Interview: 2023 California OT Raymond Pulido is a Monster Talent in the Trenches
Written by Ryan Wright
Twitter: @RyanWrightRNG
The Golden State has long been known for producing collegiate arms and amazing skill players, but California has far more to offer thanks to talents like Raymond Pulido. If there are lockdown corners on the field, Pulido is a lockdown offensive tackle. At 6-7, 340, the Apple Valley High School standout is a first person off the bus kind of guy who dominates defenders for four quarters, long after they have mentally tapped out.
The Class of 2023 prospect got to showcase the skills this spring during the Sun Devils five-game 2020 season. The byproduct has been offers extended from Arizona and Maryland with interest piling up.
In an RNG first-look interview, Pulido visited the Clubhouse for an encompassing talk about football and recruiting.
Interview
Ray, I’m sure you know this by now but defensive linemen do not like playing against guys like you.
No, they do not. I really like dominating other people. I think I show that on the field, and no one else on the field likes that.
What is the body language and/or the dialogue ends, tackles, and linebackers may have with you from the first quarter until the end of the game?
My coach taught me to defeat them in every possible way, crush their spirit by the fourth quarter. In the first quarter they smack talk but by the fourth quarter they are over the game and don’t want to play.
For your size, your footspeed is incredible. Do you play another sport or have you developed your quick feet doing constant drills?
I play basketball a lot. Basketball is one of my favorite sports. I grew up playing it. That is where my quick feet come from.
Throughout the season you were planting defenders in the ground. Did you track your pancakes and/or knockdowns?
No, not for the entire season. I remember in the Hesperia game I got 17 pancakes.
Wow. That does not surprise me. Me asking you to guess, about how many per game were you getting?
I was probably averaging about five to eight pancakes and knockdowns.
Besides your footspeed and ability to put defenders down, your arm extension jumps out at me. What are some of the other strengths to your game with both run and pass blocking?
Probably my hand-eye coordination. I work on that. If you can launch your hands and lock up, that really helps if you have precision putting them to the ground. My grip strength is another thing. I put my hand in a bucket of rice to improve my grip strength. I make sure to work that out.
My patience too. It is really helpful against a quicker guy to have patience. If you can kick back and wait, they will not know how to react. My down blocking helps because I am big and heavy. My guards love it.
Which key areas of your blocking are you focusing on this offseason?
I am working on my run blocking, my explosion off the ball; those are the main things. I am working on getting off the ball and into someone’s face as fast as possible.
What are some of the lifts and workouts you are doing this offseason?
I love leg day. That is all me. If I could hit legs every day, I would. Besides legs, you have to bench. But legs are something else, I love a good back squat. I work on my forearms. Latching up is really helpful when putting people to the ground. My hips and hip explosion – doing box jumps.
Have you maxed out this offseason?
Yes. My bench, I got back at it at the start of the season after missing time because of the quarantine. I got up to 315 at the end of the season. On squat I went from 225 to 450. I am still working on them always trying to get those maxes up.
For your speed and agility, what drills are you doing?
Ladder drills, ladder drills, and ladder drills. I did that the most during the quarantine. Every day, twice a day, I was working on my feet and agility. That was the one thing I really worked at hard during the quarantine.
Are you going to any football camps this spring?
The basketball season is going on now, so I am not doing too much with football camps. I don’t want to hurt myself. If a big camp wanted me there, I’d head out and get it done.
How is the basketball season going?
It is going pretty good. I am a little rusty. I didn’t play during our season. Getting back, I am working on my technique again; that has been fun. The guys on my team are helpful. From my 3-point shot to dominating in the paint, my teammates have been helpful and supportive of me.
Looking further down the line, are there any college camps you may go compete at this summer?
I am supposed to go to Arizona this summer. That’s all I know of for now. My dad does all that stuff.
Let’s stick with that and go into recruiting. Which schools are showing interest?
Utah is showing interest. Again, my dad handles all of that. He does not want it to get to my head so he does not tell me all the schools that are showing interest.
How many offers do you have?
I have two; Arizona and Maryland.
Which of the two were the first to offer?
Maryland did back in January. I was at a camp. That was really exciting seeing all my work payoff.
We talked about potential college camps, are there any visits you may take or would like to take this summer?
I want to check out Utah. I have been there before but I did not get the full tour. Cal, and some local universities that I can make a three-to-10-hour trip there and back are possible visits this summer.
Ray, thanks for your time today. Wishing you and the team success with the ongoing basketball season.
Thank you, sir.
Photo credit: NIL/Pulido family; Ray Pulido