recruiting evaluation of lineman Dominic Rivera

Offensive tackle Dominic Rivera is one of five offensive linemen in the Rutgers 2023 recruiting class. He is a strong and powerful lineman who can play either at tackle or in the interior.

Rivera checks in at 6-foot-7 and 310 pounds, having played his high school ball at Olmsted Falls, OH. He was a big part why the Bulldogs finished with a 10-3 record.

Last season, Rivera and the Bulldogs appeared in the OHSAA state semifinal game. For his efforts, Rivera received All-Ohio First Team honors. Late in December, Rivera made it official for Rutgers football during the early signing period.

According to 247Sports, Rivera is ranked as the No. 35 recruit in Ohio and No. 89 in the nation. The offensive tackle received 11 offers from multiple universities (Ball State, Boston College, Bowling Green, Buffalo, Iowa State, Connecticut, Kent State, Miami OH, Rutgers, Toledo, and Syracuse).

Rutgers was the only school from the Big Ten Conference to offer Rivera.

Film Evaluation

The Rutgers’ future offensive tackle certainly has the characteristics that an ideal lineman has in the Big Ten. His size and physicality are outstanding, allowing him to mix it up with defensive linemen.

He has excellent technique on combo blocks, communicating when getting to the next level. Rivera’s high school ran the Wing-T / Navy offense, making him familiar with down-and-reach blocks. Rivera does a great job staying on his path, not chasing or getting confused with moving defensive linemen.

Coming off the ball, Rivera has impressive leverage, moving defenders off the line of scrimmage. His footwork and fit allow him to open holes for his running backs. Since his high school was a run-first team, Rivera might lack the ability to pass block on the next level.

Improvements

Rivera has size, but is he athletic enough to play tackle in the Big Ten? He is an excellent contribution to the power running game, but when the Scarlet Knights spread it out, can Rivera hold up in isolated…