Player Spotlight: Jacobian Guillory

Player Spotlight:  Jacobian Guillory

By B.R. Battle

Photo by Mike Scarborough, TigerBait.com

Alexandria, Louisiana native, Jacobian Guillory, the unanimous top-ranked defensive lineman in his home state, is as impressive of a prospect and young man that you will see at the high school level.  Guillory stands at 6-foot-3, weighs 331 pounds and has the strength and quickness to warrant constant double, and sometimes triple teams from his opposition. Not only is he the perfect build for an all-star defensive tackle, Jacobian is also a bright and intelligent young man, evident in his desire to pursue a degree in Computer Science from whatever school he decides to sign with after his senior season. 

Guillory is the prototypical defensive tackle that has all the tools to be successful at the next level.  He is physical at the point of attack with deceptive quickness and hand speed for a guy of his size.  His non-stop motor reminds me of a young Casey Hampton…a player whose 12 year NFL career culminated in 2 Super Bowl championships and a spot on the Pittsburgh Steeler’s 75th anniversary team.  Guillory’s strength, at this level of his maturation process, is what sets him apart from his peers.  He attributes that to emulating a current NFL star by the name of Ndamukong Suh.   

“He’s (Suh) my favorite defensive player. He doesn’t necessarily play my position but he bounces around the D-line,” Guillory said.  “I like the way he (Suh) sheds blocks and takes care of the double team and makes plays.  He’s a really big part of the defensive front that the (Los Angeles) Rams have.” 

After watching his junior season highlights, it is easy to see the influence Suh’s dominant style has on Jacobian’s game.  He is constantly double and triple-teamed; however, Guillory continues to consistently make plays, especially in his opponent’s backfield. 

“I attempt to get better leverage against my opponents by staying low and keeping my feet moving so I don’t get knocked off balance,” said Guillory.  This is definitely true in regards to his playing style, due to him rarely being pushed back once the ball is snapped.  Instead, Guillory’s motor repeatedly propels him to push opposing offensive lineman backwards, mostly resulting in an overpowering pancake block to the ground. 

Guillory is not a player that will shy away from competition or the pressure of becoming a great player.  I asked a hypothetical question of what position he would play on the offensive side of the ball if he was asked to switch positions.  Without hesitation, Guillory stated he would play left tackle. 

“That’s the quarterback’s blind side and (the left tackle) is basically the guy that makes or breaks your quarterback,” said Guillory.  ‘I like all that pressure to be on me.” 

Although it is still early in the recruiting process, Guillory states that his top 5 schools thus far are LSU, Alabama, Texas, Texas A&M, and Mississippi State. He later states that these schools have shown the most interest in him, and that is why they currently lead in his recruitment.  Guillory also declares that, in regards to scheme, each of these five schools play a similar defensive scheme of using a nose guard and two defensive ends; therefore, no one school’s defense poses as an advantage over the others.  He did assure that whatever school he chooses to go to, he will be up to the challenge to play wherever they decide to place him.

Guillory visited LSU this past summer during their annual Offensive and Defensive Line camp.  He was definitely one of the better players in that camp, prompting the Tigers to present Guillory with a scholarship offer.  Guillory also visited Alabama during their recent Junior Day camp, and has plans to visit Texas and LSU in the next couple of weeks.        

Guillory’s upcoming senior season will be one to watch to assess his progress and track his maturation as a player.  He states that his main goals for the upcoming season are to win a state championship, while also slimming down to the 305 to 310-pound range in order to make him a quicker and faster player.  If Jacobian is able to maintain his dominant strength, while also increasing his speed, he will have even more of dominant senior season than his previous very accomplished junior season.  Louisiana offensive lineman…consider yourself warned.