Syracuse Offered Him as a Sophomore at Ed White HS | Messiah Pridgen 6’6 307 OT

In this Episode we discuss his First Offer from Syracuse, Starting as a Sophomore on Varsity, mentality playing in the Trenches and Much more…

Twitter: @behindTW904

Transcript

Introduction

Coach Moss 0:01

Six foot six three hundred seven pounds class of twenty twenty-eight and the ACC has already called from Ed White High School. He's 15 years old, blocking 18 years old with a P P4 offer in his pocket. He's not committed, he just collecting offers. Ed White offensive tackle six six three hundred and seven pounds with a Syracuse offer. Messiah Pridgen. Welcome to Behind the Whistle 904.

Messiah 0:23

What's up, what's up, what's up?

Coach Moss 0:25

Nothing

LT or RT?

Coach Moss 0:26

much. Good to have you. So we're gonna jump right into it. So um do you I know I know you're 6'6, so I know you're probably a tackle. Are you playing left tackle or right tackle?

Messiah 0:35

I play left tackle.

Coach Moss 0:36

Okay. You kind of like that as far as like protecting the quarterback blind side and stuff like that?

Messiah 0:41

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Weight Room

Coach Moss 0:43

Okay, so no uh knowing you're a big guy, I know you you're you're um you're in the weight room, I know you gotta have some pretty big numbers. So what's your bench bench and squat?

Messiah 0:52

Right now my bench is 335 and my squat is like 375. I just hit three at 380 um on Monday.

Coach Moss 1:01

Okay, that's that's uh that's pretty good. Congratulations.

Messiah 1:04

Thank you. I'm I'm I'm really just trying to get up there, trying to get to work, and just trying to get bigger.

Coach Moss 1:10

Yeah, so how do you think that kind of helps you um being that strong? How do you think that kind of helps translate to the field and help you dominate whoever you lined up against?

Messiah 1:20

Uh it's like because like most people who line up against me, like they're not as tall as me or like as as as big as me. So usually they try to run around me, because like a bigger guy is supposed to be be slow, but it's not really that like they can run around me. Like, like it's like cause I have a longer wing span, I got longer arms. It's like it correlates on like like the all I like the strength side, like I'm bigger than people, so it's harder to move me than just to move someone like like shorter than me.

Commander Power Momentum Index

Coach Moss 1:57

Yeah. And also like when I was doing my research, I saw that I was I saw about the commander power momentum index. So how does that feel like when it comes out and you're in that top eight?

Messiah 2:08

It's at first, like, I was really happy. Like, I was like, like, like I'm somewhere on Ed White where like people can look for me, and that like I'm not like at the bottom of something. So when I first saw that, I was I was really excited.

Coach Moss 2:24

Yes, sir. So I

Syracuse Offer

Coach Moss 2:26

saw that speaking on on your Syracuse offer, so when did so when did you get that call? Can you walk me through how that was like and how'd you feel after that moment?

Messiah 2:35

Um, so I was in I was actually in school and he came to Ed White, uh uh Mr. Hawkins, he came to uh Ed White, and he um he had a chat with me and my um my uh my head coach, Lawrence Johnson, and we were just like he was talking about like how like his his uh childhood is like similar to mine. And then he was like, Oh, you got any offers yet? I was like, No, sir. He said, Are you um are you are you committed? I was like, nah. And then he was like, Well, I'd like to be your first offer, and I just like I was over the moon.

Coach Moss 3:14

Yeah, that's pretty, pretty big. That's a pretty big time school, especially for your first offer. So what what are what other schools are you talking to right now?

Messiah 3:24

Um I I right now I'm talking to Georgia and uh uh Mercer or Mercy.

Coach Moss 3:32

Mercer, okay. So

Talking to College Recruiters

Coach Moss 3:34

like when when um recruiters come to the school and they sit meet you in person, do they are they surprised at how tall and your big how big of a side you are?

Messiah 3:42

Yeah, yeah. Most of the co coaches like like they're like it's like their jaw drops when you see me, because like I really like you get to see someone like as big as me every day. So it's it's a it's a shock and surprise to everybody.

Coach Moss 3:57

Yeah, especially you now you go into your junior year and you already you're already that big.

Growth Spurt

Coach Moss 4:02

So w when did you like hit your birth your your grow your growth script?

Messiah 4:08

Uh in I start growing like as much as I did in fourth grade. Um I played football for a team down in Pennsylvania called the Allentown A's, and I was bigger than most kids, so like they have me playing every position and like from there on I just grew every day.

