Southeast transforms Darrien Grant into two-way starter on both lines

Southeast’s 2016 season began soggy and miserable. The first Friday on Paul Maechtle Field and John Kiker Memorial Stadium last month was an exercise in offensive futility. The Seminoles ran the ball 12 times for 11 yards against Brooksville Nature Coast Tech. Quarterback Alex Taylor got dragged down in the backfield another six times for a loss of nearly 50 yards.

There was no singular answer for Rashad West to solve the Noles’ offensive deficiencies during his first season at his alma mater, but there was one idea he and much of his staff agreed on. Darrien Grant, Southeast’s star defensive end and a coveted prospect, could help reshape the Seminoles’ offensive line.

“In 5A that’s just not uncommon for a lot of teams to play their best players on both sides of the ball, and we figure once we get into district play we won’t be in the minority in terms of playing our best players both ways, so it’s just something he’s got to do,” West said. “If you want to be a Division I athlete at this level that should be something you can handle. That’s kind of our thought process behind it.”

The Noles’ second game was washed out by Hurricane Hermine, so Grant finally suited up for Southeast during its Week 3 game against Palmetto, an improved offensive effort, during which Taylor threw for 128 yards and running back Latrell Peavy went for 92 against one of the top defenses in Manatee County. Grant, after never suiting up on the offensive line for Southeast, played every snap on offense. A week later, the Seminoles routed rival Bayshore, 40-0.

His athleticism alone ensures he probably won’t every be severely overmatched at right tackle — he’s bigger than most of the defensive ends he’ll stand opposite — and his intelligence should allow him to improve as the Seminoles (1-2, 1-0 Class 5A-District 11) face smaller opponents during district play, such as when they travel to Arcadia on Friday to face DeSoto County (1-2, 1-0) at 7 p.m.

Grant’s transition began during the week after the Noles’ season opening loss in Bradenton. West, who also serves as Southeast’s offensive coordinator, pitched the idea to Grant: For Grant’s senior year to go as well as possible the Seminoles needed his help on offense.

“It wasn’t even really a conversation,” West said. “He’s really a great team player. He understands what he’s going to college to do, but he also understands that he wants to win as a senior, so he had no problem with it.”

Grant’s days are now mostly filled with time on offense. He goes to meetings with the offensive linemen and spends the bulk of practice playing with the first-team offense. Only pre-practice is spent at the position that has earned him a verbal commitment to South Florida.

It’s easy to see why the Noles are able to sacrifice Grant’s full-time commitment to defense in favor of spreading him a bit more thinly across both sides. Dequan Williams and Teriq Houston give Southeast two more potential All-Area pass rushers, and the Seminoles’ strength during last season’s playoff run lied in their defense.

“We have so many guys on our defensive line that play hard,” Grant said. “They needed a little more help on the other side.”

So Grant has gone from a prodigious pass rusher to one of the most important two-way players in the county. His 6-foot-4, 220-pound frame might make him an undersized offensive lineman by the standards set by Florida’s largest classifications, but it puts him on a similar level as some of DeSoto’s biggest linemen.

And what he lacks in weight he can make up for in agility and leadership. The Noles’ schemes for tackles are simple. There isn’t much pulling — just basic pass protection and forward-driving run blocking.

With only one returning starter on the offensive line, Grant isn’t far behind most of the group in terms of experience. He’s already become the voice of the unit, West said. Now it’s on the coaches to maximize their new two-way weapon.

“He doesn’t get a lot of rest now,” West said, “but we’ve got to do the job as coaches figuring out when he needs a break.”

This story was originally published September 29, 2016 at 11:51 PM with the headline "Southeast transforms Darrien Grant into two-way starter on both lines."