It’s not often that we delve into the world of high school football, but we’ll make a small exception -- figuratively speaking, of course.
In Southern California, there’s an offensive/defensive lineman at Riverside Martin Luther King High School whose name is John Krahn and goes by the nickname “Junior.” Even though he didn’t crack the varsity roster until his sophomore season, the current senior is viewed by some recruiting services as a Div. 1 prospect on down the road.
The reason? His size. And by size we mean, “holy hell, look at the size of that man-child.”
You see, Krahn stands 7-feet tall and weighs in at a whopping 440 pounds. While Baylor’s LaQuan McGowan draws oohs and aahs for his 6-7, 410-pound frame, Krahn would tower over not only every other high schooler in the country but nearly every football player at any level in college as well. And would take them on a scale as well.
Currently, the tallest player at the FBS level is Arkansas Dan Skipper, who’s listed on his official bio at 6-10. USC’s Zach Banner and South Carolina’s Mason Zandi are listed at 6-9. Purdue’s Corey Clements, at 420 pounds, is one of the only ones in his neighborhood when it comes to weight.
To put the sheer size of the high schooler in perspective, MaxPreps writes that Krahn is “attempting to shed some pounds by adhering to a 3,000-calorie diet comprised mainly of fish and chicken.” It’s highly unlikely Krahn will go the FBS, or even FCS, route right out of high school, with a JUCO the most likely starting point for his collegiate career.
However, if he continues to lose weight and work on his footwork, what could his future hold?
“We had Division I coaches on site that said they’d consider offering him if he lost some weight,” USA Football’s Jimmy Thomas told MaxPreps regarding Krahn’s appearance at a developmental football camp over the summer. “They think he could be a force at a lighter weight.”