Coach Moss 4:26

So are your parents are your parents tall?

Messiah 4:28

Yeah, my mom is 5'11 and my dad is 6'6.

Coach Moss 4:32

Oh wow. So you're about to be taller than him already.

Messiah 4:36

Yeah.

Punching or Catching

Coach Moss 4:37

So you 6'6 with long arms. As far as your technique, do you are you punching first or are you catching first?

Messiah 4:45

Um, my my freshman and sophomore year, like I was punching first, but in the spring game against Bolles, I like like my coach, he he he taught me to just wait for them to make their move. And like give them space to make their move so you can close that space with like a move of your own.

Wingspan

Coach Moss 5:07

Yeah. So how how long is your wingspan?

Messiah 5:10

I was just at a a Georgia camp. There was like 76 something, 70 inches out of the thing.

Coach Moss 5:16

Oh wow, that's that's crazy. So we we talked a little bit earlier about your Syracuse offer. Um, but

Dream School

Coach Moss 5:24

what's the school that you that would that that you would say was your dream school growing up?

Messiah 5:29

Clemson, and then and it's it definitely still is.

Coach Moss 5:34

Have you made it back up there for a camp yet or not yet?

Messiah 5:37

Nah, I just um I emailed um the head coach and uh I emailed the O-line coach, and that was like a day and a half ago. I haven't got anything back.

Coach Moss 5:48

Okay.

In Game Scenarios

Coach Moss 5:49

So now we're gonna kind of talk about like how you process stuff as far as playing like in the game. So say um you got a a pass rusher that's that's trying to set you up side outside, then he spins back inside. Like, what do you do to kind of adjust to recover?

Messiah 6:06

So like if he's like if he's going outside, like he's playing a wide nine or just a four, just a regular four, I would like like let's say we're wearing a like a like a 50 play, I am kick stepping, and if he spins inside, that's either uh like I'm down stepping um to the right because I'll play left, it's either that, or he's coming straight at me and I'm and I'm anchoring. It's like a it's like a bull rush.

Coach Moss 6:35

Yeah. So um at your size, like if you got a speed rusher, he's probably thinking that you can't move and that he can just blow by you with his speed. So what's your kind of mindset as far as when you got a speed rusher that's trying to beat you at speed? Are you kind of trying to wall them off or are you the type what once you get your hands on them, they kind of done?

Messiah 6:54

Yeah, uh so like someone like like if he's fast and like he's beat me on multiple plays, then I'm gonna start to like change my game and I'm gonna attack first, so he can't get that time to really run by by me, or like I'm gonna, yeah, I'm gonna wall up and try and lock him down.

Coach Moss 7:14

Okay. So speaking on the Ed White run offense, because I know every probably even when I was in high school, Ed White has always been a physical run, like run running team, have great running backs, have great offensive linemen. So what what kind of run scheme do y'all run over there at white now?

Messiah 7:35

Um, we run like mostly high power plays, but we're trying to integrate some trick plays. So like like it like like this year we got a harder schedule. Uh we play a lot harder teams. So we need to get better on like our power plays and our our trick plays.

Personal O-Line Development

Coach Moss 7:54

Okay. So how would you say since you've been at Ed White, um, how would you say that you've you've developed um as far as as an offensive tackle man, how has your offensive line coach kind of helped your development?

Messiah 8:07

My offensive line coach, he's like a he's like a a mentor, he's like a father. He's like a just like he's like a guy who will actually take take the time to sit down and talk to you, but he will also be harder on you. Like he'll also like let you know that he's not just here for fun. Like he's there to coach me, mentor me, and make me a better person. Like overall, like he's uh he's a good guy. He um he he he just he is like a like he's like a coach, like when you meet him, he's cool, but like the more you get um you get to know him, you like you really think like like like this is family, like he's a guy that you could look up to and you would want to mentor you for your whole high high school.

Coach Moss 8:54

Yes,

Can Ed White be one of Top OL in 904?

Coach Moss 8:55

sir. So being that you're 6'6, 300 plus pounds, like you're you kind of known as you you'll be like an anchor as far as your offensive line. Like how as far as a unit, how do you how how good do you think y'all could be? Do you do you think y'all could be one of the top offensive line units in the area?

Messiah 9:11

Yeah, with like the coaches, like we we just got some new coaches and like we uh we got a lot of new players and um transfers. If we really lock down and like our O-line becomes the voice of Ed White football, we could really be, we could really make something shake. We could we could change the way P uh people view view us. So it's just like it's just a thing where if we do do good, like it's just it's just gonna be great all around.

