BYU offensive lineman Blake Freeland drops to cross block throughout recreation in opposition to Baylor, Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022, in Provo, Utah. Freeland might be among the many gamers to listen to his title referred to as out throughout this week’s NFL draft. George Frey, Related Press
BYU offensive lineman Blake Freeland, second from proper, reacts after performing a vertical leap on the NFL soccer scouting mix in Indianapolis, Sunday, March 5, 2023. Freeland posted a 37-inch leap, the very best mark for an offensive lineman on the mix since no less than 2003. Erin Hooley, Related Press
BYU offensive lineman Blake Freeland (71) celebrates after a landing throughout recreation in opposition to Utah at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021. Shafkat Anowar, Deseret Information
Blake Freeland’s life will change this week, of that he's pretty sure.
What the 6-foot-8, 305-pound BYU offensive lineman doesn’t know is the place he'll go within the NFL draft, or which workforce will purchase his providers.
“Shoot, I'm excited, man. It's one thing I've been dreaming of since I used to be somewhat child. It's lastly right here. I simply know that wherever I find yourself, it will be the very best place for me.” — BYU offensive lineman Blake Freeland
“Individuals most likely get bored with listening to it, however I really don't know,” Freeland stated.
The previous Herriman Excessive three-sport star does have a fairly good thought what he'll do together with his first NFL paycheck, nevertheless.
“I’ve been debating about getting a brand new automobile,” he stated.
The towering left sort out has been driving a 2003 Toyota Sequoia with 320,000 miles on it.
“It’s breaking down somewhat bit currently,” Freeland stated. “It's on its final legs.”
He would additionally prefer to take his complete household on a visit exterior of the nation, “to kinda present them what an actual trip is,” he stated.
Freeland, a four-year starter at BYU — the primary two years at proper sort out, the second two years at left sort out after All-American Brady Christensen was taken within the third spherical, seventieth total, of the 2021 NFL draft by the Carolina Panthers.
Huge Blake, as his teammates name him, resides the dream that first took root when he began displaying phenomenal athleticism for an individual his measurement as a teenager.
“Shoot, I'm excited, man,” he advised the Deseret Information on Monday. “It's one thing I've been dreaming of since I used to be somewhat child. It's lastly right here. I simply know that wherever I find yourself, it will be the very best place for me.”
Most mock drafts have Freeland going between the late second spherical and the fourth spherical. He stated he’s mentally making ready for nearly something and is aware of he should show himself once more simply as he did in 2019 after signing with BYU as an “athlete” as a result of, regardless of his measurement, he had performed quarterback and tight finish his first two seasons at Herriman Excessive within the southwest a part of the Salt Lake Valley.
He was additionally an all-state heart in basketball and a state champion within the shot put, javelin and discus in observe.
“It's sort of like a restart,” he stated. “You might be on the backside of the totem pole once more and also you simply gotta show to different folks and your self that you could get on the market and compete and put your greatest foot ahead every single day.”
For his half, Christensen isn’t shocked that Freeland is about to supplant him as the most recent BYU offensive lineman within the NFL.
“I simply bear in mind him taking part in in apply, he would identical to pull and run across the nook and he would simply be destroying folks,” Christensen advised BYUtv. “Generally he would appear to be he was tackling folks. He was so uncooked, however so athletic and so large and so good.
“You have been like, holy cow, as soon as this man fine-tunes his approach, he's going to be unbelievable,” Christensen continued. “And that’s what he has carried out these previous couple of years. He has actually fine-tuned his approach to go together with his athleticism. It has been enjoyable to observe his progress.”
BYU offensive lineman Blake Freeland, second from proper, reacts after performing a vertical leap on the NFL soccer scouting mix in Indianapolis, Sunday, March 5, 2023. Freeland posted a 37-inch leap, the very best mark for an offensive lineman on the mix since no less than 2003.
Erin Hooley, Related Press
After he was named an Related Press Third-Crew All-American final fall and determined to show professional regardless of having one other 12 months of eligibility remaining, Freeland had his coming-out celebration, of types, on the NFL mix in Indianapolis. He posted a 37-inch vertical leap, the very best mark for an offensive lineman on the mix since no less than 2003.
