Northwestern defensive end signee Devin O'Rourke was in Orlando, Fla., the last several days for the prestigious Under Armour All-America game, which was played last night.
O'Rourke didn't have much of an impact on the game and not much was written or said about the four-star standout from Frankfort (Ill.) Lincoln Way East -- aside from video of a practice skirmish he got into with Florida commit Richard Gouraige that went viral.
But one guy who was there to watch practice all week and see how O'Rourke fared one-on-one against some of the best offensive lineman in the nation was Rivals national recruiting expert Mike Farrell. So I reached out to Farrell to find out what he had to say about the 6-foot-6, 250-pound crown jewel of NU's 2018 class.
"He’s a high-motor kid, strong for his size and never stops going," said Farrell. "Was a little overmatched at times with the sheer size of the tackles but does a good job getting off contact, dips his shoulder well, and he has good balance."
That's consistent with what other Rivals experts and O'Rourke himself has said in the past. He needs to get stronger and is by no means a finished product, but he has very good speed and athleticism for a player his size.
As far as that much-hyped fight with Gouraige goes, Farrell thought it was a positive for O'Rourke. It showed a player who was not going to back down to anyone.
"He's a hard-nosed kid," said Farrell.
O'Rourke didn't have much of an impact on the game and not much was written or said about the four-star standout from Frankfort (Ill.) Lincoln Way East -- aside from video of a practice skirmish he got into with Florida commit Richard Gouraige that went viral.
But one guy who was there to watch practice all week and see how O'Rourke fared one-on-one against some of the best offensive lineman in the nation was Rivals national recruiting expert Mike Farrell. So I reached out to Farrell to find out what he had to say about the 6-foot-6, 250-pound crown jewel of NU's 2018 class.
"He’s a high-motor kid, strong for his size and never stops going," said Farrell. "Was a little overmatched at times with the sheer size of the tackles but does a good job getting off contact, dips his shoulder well, and he has good balance."
That's consistent with what other Rivals experts and O'Rourke himself has said in the past. He needs to get stronger and is by no means a finished product, but he has very good speed and athleticism for a player his size.
As far as that much-hyped fight with Gouraige goes, Farrell thought it was a positive for O'Rourke. It showed a player who was not going to back down to anyone.
"He's a hard-nosed kid," said Farrell.