Coach Moss 9:43

Yeah, because as we know it offensively and defensively, but especially offense, the team goes how the offensive line goes. If you got an offensive line that's physical in the run game and in the passing game, you're gonna have a pretty elite offense.

Messiah 9:55

Yes, sir.

Coach Moss 9:57

So

Games he's looking forward to

Coach Moss 9:58

you talked about that tough schedule that you have. What's the couple games that you're kind of looking forward to playing this year?

Messiah 10:05

Um, I'm definitely looking forward to playing Raines. Like, Raines is a team, like, yes, last year they won uh state, but it's not gonna happen again this year. Like, like we're definitely gonna have a bigger team, a better team to stop them. We're gonna have like bigger guys, better players. So it's them and we play Bradford. Bradford is a game we have to physically and mentally lock in for. That's not gonna be an easy game whatsoever. But I feel like the more we play, the more our team connects. We'll have a chance at the end.

Goals

Coach Moss 10:44

So what's some goals that you have for for yourself individually and then for your team for this season?

Messiah 10:52

For myself, uh like I hope to definitely get off like more offers for one and to stay consistent in the gym. And for like for my team, definitely make it to state. Um I don't really like uh an another like big goal is I don't really want to lose any games. So like it's like an undefeated season. And just uh discipline, discipline for the whole team, and me.

Coach Moss 11:23

Yes, sir. So what do you think to achieve those goals, especially that undefeated season, what do you think that not just you but as a team that y'all have to do now to prepare y'all self so when the season gets here, y'all can do your best to achieve those goals.

Messiah 11:40

Um like I said, we just like it's like it's like really about discipline for us. Uh if we stay disciplined and lock in and then like just be the best Ed White football club could be, we could be a really dominant high school and we could be just like we could put ourselves on the map.

Coach Moss 12:02

Mm-hmm. So

New District

Coach Moss 12:04

I know the um classifications change every year. So y'all in the d in the new district this year with like Ribault, Columbia, Riverside, who y'all always been in the um district with as well as Yulee. So as far as your district games, what what games are you kind of looking forward most to? Is it that Columbia game? Because I know they're pretty they're usually pretty good every year.

Messiah 12:27

Yeah, we're looking to go out there and we need to dominate. Like we need to we need to show what we can do off the bat. Like first quarter, we by second quarter, we want to put our JV players in. So we would love to like come out on the field and dominate and just just just throw football.

Coach Moss 12:49

Yeah,

Best DE He's Faced

Coach Moss 12:50

that's perfectly understandable. So um, so who would you say as far as playing last year, who was probably the best defensive in or pass rusher that you probably um lined up against that you was like, I'm gonna have to bring it every play?

Messiah 13:08

Um most definitely Asher, Asher Ghioto.

Coach Moss 13:12

Mm-hmm from Bolles.

Messiah 13:14

Yeah, yeah, we just played him in the spring drink game. He was it it was a it was a tough match. He was a really quick player, a strong player, and a really dominant player. And I just like I came in the game with the mentality to win every rep. And I'm not gonna lie, I did I did lose some reps. I I won I won some reps. So I would like to get that better with that. Like that's the best player I've ever played, for D-end.

Coach Moss 13:44

Okay, so what what lessons do you think you kind of learned coming out coming out of of that of that matchup that you can apply to your game?

Messiah 13:52

Like, okay, so he played in like a really tight four. So like it's like uh like I gotta stay on my feet or like get quicker on my feet. So like the person lined up in front of me or outside of me cannot make a move that they want to. So it's like a stay, that's where I learned to let the other person make the move. So it's really I gotta stay locked and let them make their um make their move. Then I kind of that move was a move of my own.

Coach Moss 14:22

Yeah, it's kind of an analogy. You playing chess, not not checkers.

Messiah 14:26

Yes, yes.

Coach Moss 14:27

So

Leadership

Coach Moss 14:28

um, as far, you know, you go into your junior year, what's your leadership style? Or is it kind of or is it hard to be being a leader like when you're trying to talk to seniors, even though that you've already played like at a at a high level, playing varsity as a sophomore going into your junior year?

Messiah 14:44

Um, it's not no well, okay. We we have uh a sophomore now. We um his name is Ron Trez Lloyd, he's he's like the leader of of our team. So he's only uh a sophomore, he's going into his his junior year too. Uh it's like going and like being the voice for the like like the team, it's not it's something like you have to really focus on too. Like, I'm not the leader, but like I could lead like the O line. Like I could be the voice for the old O line. But we have other leaders for the football team though.

