Today's Sleeper: Sherrill is healthy, wide awake

KANE SHERRILL, Offensive Tackle, Lake Norman

If Kane Sherrill was an inch or two taller, most of the country's college elite might soon be recruiting him to play on their offensive lines. He’s not.

Make no mistake, Sherrill, an offensive tackle at Lake Norman High, is huge compared to you and me. He stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 270 pounds.

“It’s just that he isn’t one of those giant monsters, those 6-6 and 6-7 guys that the big schools want to play OT in their programs today,” said Lake Norman coach Scott Sherrill.

Kane was also slowed by a serious ankle injury that cost him half of his junior season, a year when exposure is considered vital. Now, after the spring evaluation period, the larger schools know of him, but they want to see a little more.

Sherrill has been invited to the Junior Day camps of N.C. State, Duke and Wake Forest, along with those at Wofford, Appalachian, Gardner-Webb and Elon. He’s planning on going and making an impact.

It doesn’t hurt that he’s a coaches’ son, and that even when he was hurt, Scott was bringing home game DVDs to his boy for study.

Sherrill, who has 5.2-second speed in the 40-yard dash, can bench-press 300 pounds. And he has the position’s techniques down. Last season when he was hurt, he spent considerable time passing them on to his replacement at left tackle, Tyler Thrasher.

And we will leave you with this: “He’s been in the lineup for over 500 passing plays in his career,” said Scott. “He’s given up no sacks.”

--Stan Olson

Our Sleeper of the Day item targets under-noticed Carolinas football recruiting prospects. As always, if you have a candidate, email me at solson@charlotteobserver.com.