2022 Watch List: OT Valen Erickson
Chicago (Ill.) St. Rita sophomore offensive tackle prospect Valen Erickson (6-foot-6, 270 pounds) was on of several underclassmen who had an impressive showing at Monday's EDGYTIM Showcase powered by EFT Football. Get to know this latest name to watch in the Class of 2022 here.
"I loved it (EDGYTIM/EFT Showcase)," Erickson said. "Overall it was a great experience. I was able to get a lot of work in and the competition level was really high at the camp."
Erickson, who was a starter on the Class 5A state runner up St. Rita squad last season recapped his latest recruiting news.
"I really haven't talked to a lot of college coaches just yet but I know a lot of coaches have been in school. Some of the college coaches are also starting to follow me on Twitter. Louisville and Illinois seem to be the two schools who have been following me lately and they both seem interested in me. Lately it seems like we are seeing more and more college coaches in school which is exciting."
So what part of Erickson's overall game is he focused on improving this off season?
"I've been working on improving my overall footwork and improving my hips. I work out with our wrestling team and I'm just trying to get more mobile and in better shape. I'm also always in the weight room and lifting this winter with my team. Last season I really thought I did pretty well in my run blocking and I just love run blocking. I also know I need to improve my pass pro and I'm going to work on that this winter as well."
Erickson is also excited for the Mustangs 2020 season.
"We had a very young team last season and we have a lot of kids who started coming back for next season. We didn't finish the year the way we wanted to (losing to Rochester in the 5A state title game) and that's been a big motivational factor for us this winter. It definitely has all of us working harder this winter."
What lessons did Erickson learn from the outgoing senior class?
"The seniors showed us a lot about leadership. They really got on me and they always mace sure I worked hard and never let up. The seniors really taught us to never give up. When we went 1-3 to start the season the seniors really took over and got us back on track."