The basics
School: Grand Rapids Christian (MI)
Position: OT
Height/Weight: 6-foot-5/240 pounds
Stars: 3
Other offers: Iowa State, Michigan, Air Force, Army
247 profile
Twitter: @TommyDoles
What you should know
It didn’t seem likely that Doles would commit to Northwestern until right before he actually committed, on May 3, because for many months Michigan was considered his favorite. Whether it was commitments Michigan received from other offensive tackles or something else that changed Doles’ mind, at some point he decided he wanted to join the Wildcats.
At 6-foot-5, 240 pounds, Doles is small for an offensive tackle, but he’s also very athletic and strong. “Lacks the bulk we would like to see at this stage of his development, however he flashes good playing strength and explosiveness when run blocking,” an ESPNinsider scouting report says of Doles. Doles is another intriguing piece to add to Northwestern’s impressive group of young offensive linemen, which includes Adam DePietro, Eric Olson and Ian Park.
Given Doles’ size and the physical demands of playing on the offensive line, I don’t suspect he will play as a true freshman. I do think, however, he has the potential to be a starting tackle at some point. At the very least, he has the ability to develop into a productive reserve. I think Doles will prove an underrated addition to this class.
Quotable
“I had time to go over everything,” Doles told InsideNU in May. “And when I put it all together, I knew Northwestern was the place I was looking for. I didn’t want to wait much longer after that so I decided to make the decision.”