By Mark Maynard / Prokickernews.com
NASHVILLE – A rising senior long-snapper with superb technique was among those identified in the talent search during the Ray Guy Prokicker.com camp on Friday.
Ben Groelke, who attends Leesville High School in North Carolina, probably will be ranked among the top five in the nation after Friday’s performance. He went 21 fo 30 on charting and had a fast snap of .75.
Prokicker staff coach David Hood said Groelke “was one of the best I’ve seen all summer.”
Groelke, he said, is a college prospect who will probably be ranking near the top in the national talent search.
“He’s got a chance to snap in college on the Divisiion II or Divisiion III level for sure,” Hood said. “He’s a pretty talented kid. He’s got a thick chest, thick legs and athletically is looking good. His size could keep him from getting too many Division I looks.”
As far as technique, few are better than Groelke, who had fast snaps of .75 and .78.
Underclassman Thomas Farst, who will be a junior at Briarcrest Christian in Memphis, has had a good performance. While he made only 60 percent of his field goals, his long kickoffs and hang time raised eyebrows.
“He had a leg for all the kicks,” said Prokicker staff coach Logan O’Connor. “He’s got some time to work things out with his technique. I’m looking forward to seeing what he can do in the future.”
Farst won the camp’s Long Distance Kickoff competition with a 68-yard boot that also had a 3.75 hang time. He also had kickoffs of 68, 62 and 61.
“That shows what kind of length strength he has,” O’Connor said. “He’s definitely one for us to watch.”
