Interview: Big 2019 Canadian OT Liam Dick is an Overlooked Talent That Can Play
Written by Ryan Wright
Twitter: @RyanWrightRNG
As a high school/college football recruiting enthusiast, it is always exciting coming across a gem you are ready to share with the world. It is even more exciting to find out that the player whose Hudl reel you just watched is as good as you think backed by nine scholarship offers. This was my first exposure to Class of 2019 offensive tackle Liam Dick.
There are biases in football that range from size and 40-yard dash time speed, to where one plays the game; this especially holds true for our Canadian friends just north of the border. One Canadian, out of Burlington lacing them up for Clarkson North, is unknowingly helping break a long existing stereotype just by going out on the field and playing the game. Dick is an ideal offensive lineman listed at 6-7, 300 pounds, capable of playing in a ground and pound scheme or in an up-tempo spread attack. He is a mauler when the whistle blows with quick feet and does a great job using his natural strength to overwhelm the opposition finishing plays with a nasty streak. Another important trait for Dick besides determination, he has tremendous upside and will only get better.
Without watching any game footage, the pessimist will be quick to think that Dick may be talented but is going up against other Canadian players thus he may not be good as advertised; that could not be any further from the truth. Every game on the schedule in 2018, but one, is against U.S. teams with showdowns against Archbishop Moeller (OH), Erie (PA), St. Ignatius (OH), St. Francis Academy (MD), Cheshire Academy (CT), and Bishop Sullivan Catholic (VA) upcoming. During the 2018 season, one of the highlight games for Dick was going up against Class of 2018 defensive end Tyreke Smith, a four-star from Cleveland Heights that signed with Ohio State. Watch the highlight reel, you’ll see just how well it went. If that does not sway you, perhaps offers extended from Louisville, North Carolina, Liberty, Maine, Massachusetts, North Carolina Central, Kent State, Howard, and Pitt will.
In a Recruiting News Guru exclusive interview, I sat down with Dick for a one-on-one covering his abilities on the field and his recruiting process thus far.
Interview
Liam, from watching your junior reel, it looks like you do really well at down blocking, swallowing up ends on speed rushes, and you finish plays off strong. What are some of the other strengths to your game as a blocker?
“I am agile and athletic for my size. I am able to get in front of defenders and stop them. My athleticism is my greatest strength against opponents.”
Did you track your pancake blocks and/or knockdown blocks last season?
“No. We did not do that last season.”
From your reel, it looks like you had a thousand. If you had to guess, how many per game on average do you think you had?
(Laughs) “I don’t know. That is a tough question… a lot.”
What did you work on with your blocking technique this spring and summer?
“Having played on the offensive line for two years, I am new to playing the position and to football to be honest. Anything I can learn at the camps down south (U.S.) helps. I received help with my stance, hand-placement, where I should be framed on the block, and things like that this summer at college camps. I learned a lot this offseason on technique because of the camps.”
Where did you see the biggest gains in your blocking abilities this offseason?
“I’d wake up at 6 o’clock every morning to go to the gym for speed work. We are in second week of training camp now. My speed was a big gain. I am getting to my block quickly and catching them off guard. I am engaged after two steps and getting them off balance. The speed aspect of my blocks has improved the most.”
Did you max out in the weight room this offseason?
“We workout differently than most. For squats, I squatted 300 pounds for a full minute. My bench press is 315. Clean was same kind of thing as squats, more technique. Our coach was adamant about that.”
You mentioned attending college camps this summer, which camps did you go to learning more about the game and your position?
“I went to camps at Pitt, Rutgers, Louisville, and TCU.”
Of the four, which was your best camp performance?
“I’d say I did really well at Pittsburgh. That was my first camp, I had extra adrenaline going into that one. I did not know what to expect. I cramped up at Rutgers. At TCU, I had a stomach virus but still did well. At Louisville, I did well there too.”
What did you do well at the Pitt camp?
“I felt like I moved really well. My body felt good. I did not do a camp the day before like the other camps. My body was ready to play football. I blocked well and performed well.”
How many offers do you have now?
“I have nine offers.”
Which schools are showing interest but have not offered you yet?
“I have a lot of schools that have shown interest; Boston College, Arkansas, Houston, Texas, Washington State, Memphis, Georgia Southern, Yale, Buffalo, Texas Tech, Northwestern, Baylor, West Virginia, Syracuse, Baylor, Fresno State, Cincinnati, and Oregon. There are more, but I cannot think of them all right now.”
Have you taken any unofficial visits yet?
“Yes. I went to Rutgers for an unofficial, Kent State on an unofficial, Yale, and Buffalo all on unofficial visits.”
Do you have any planned visits upcoming?
“Nothing is planned yet. I have talked to Louisville, Pittsburg, North Carolina and Kent State about visits, but nothing is set in stone yet. I was planning on doing my visits after the season to focus on the season if possible.”
With recruiting, is there anything that you consistently have had to overcome or questions about any part of your game, or is there a part of your game that you feel gets overlooked simply because you play football in Canada?
“Definitely. Being from Canada, there is a barrier to overcome. It is hard enough to be noticed by the coaches and then to get that opportunity to play at the next level with an offer is even harder. I am used to it all. At the end of the day, it is just a bump in the road that needs to be ran over. It is okay.”
What are some of the question from coaches you may get? I imagine a big one is your willingness to go to school and play football in the U.S. Do you get a lot of those types of questions?
“Sort of. A lot of schools don’t know I play my whole schedule down south in the U.S. We were ranked Top 10 hardest schedule by MaxPreps. Five of the teams we play this year are in the Top 100. For example, I played against Tyreke Smith last year. This year, he is at Ohio State playing ball. I think I did well against him. I play against top guys in the country all the time. I am used to playing at a high level. I know I can transition well to the next level.”
Which games on the 2018 schedule are you looking forward to playing?
“We are supposed to play St. Xavier and St. Ignatius in Ohio, Archbishop Moeller, St. Francis in Baltimore, and Bishop Sullivan Catholic, a Virginia team. I am looking forward to playing all of those teams.”
With nine offers on the table, have you started thinking about a commitment date?
“I’d like to commit after the season, even in December so I can take all my official visits and make the right decision. Once I commit, I will not decommit. When I make my decision, that is where I am going. Ideally, I’d like to wait until then, but if I get a feeling with a certain school, I will be ready to make that decision for sure.”
What factors will influence your final decision on the ideal school and program for you?
“Getting that home feeling is a big one. Having a great connection with the coaches, a school with great facilities and academics with a good culture is important. I want to go to a place that ideally has a winning culture and a place where I could fit right in right away.”
Liam, thanks for your time today and good luck with your senior season.
“Thank you.”
*Click link for Liam Dick’s 2017 Hudl reel
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Photo credit: Dick family; Liam Dick in action