Slinger offensive tackle has process
Beers has refined mental capacity to pair with his physical abilities
When Bill Jacklin had Ashton Beers in his fourthgrade class nearly a decade ago, he saw a quiet, intelligent and athletic kid.
Now coaching Beers on the varsity football team at Slinger, Jacklin sees that same quiet, intelligent and athletic person, but this version is also a menace on the field.
“If you talk to him, he's as calm as can be,” Jacklin said. “But as soon as you snap the ball, it's totally different. I've seen him now get more physical, actively trying to pancake people. Then when it's over, it's over and he goes back to his typical, quiet self.”
Beers, a senior, stands 6-foot-6, weighs 295 pounds and is committed to the most successful Division I Football Championship Subdivision program in the nation, North Dakota State, yet it isn't his size or his footwork or his strength that make up his greatest attribute.
That would be his ability to process information on the fly.
“The lowest grade he's ever gotten in high school is a 98 percent,” Jacklin said. “He's incredibly smart.” It also translates to the field.
Beers, the Owls starting right tackle, wants to know the assignment of every player on every play. What is the responsibility of the center when they run power against a 3-4 scheme versus a 4-3? What action is going on behind him in the backfield? And how does that impact where his helmet placement should be?
“Football is always changing in the moment,” Jacklin said. “You get up to the line and see different alignments, all the things like that. He can point to another lineman and say, ‘I'm here, you're here,' and adjust to a new look. It's on the fly.
“It's normally stuff we do on the sidelines as coaches between drives, but he's doing it on the field in real time.”
Beers says that processing what he's seeing on the field has always come naturally to him. What hasn't, though, is being comfortable with being vocal about it. Beers has started on varsity since his sophomore season, but has now taken a huge leap in assuming a leadership role within the offense.
“He's a quiet kid, so his improvement in his communication is a big thing,” Jacklin said. “He's a man of few words, but the ones he does say matter. His teammates look to him to be sort of a coach on the field. It's been a big step in him embracing that even if it doesn't come naturally to him.”
As for Beers' physical abilities, few in the state can match his combination of length, strength and agility.
Beers has grown six inches and added roughly 100 pounds from when he first stepped onto campus at
Slinger as a freshman. His wingspan stretches out even further, which gives him excellent reach in passblocking scenarios.
“I'd say probably just developing physically has been my biggest change,” Beers said. “I wasn't always super big or strong or athletic. Just working in the weight room and growing a lot helped me out. Being able to stay athletic at the size I got to was big, too.”
As Beers put all the pieces together during his junior season, his highlight film became tantalizing for college coaches. Throw in his academics and you can see why six Ivy League programs offered him scholarships.
Beers also gained offers from DI FBS Buffalo, Central Michigan and Toledo, but committed to the Bison in July.
“It's obviously a really successful football program, a winning team,” Beers said. “That's what I was looking for.”
In practice, Jacklin has seen a different version of Beers than what was on film even as recently as last year. He's stronger, with better footwork and a nextlevel understanding of every concept the Owls are trying to run.
“It's been great to see,” Jacklin said. “I think that once we get film, some bigger schools will try to call me. He's committed to NDSU and I highly doubt that will change, but he's had so many areas of gain. It's the total package. He's going to be someone to watch.”