Breaking Down the New Kids on the Block: Kyle Altuner
Analysis on WVU four-star recruit Kyle Altuner of Good Counsel (MD).
At the time I am typing this article, we are 178 days, 19 hours, and 22 minutes away from kickoff of the 2024-25 college football season. Spring football is almost here and before we get into what spring is going to look like for the Mountaineers, lets take a further in-depth look at some of the top recruits from the 2024 recruitment class and break down what they bring to the table for the future.
Kyle Altuner
We will be starting off with the highest rated player in the 2024 class not including transfers. Kyle Altuner, according to the 247Sports rankings, is a four-star recruit and is 237th ranked player in the country. A product of Good Counsel (MD), he is also denoted as the 14th-best Interior Offensive Line (IOL) and ninth-best overall player from the state of Maryland. Originally a three-star and ranked lower, 247 boosted his stock following an impressive January appearance at the Under Armour All-American Game.
Altuner brings the accolades to back up those rankings -- in addition to the All-American nod, Altuner is a 2022 MaxPreps Second Team Junior All-American, a three-time All-Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC) First Team selection and a two-time Washington Post All-Metro Area First Team selection.
Altuner comes in at 6'3, 290 pounds according to 247Sports, which is very solid size. Coming in as a freshman, he will have time to fill out and put on an extra 10-20 pounds.
Altuner was highly desired by some big name schools -- had 20 offers including Tennessee, Notre Dame, Michigan, Michigan State, Boston College, Cincinnati, Maryland, Florida State, Miami, Penn State and others.
What The Tape Says
https://www.hudl.com/video/3/14628062/65618479e985810540064cd6
By watching the first minute of tape , you can see why Neal Brown and company wanted Altuner. He is used to running an offense in high school very similar to the one the Mountaineers implement with the ground-and-pound game.
Altuner gets off the line really well and executes pull blocks even better to create holes for the running back. He is classic run blocker that does an excellent job of identifying his next target if he flattens someone or fails to immediately find a body after the snap. He gives flashes of current Mountaineer Wyatt Milum's high school tape in particular, as both share the ability to create a hole in the line and use their athleticism to get to the second level to block the next man.
At about the 8 minute and 30 second mark of his Hudl tape, you will see a nice display of his pass blocking ability as well. Altuner does an excellent job of getting the rusher off balance and chopping at his hands. The way he maneuvers the rusher with his very quick feet and reaction time shows he is in control the whole time. Most of the time he is either putting them into the ground or he keeps them a solid 3-5 yards away from the quarterback, neutralizing the threat effectively.
Overall Analysis
The expectations will be high for Altuner coming in as the highest rated recruit, and he will likely have to help fill a void in 2025 with one senior (Milum) and three redshirt seniors (Brandon Yates, Nick Malone, and Ja'Quay Hubbard) on the 2024 roster.
However, the future for Altuner is bright and I can see him developing similarly to Milum and former starting center and current NFL draft prospect Zach Frazier. He is someone who could potentially have NFL Draft Day One potential down the line. This staff has done a very good job recently getting under-recruited and under-sized lineman to the draft, Altuner has all the tools necessary, I have no doubt in my mind Altuner will be the next one to receive the torch.