Class Of 2026, Marist - Michael O'Connor, OL/DL 6'3" 240lbs
By: Jenny
Every Football Player Has A Story To Tell
Michael O'Connor, Marist, OL/DL
Class Of 2026 6'3" 240lbs 3.86GPA
What are your goals and expectations for your upcoming varsity season?
My goal is to a solid contributor to the varsity team next year on the offensive line and the defensive line. Also, to help the team make the playoffs and to have a deep playoff run.
What do you see as your biggest strengths on the field?
Being a three-sport athlete helps me to be versatile. This versatility is my biggest strength because I am able to play any position on the offensive line or the defensive line.
What areas of your game do you feel you need to improve upon to excel at the varsity level?
I continue to work on my strength as this is a major part of playing the offensive and defensive line.
Have you made any changes in your workout or your game based on the off-season workouts or summer practices so far?
Yes, I balance football, baseball, and basketball at the same time. In addition, in the offseason I have been doing a lot of training to continuously improve my strength and speed. I do this in many ways including private training, going to the gym, and by meeting with specific coaches.
Marist recently competed in a multi-team scrimmage-how did that go?
The multi team practice/scrimmage today went well. I liked going against different teams and different players in drills. This practice/scrimmage helped me gain more experience on what varsity football is like.
What do you think sets you apart from other linemen on the team, and how do you plan to showcase that on the field?
What sets me apart from other lineman is that I have starting experience as an offensive and defensive lineman, which makes me versatile. In addition, I have great footwork and speed. Also, I am very coachable, and I have a great work ethic. On the field I hope to show my speed by getting off the ball fast.
You finished your sophomore year strong academically. How do you plan to balance the demands of being not only a multi-sport student-athlete, and performing at a high level on the football field during your varsity season?
The past two years I have balanced being a three sport student athlete pretty well. I have been on the honor roll since I have been at Marist. Playing three sports has helped me with my time management which has allowed me to prioritize my academics. I also have great study skills and manage my time well.
Have you attended any camps this summer?
Yes, I have attended the Iowa, North Central, and Notre Dame football camps. All of them went well and I was able to showcase my skills in front of many coaches.
What do you hope to achieve individually and as a team during your varsity season?
I want to showcase my skills. From this I want to be a contributor for our team. As a team I want to achieve a state championship.
Marist is in a new conference this year and has a new Head Coach-what can we expect from the Redhawks?
Coach Fitz has been great all off season and during summer camp. He has been very supportive and wants the best for all of his players. I think that this year is going to be a great year for the Redhawks.
If there is one person on your team that you would say is going to have a breakout year, who is it?
I think that there are going to be many breakout players this year.
Last question-what do you want college coaches to know about you?
I want college coaches to know that I am a great student and that academics are important to me, I am a student ambassador, I volunteer for many things, I am coachable, I am a three sport athlete, I have great time management skills, that I put in a lot of extra work outside of practice, I hustle, I am athletic, I am a team player, I am mature, I am versatile, I am hardworking, I have a great work ethic, and that I don’t give up.
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