Trieu: Michigan State in good spot with Ohio tackle, thanks to 'amazing' staff

Painesville (Ohio) Riverside offensive tackle David Tarawallie has emerged as a high-end prospect for Michigan State.

The Spartans made contact late in March, got Tarawallie on campus, offered him a scholarship and he now has an official visit set for May 29. The Rivals Recruiting Prediction Machine has the Spartans in the lead with schools like Cincinnati, Wake Forest, Pittsburgh, Louisville, USF and more giving chase.

As of March 13, Tarawallie had zero offers. During his junior season, he played at 245 pounds and was effective, but colleges needed to see him add weight this offseason. He did just that, bulking up to 265 pounds.

“I don’t even think he is remotely close to scratching the surface of his potential,” Riverside strength coach Bryan Doberdruk said. “If you look at him, he’s a skinny 264-pound kid. He will probably play this year around 275 pounds and be an incredibly athletic 300-pound college freshman. I’ve been a strength coach full time for 17 years, and I’ve never had a kid this size who moves so well.”

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Doberduk also owns Iron Athlete Sports Performance in Lake County, Ohio. He has worked with athletes from many different sports from softball to power lifters. With Tarawallie, the focus has been on making sure he adds what he needs without losing what makes him special.

“Our strength program includes a lot of plyos, sled sprints and resisted sprints — all things he excels at,” Doberduck says. “Our No. 1 priority is adding muscle. He is currently up 20 pounds from last season with no extra body fat. The goal is 10 to 15 more pounds. As a side effect, he keeps getting stronger. He just close-grip benched 315 pounds for five reps. He squats and deadlifts 500 pounds or so. Getting stronger is more of a side effect than a goal for him.”

With Tarawallie, it is all about upside. His future is bright and he is choosing a school for many reasons, but also wants a place that can develop him. Michigan State has shown him it is a strong option in that department.

“The coaches and staff are amazing,” Tarawalie said. “They really made me feel seen for the type of player I could become, and treated me like I was one of their own.”

As the recruitment has taken off, Tarawallie has pushed himself even harder, which makes it more likely he will reach his considerable ceiling.