Drop by Decatur High School on a given Friday night, and you will quickly notice the physicality of their line of scrimmage. Setting the tone is senior offensive lineman, Bennett Knapp, who can deliver crushing blocks like last week on a screen pass, which resulted in a long touchdown.
The big fella, who stands 6′ 260 lbs., used every fiber of his athleticism to plant a defender into the ground and even turned back and sealed off another player in pursuit. The play embolized the ‘bully squad’ mindset, and Knapp earned his second spot on the squad during the 2024 season.
This time, Knapp earned OL of the Week honors, so we got to talk with the senior about how the season has gone so far.
“My senior year has gone really good! We are 4-0 and hoping to make it 5-0 tomorrow. And just getting a lot of good work with my O-line unit. I’ve had 14 pancakes so far,” Knapp said.
Flip over to his Twitter/X page, you’ll be welcomed by Knapp’s profile picture, where he is aptly pouring syrup over some pancakes. The senior film at the top of the article is loaded with pancake blocks, so we asked about his mindset on the field, and what he looks for.
“My mindset on the field is just stay on blocks and finish blocks. Keep opening holes for my running backs,” he said.
Knapp will be on the recruiting road soon, and let us know about some future visits he has in store.
“I have a couple of visits set up. I will be at North Park this weekend and Lagrange the weekend after that. I visited Rhodes College earlier this season.” Knapp continued, “My recruiting is still very open tho and I’m excited for any opportunities.”
Knapp has pretty long arms for a 6′ OL, so he does a really good job of getting leverage on his opponent. He has quality film where he pancakes talented defensive linemen, especially in the game against GAC. Knapp has good quickness to the perimeter and you have to love the urgency he demonstrates in getting to his responsibility.
Decatur is 4-0 on the year, taking down a slew of solid opponents like GAC, Carver-Atlanta, and Stephenson. They are being slept on for the moment, but given their region schedule, they should handle business until a showdown between Woodward Academy on 10/25, which could decide who is Region Champs.
“I think the goals for the rest of the year are to win region and continue winning games. I think we have a really good opportunity this year and have some really talented players,” Knapp said.
This 2024 Decatur team is one of the best we have seen in recent memory. Knapp and his teammates will be a group to watch closely, as they figure to be one of the best teams in 5A, so be sure to follow @RecruitGeorgia on Twitter/X to hear the latest on Knapp and players all across Georgia.
