Geno VanDeMark is primed for a big senior season after a strong off-season
St. Joseph's offensive lineman Geno VanDeMark is the highest-rated commitment thus far in the 2021 class for Michigan State. He is currently ranked 173 in the entire country and 4th overall in New Jersey for Rivals.
After talking with VanDeMark’s offensive line coach Frank Coccaro it is evident that the senior OL isn't satisfied and is looking to take his game to the next level this fall and to continue to improve his game as he has every single year under Coccarro.
"Geno has worked hard since the day he came in SJR which was January of his freshman year just around the time offseason workouts were set to begin. Usually when guys like that come in you don’t know if they are going to be timid or shy but Geno to his credit jumped right in with two feet and worked hard."
Coccaro continued "He lost about 10-15 pounds he changed his body almost immediately. He came off the bench during his sophomore year in the regular season matchup against Bergen Catholic in the 2nd half and he held his own and the next week against Don Bosco he started and played well In his 1st start. I think that was the start of his confidence that he knew he belonged in this league, he wound up playing some important snaps the rest of the year as the 6th O-lineman".
Coccaro recounted the growth of VanDeMark, and how he got to the point he is at today.
"He is very athletic, has great feet, moves well in space. He was a better pass blocker at first which is unusual most guys when they are younger most are raw at pass blocking. But going into his junior year he developed and improved his running blocking skills, he developed that mentality of a road killer."
Heading into his senior season which starts on October 2 against Bergen Catholic, Coccaro sees VanDeMark continuing to take his game up another notch after cutting some bad weight that he was carrying last year.
"He still has work to do he is not a finished product by any means, he still learning, the sky is the limit for him. He continues to get his body in the best possible shape, he is probably around 290-300 pounds which is where he needs to be right now. He is very powerful in the lower body. His feet are good enough to play tackle, but I think he will end up playing guard on the right side of the line at Michigan State."
On his projection to the next level and playing for Michigan State offensive line coach Chris Kapilovic, Coccaro continued.
"As he continues to improve his overall strength he looks like a Big 10 OL so it’s a great fit for him at MSU. I know coach Kapilovic from over the years and not only is he a good coach but coach Kap is a great guy and I believe Geno will benefit from his teachings and will be developed into a great player under his tutelage."