Early signing 2021: Aggies get a mauler in Hunter Erb
Texas A&M has added a physical presence to their offensive line with the signing of 3-star Hunter Erb.
Height/Weight: 6-foot-6; 305 pounds
Commitment Date: Feb. 6, 2021
Chose A&M Over: Oklahoma, USC, Oregon
Film Study
In the 2021 recruiting class, coach Josh Henson and the Aggies went after a lot of linemen they thought were capable of playing left tackle. Not everyone will, but they wanted tall, strong linemen with the quickness needed to play the most important position on the offensive line.
In Erb, they've picked up where they left off.
Erb is another massive guy, who is every bit of 6-foot-7 and 310 pounds. He's easy to find on the field. But he's also got good speed for a big man, which automatically increases his appeal. He's able to be the lead blocker on counter plays, a role that frequently goes to the guard due to their proximity to where the play's going. Erb not only takes on that job, but frequently runs down the field to the next level to find someone else to block.
Erb has a nasty streak the borders on vicious. He doesn't just block opponents, he eliminates them from plays by forcing them to the turf. If he has leverage on you, you're going down -- and that's in both pass and run-blocking.
He uses his long wingspan extremely well, allowing him to get on a defender and dictate where he's going after that. He's got the lateral quickness to seal off the edge on a defensive end, then uses his strength to force that pass rusher to the turf.
The scary thing with Erb is that there's a number of technical things that can be improved and make him even better. He uses his upper body a lot to control opponents, instead of using his lower body strength to drive into a defender. He stands up quickly, which costs him some leverage and momentum. But in most cases, he's still too big and strong for it to even matter.
The Aggies are in the midst of a rebuild on the offensive line, but with the number of 2021 linemen coming in, Erb probably has a year or two to continue his development. But there's an excellent base of skills to start with, and it wouldn't be a shock to see him fighting for playing time come 2023.