El-Hadi Was 'One Of The Best Linemen We Saw,' Per State Champion Head Coach

“He’s a good player, and I actually thought he was one of their coaches when I first saw him,” Merchant laughed. “He’s 6-6 and about 270 pounds, and looks like he’s 25 years old.

“When he put the pads on, I got a bit nervous. I then realized he also played against us as a freshman and that this was what he had grown into in just a year.

“He’s a pretty impressive kid to look at, because he’s not what you imagine when you think of high school offensive linemen — he’s lean with a big frame, is very athletic and plays basketball too, which tells you what kind of athlete he is.

“Our conference is made up of some of the biggest schools in the state, and the fact that he started as a freshman is something you don’t see very often, especially on the lines when 14 and 15-year olds have to go up against 18-year olds.

“El-Hadi held his own as a freshman in a solid conference, and then became a really good player this past year as a sophomore. He obviously grew, but his footwork and technique also improved.

“The thing that makes him different — other than his physical stature — is that he’s extremely aggressive, and you often times don’t see that from high school offensive linemen.

“So many of them have been told to take it easy on guys because they’re bigger than everybody else, and you actually have to re-program them sometimes.

“El-Hadi was nasty in a good way — not as a person — and you love seeing offensive linemen have a mean streak and enjoy putting people on their backs.”