, opening a path to the outside for the back for a big gain. He also flat-out moves people down the field, as seen in the third example, finishing with a nice pancake to move the chains in a short yardage situation.
Playing to the whistle
Glenbard West coach Chad Hetlet called Terek a mauler in June, and that physical nature came out in the win. All three snaps above show the standout lineman going against Marist defensive lineman Matt Hansen (No. 8). Two of them end with the RedHawks defender on the ground.
Terek continues to demonstrate his abilities in the run game, driving Hansen out of the play and finishing with a pancake in the first clip. The next two come out of pass protection, with Terek pushing back and asserting himself on the second rep seen.
Getting beyond the line
Terek displayed multiple opportunities to work past the linemen and get to the second level of the defense, which included the touchdown run mentioned earlier. Earlier in the game before that score, the lineman, then playing right tackle, was asked to do the same against Marist linebacker Peter Marinopoulos. His block allowed the Glenbard West back to bounce off of him and cut to the left for a huge gain.
Terek and Marist defensive lineman Jamel Howard Jr., a fellow UW verbal commit, did not receive many reps against each another at the line of scrimmage. In the second clip of the above video, however, Terek helps with a combo block on the 6-3, 320-pound Howard, then moved up to whoever was ahead of him.
Pass blocking holds up
Hetlet previously described Glenbard West’s offense as a "hybrid wing-T" scheme that is "run-oriented." That looked the case last weekend, but the Hilltoppers threw a decent amount as well.
Terek’s pass protection looked fine, not allowing anyone to take down his quarterback in the contest. There was one pass where his defender tipped a pass that still was completed and another where a RedHawk got to the inside of him, but the throw was off well before any threat was imminent.
At the next level, watch for …
Pad level and more striking.
I turned to BadgerExtra football beat writer Colten Bartholomew, a former offensive lineman at UW-Platteville, for his feedback of the nearly 50 snaps I recorded of Terek and Howard from Saturday’s contest for confirmation of what he saw on film.
Terek’s large frame allows him to move opponents with relative ease without having lower pad level. He more than held his own facing Howard a couple times.
He likely will need to be lower, and assistant Bob Bostad definitely will mold him further once he arrives in Madison next year.
Hetlet said this summer that Terek strikes well, and Howard complimented his future teammate after the game for having violent hands. Bartholomew said Terek could become even more violent. The four-star recruit can move defenders in certain directions, and he already utilizes his hands well, but punches can halt initial momentum of defensive linemen, which then allows movement off the line of scrimmage with his legs and feet.
This can be implemented quickly, Bartholomew said, where it really comes with developing a mindset to perform that rather than anything dealing with athleticism or talent.