Michael Oher, 2009 NFL Draft Prospect
 | 6' 6" 325 lbs. Offensive Tackle Ole Miss Senior |
Meet one of the best offensive line prospects in college football and soon to be one of the best in the NFL. As a freshman Michael Jerome Oher was a fantastic guard, he earned First Team Freshman All-American honors from Rivals.com and The Sporting News and Third Team honors from CollegeFootballNews.com. He was also named First Team Freshman All-SEC by the SEC Coaches and The Sporting News. Oher started the last 10 games at right guard. It’s a pretty impressive feat to even start in the SEC as a true freshman. Oher became the first freshman starter on the offensive line at Ole Miss since 1997 when Terrance Metcalf started.
As a sophomore (2006) he was converted to left tackle and didn’t miss a beat. Last season as a junior he had another fantastic showing at left tackle and originally declared for the 2008 NFL Draft where he would have been a top 20 selection in the first round. To the delight of the Ole Miss coaching staff and fan base, he changed his mind and decided to come back for his senior season.
“While I felt good about being projected as a possible first round pick and had everybody in my corner, it just kept coming back to me that I was leaving some unfinished business at Ole Miss,” Oher said. “It’s really about winning more games and going to a bowl game. I wanted to be a part of making that happen. Most of all, I want to finish my senior year with my teammates. Also, I’m sure mom and dad are happy with my decision to come back.”
Entering his senior season he has accumulated 34 consecutive starts and has shown to be extremely durable. Oher plays with a mean streak and the 6’ 6” 325 pound former basketball star has very quick feet. His powerful blocking helped running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis become only the third 1,000-yard runner in Ole Miss History (two consecutive years).
Coming out of high school Oher was rated as one of the top offensive linemen in the country. He earned first team USA Today All-American honors and played in the prestigious U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio, Texas. He was also selected by ESPN as the nation's top offensive tackle and rated as the fifth best offensive lineman in the country by Scout.com as well as first team All-American honors. As a high school senior, he was credited with 130 pancake blocks, allowing no sacks, and grading out at 90 percent. He didn't allow a sack in his two years and had 200 total pancake blocks. I mentioned he was a star basketball player, he also lettered twice in basketball and twice in track. For a 300 pound basketball player he averaged 22 points and 10 rebound and earned All-State honors. In track, he was state runner-up in discus.
This year Michael Oher was on everyone’s First Team All-American list and is unanimously rated as the top offensive lineman prospect for the 2009 NFL Draft. He has been included as a possible first round draft pick on every legitimate 2009 NFL Mock Drafts that I have seen so far. Oher is so good he might even follow in the footsteps of Jake Long from Michigan, who was selected by the Miami Dolphins with the first pick in the 2008 NFL Draft. He needs to stay focused, but Oher is a special talent, not because of his proto type size, or even his mean streak, it’s his technique that has all the NFL Scouts giddy. He plays with excellent knee bend, uses proper leverage and slides his feet very well.
- Lindy's 1st Team All-American
- Phil Steele 1st Team All-SEC and 1st Team All-American
- Athlon Sport's 1st Team All-SEC and 1st Team All-American
- The Sporting News 1st Team All-SEC and 1st Team All-American
- Mel Kiper's Top ranked offensive tackle and 1st Team All-American
The main character of the New York Times best seller, “The Blind Side: The Evolution of a Game,” Oher arrived at Ole Miss as the nation’s #1 prep offensive tackle. He came from a very difficult upbringing, which has only strengthened his character. See the video below for the story of his amazing past: