[LeeCoUKFan]

LaRubbio has throwback mentality

Justin Rowland
Special to CatsIllustrated.com

Liberty Township (Ohio) Lakota East offensive guard Jarrett LaRubbio became a prime Kentucky target very early in this recruiting cycle and one reason is the mentality he brings to the game.

That mentality is evident when you watch LaRubbio's film. He not content to just make his block and get to the whistle. He's going through the whistle and is on the lookout for pancakes.

And that mentality, according to his coach Rick Haynes, is what sets him apart from a lot of otherwise talented linemen.

"He plays really hard," Haynes said. "He's got a great mentality for an offensive lineman. I wouldn't say he's overpowering. I think he plays with great pad level and he plays really hard."

LaRubbio became a start at Lakota East towards the end of his sophomore season. He had been injured at the start of that year but quickly recovered and the coaches couldn't keep him off the field.

He's made a lot of strides since then, on the field and in the weight room. Though he's listed at 6-foot-5 and just 260-pounds, Haynes said LaRubbio is up to around 282. That will put him in a position to contend for a spot on the depth chart early in his college career at Kentucky.

There's no doubt that more progress can and needs to be made.

"To play in that league against the people you'll work against, I'm sure they'll get him to work on being quicker," Haynes said.

But that level of competition was a main reason LaRubbio was drawn to Kentucky. While Ohio is Big Ten country, prospects around the state have watched as SEC schools have won the last seven national championships.

"I thought he would pick somewhere close to home and I think playing in the SEC was a factor, too," Haynes concluded.

http://kentucky.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1520983