He added to that eye-popping leap with a 10-foot broad leap, greatest amongst OLs, and a time of 4.98 seconds within the 40-yard sprint, which was third-best. Some NFL draft consultants have stated he moved up one or two rounds within the draft together with his efficiency in Indy.
“I feel folks have been impressed. I feel folks kinda knew that I used to be an athletic participant. I feel placing up good numbers kinda confirmed them and kinda bought my title on the market, which was good,” he stated. “However I feel on the finish of the day they arrive again to the tape, the sport movie, and that’s what they depend on essentially the most.”
If that’s the case, he must be simply effective; Freeland began in all 13 of the 8-5 Cougars’ video games final season, and didn't hand over a sack. He dedicated simply two penalties.
Dane Brugler of The Athletic has Freeland ranked because the No. 179 participant within the draft.
“Freeland’s inexperience and the lesser-developed facets of his recreation (leverage factors, play energy, and so forth.) might be uncovered by NFL expertise, however he has the toes, size and upside to warrant being a mid-round draft decide,” Brugler wrote. “He's a piece in progress who ought to finally compete for an NFL workforce’s No. 3 sort out spot and probably extra.”
One other draft analysts, ESPN’s Jordan Reid, advised BYUtv that Freeland’s inventory is “manner up, particularly after the NFL scouting mix, the place he examined by means of the roof.”
Reid initiatives Freeland going to the Washington Commanders within the second spherical in his newest mock draft. He compares Freeland to Brian O’Neill of the Minnesota Vikings and Samuel Cosmi of the Commanders.
Reid stated he may additionally see Freeland touchdown in San Francisco as a result of the 49ers are searching for a substitute for Mike McGlinchey, who signed with the Broncos, at proper sort out.
That decide would thrill Freeland, as a result of he counts the 49ers amongst his favourite groups after being born within the Bay Space. One thing to observe: San Francisco has three picks on the again finish of the third spherical.
Freeland additionally grew up cheering for the Dallas Cowboys as a result of Dallas is the place his father is from.
Talking of his father, new Riverton Excessive soccer coach Jim Freeland performed linebacker for the Cougars in 1994 and 1995. Blake’s mom, the previous Debbie Dimond, performed basketball for BYU from 1991-95 as a 6-foot-3 publish participant and is the eighth-highest scorer in BYU ladies’s basketball historical past.
His older sister, Sierra, competed for BYU’s ladies’s observe workforce as a thrower from 2017-22.
“We’ve bought a fairly athletic household,” Blake Freeland understated.
That household — Freeland additionally has three youthful sisters — will collect Thursday, Friday and Saturday at his mother and father’ house to observe the draft and have a good time Blake’s rise.
Throughout the pandemic, Freeland says he ate at Cupbop “virtually every single day” in Provo and struck up a friendship with one of many homeowners, so the restaurant chain that payments itself because the “Korean BBQ in a Cup” will cater the gathering on Saturday.
One cause that Freeland isn’t positive which groups are most occupied with him is the truth that he didn’t get invited on any visits — groups are allowed to usher in as much as 30 gamers — and he didn’t do any non-public exercises.
“There are occasions the place I'm like, ‘Oh man, what does that imply?’ I want I had a couple of, however I feel I might be OK. I met with so many coaches and so many scouts all through this entire course of. I really feel comfy with it,” he stated.
Freeland’s brokers, Collin Roberts and Ryan Tollner of Rep1 Sports activities, inform him all the pieces is sweet and he believes them. Former BYU QB Jaren Corridor additionally selected Rep1 Sports activities.
After the season, Freeland educated in Rep1’s facility in Irvine, California, till per week earlier than BYU Professional Day. Since then, he’s been figuring out in Bluffdale or at BYU with Dr. Skyler Mayne. And he’s doing little or no guessing.
“It's laborious to get a superb learn on groups generally, truthfully,” he stated. “However I've talked to fairly a couple of groups simply over the telephone and thru Zoom and stuff. I actually, truthfully, don't know the place I'm going to land.”
He simply is aware of that he may simply arrive in a model new automobile.
BYU offensive lineman Blake Freeland (71) celebrates after a landing throughout recreation in opposition to Utah at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021.
Shafkat Anowar, Deseret Information