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Miami Hurricanes Football 2017 Player Profile: OL Tyree St. Louis

St. Louis is playing with more confidence as he heads into his first full season as the starter at right tackle.

Tyree St. Louis blocks against FSU.
247 Sports

OL Tyree St. Louis | Junior | 6’5 312 Lbs.

Recruiting Story

St. Louis was originally from Tampa, FL and initially attended Tampa Bay Tech High School, but transferred down the road to powerhouse IMG Academy in Bradenton, FL to finish his high school career. He was a considered a 4-star recruit in the Class of 2015, getting attention for his hands, footwork, and athletic frame, and was rated the #296 overall recruit in the country. Desperate to improve an inconsistent O-Line and also gain a foothold at IMG, St. Louis quickly became a top target for Al Golden’s staff.

Tennessee was the early leader for St. Louis, who also held offers from other top schools such as USC, Florida, and Nebraska. However, Miami kept on St. Louis and by the summer, he narrowed down his choices to a top 4 of Miami, Florida, Tennessee, and Mississippi State. In July, citing the campus, academics, and penchant for taking kids to the NFL, St. Louis committed to Miami.

St. Louis at IMG Academy.
247 Sports

So far at Miami

Miami had taken 6 offensive lineman in the Class of 2015 and St. Louis was the highest rated of them all. The Canes brought in so many offensive lineman to start building depth and it was assumed one or two would have to play right away

While 4 of his classmates on the line ended up sitting and redshirting, St. Louis teamed with fellow true freshman OL Tyler Gauthier to earn the coaches trust and early playing time. St. Louis backed up Sunny Odogwu at right tackle in 2015, seeing action in as a reserve offensive lineman and on special teams.

In 2016, St. Louis again started out as the primary backup to Odogwu. However, Odogwu would soon go down for the season with a knee injury, and St. Louis stepped in to start the final 8 games of the season at right tackle. He had some bumps, but by the end of the season, St. Louis was in a groove and that vast promise he showed out of high school began to shine through. The Canes went 5-3 in games St. Louis started, including Miami’s first bowl win in 10 years.

2017 and Beyond

Tyree St. Louis
Getty Images

St. Louis comes into 2017 as the starter at right tackle. What began as him being a placeholder for Sunny Odogwu during spring ball while Odogwu rehabbed his knee injury, turned into St. Louis becoming so impressive that Odogwu transferred at the end of spring practice.

St. Louis is in his third year now, and seems to be hitting that stride that many players hit in their junior season, when the mental part of the game starts to catch up with raw physical ability. From last season to now, many say St. Louis has taken the biggest leap of anyone on the O-Line. Where St. Louis used to look a step slow off the snap and seem unsure of himself, now, with some starting experience, he’s reacting quicker and playing with loads of confidence. He’s also gained muscle and lowered his body fat in the off-season and is ready to have a big season.

“We’re definitely ready for the opener, ready for the entire season,” St. Louis said. “I’m really excited for this year. A lot of expectations come from last year: with a year under our belts we’ll be a lot better.”

St. Louis has even started taking on a leadership role on the team. As the right tackle, he’s been working next to true freshman right guard Navaughn Donaldson, helping the talented young lineman through the unknowns of the next level. So far, St. Louis likes what he sees.

“(Navaughn Donaldson’s) a truck, a moving house,” St. Louis said on the freshman offensive lineman. “He’s a young guy, really eager.”

The Miami O-Line has taken a lot of flak in recent years, but got better as the 2016 season went on with the addition of a young St. Louis. While we still want to see him prove he can consistently hold up against elite edge rushers, we love the raw ability he brings to the right tackle position. Now that he has some playing experience under his belt, and along with mixing in some other talented youthful pieces, there’s no telling how good this line can be in 2017.