Coach Moss 15:22

Yes, sir. So would you so if you had to describe your the offensive line as a unit, what what's one word that you would use to describe them?

Messiah 15:33

Um one word dominant.

Coach Moss 15:36

Dominant.

Messiah 15:37

Yes, sir.

Coach Moss 15:38

So

Coach Johnson Coaching Style

Coach Moss 15:39

speaking of coach, um, you talked about your head coach, Coach Lawrence Johnson. Some people call him a coach LJ. So how's his coaching style style and what does he kind of do to push y'all to make sure make sure y'all become the best team that y'all can be? And for you individually and as a team?

Messiah 15:56

Um, for me individually, he's helped me and the coaching staff has how helped me a lot. They've had they've had talks with me. We've had like a lot a lot of heart to heart like talks about how I could what I need to do to like really do my best and what I don't need me to do, what I need to stop doing. So it's really like uh we just gotta like for me, I just gotta like listen to like what I'm being told. And I feel like the team um he has us like like we uh it's like a we have our moments like as a team and he'll like like like the coaching staff they'll correct us, but then like they'll do it in like a playful way, but then when it's time to get serious, then we're all serious and like we'll have to do like a punishment. Like if we're playing and we keep playing and you like like tell us stop and we keep playing and we'll have to do a punishment. And that's like where like the discipline comes in. Like we need to all be disciplined to just like look like listen and focus on what plays we're running and how we're running them and like the defensive uh running schemes and stuff.

Watching Film

Coach Moss 17:13

So when you're watching film, like say it's a Monday after a game, when you're scouting your next opponent, what what are you kind of looking for for so you know kind of know what you're gonna expect to see on that next Friday?

Messiah 17:25

Um I'm looking for what front they're running and how the D-end is lined up and if the if the right and left D-end if they um switch a lot, I look for that, and then I look for like what like the linebackers are are are lined up in like um let's say they're lined up in a four-three or just all mid-man down. Most of our plays we are going to it's gonna be head up on every man, so we're not gonna have time to get the linebackers. Now, if it's like uh if they're lined up in a four, I'm looking forward to, or like I'm looking for the D-end to shift down into the guards gap, and he runs his place through theirs. So it's really I'm just focused on the D-ends and the linebackers and what formation they're lined up in.

Communication

Coach Moss 18:17

Okay. And playing off of the line, like communication is a is a big thing that you have to have, especially you being at left tackle, you have to have great communication with your left guard. Who is that and how is that relationship?

Messiah 18:28

Uh Malachi Azor Graves. He's uh he's an up-and-coming senior. He me and him, we're cool, we're great, we're great friends. Him, me and his communication, like if it's like a big game and like we gotta like lock in before a game, we'll do a lot of talking on like the calls we have. And like if some of our calls are like like if we're playing like a no-huddle football, then we'll like tap each other's legs or something or something to like let like let the call know, or like what's the call gonna be?

Coach Moss 19:03

Okay,

Rapid Fire

Coach Moss 19:04

so the this last section is a rapid fire um section. I'm just a ask you some short questions and you just kind of spit your answers off to me. So pass pro or run block, what are you better at?

Messiah 19:17

Pass pro.

Coach Moss 19:18

Okay, pancakes or no no sacks. Which stat means more to you?

Messiah 19:24

No sacks.

Coach Moss 19:26

Um, kick slide or drive blocking? What's your favorite?

Messiah 19:30

Drive blocking.

Coach Moss 19:31

What's one word you have for edge rushers that talk too much?

Messiah 19:36

Um weird.

Coach Moss 19:40

Okay, what's one word for offensive tackles who can't bend?

Messiah 19:46

Uh offensive Lineman who who can't bend, uh uh again, weird.

Coach Moss 19:52

So that's all I have for you today. Is is there one last thing you want uh the listeners listeners to know before I get you out of here?

Messiah 19:59

Uh um at uh try to state Ed White to state.

Coach Moss 20:04

Yes, sir. You heard it here

DOWNLOAD, RATE, & REVIEW

Coach Moss 20:06

first. Well, folks, that's a wrap. Shout out to my guest Messiah for coming through and keeping it real. You've been listening to Behind the Whistle 904. Please remember to download, rate, and review, and turn on that notification bell so you don't miss an episode. See you next time.