High School and College Career
Steve Avila, from South Grand Prairie High School, was rated as a 4-star prospect and decided to stay close to home and join the football team at Texas Christian University (TCU).
During his freshman year in 2019, Avila only saw action in two games, playing a total of 21 snaps for the Horned Frogs. However, he quickly established himself as a formidable player on the field, and as a sophomore in 2020, Avila became a regular fixture in the TCU lineup. He played in a total of nine games, amassing a remarkable 510 snaps. During this time, Avila played the majority of his snaps at the center position while also filling in as right tackle. Despite his relatively limited experience, Avila held his own against some of the most challenging college football teams in the league. He conceded a solid six quarterback hurries, one quarterback hit, and two sacks, further cementing his position as a promising young talent.
As a junior, he appeared in 12 games and played a total of 746 snaps for the Horned Frogs. During this period, Avila transitioned to the center position and remarkably improved his game. He gave up 11 quarterback hurries, with just one quarterback hit and two sacks.
During his senior year, Avila played in 13 games, playing a total of 899 snaps for the Horned Frogs. His performance during this period was nothing short of outstanding, as he allowed just eight quarterback hurries, two quarterback hits, and no sacks.
Steve Avila Scouting Report Introduction
Steve Avila is a redshirt senior offensive lineman for the TCU football program. He has accumulated more than 30 games of experience over the years and has distinguished himself as one of the Big 12’s top offensive linemen, earning All-American honors in back-to-back years (2021, 2022). Avila has taken on a leadership role, being named a team captain for the 2022 season. As an interior offensive lineman, Avila possesses impressive mass and strength, which enable him to excel in both pass protection and as a run blocker.
Avila is a dominant run blocker, displaying an aggressive mindset that makes him quick to engage with defensive linemen. Once Avila is engaged with a defender, he is effective at using his mass to lean on them and make it challenging for them to peel him off. Avila’s natural strength is evident when he is able to displace defensive linemen off the ball and open running lanes for the ball carrier.
In pass protection, Avila performs best against power rushers. When confronted with a power rusher, he does an excellent job of anchoring himself and stopping defenders from breaking through the line to pressure the quarterback. Avila’s combination of strength and mass puts him in a favorable position to win most physical matchups where strength is a critical component.
However, Avila struggles against speedy rushers. When defenders attack the edges of Avila’s frame, he has difficulty moving laterally to engage with them effectively, and his footwork is not the most active. Avila also encounters difficulty when trying to pick up twists and stunts that require him to move laterally and react. It appears that Avila has some lower-body stiffness issues that impact his ability to move laterally successfully. At TCU, Avila appears to work best in tight, condensed spaces where he has assistance on both sides of him, limiting the area that defenders have to work their way around him.
Strengths
He has excellent coordination when moving to the second level of the field as a run blocker. His ability to land blocks while on the move is a testament to his agility and quick thinking. Furthermore, Avila displays impressive vertical speed, which allows him to move quickly to the second level during run plays.
Avila is a versatile prospect, having played all of 2022 at left guard and 2020 and 2021 at center. Moreover, Avila shows a good initial burst after the snap, and thanks to his experience at center, can set protections at the line of scrimmage.. Avila has immense strength and power, making him capable of handling bull rushes.
Avila has an elite size and power, as he fires off the line of scrimmage, creating movement in the run game. Avila’s form is impressive as he plays with elite power as a drive blocker in the run game. In a pass-blocking scenario, Avila is a natural knee bender who maintains a low stance to gain leverage.
His ability to play both guard and center make him a unique and valuable player on the field, while his excellent coordination, strength, and power make him capable of effectively blocking defenders.
Weaknesses
He exhibits certain tendencies that could lead to flags for holding during games. Specifically, on reach blocks, he has a habit of panicking instead of utilizing his natural athleticism to position himself effectively. The lunging and grabbing can lead to holding penalties.
Avila’s lateral movement skills are lacking and this leaves him open to missing blocks when going up against stunts and other schemes where the assignment isn’t immediately clear. Avila’s use of his hands during pass protection is an area of concern. He needs to utilize his hands more effectively and avoid stopping his feet once he makes initial contact.
Steve Avila is the 135th prospect on our draft big board.