Generally speaking, I don’t pay much attention to offensive linemen when I watch a football game.

    In fact, really the only time someone from the O-line gets noticed is when he misses a block, and the free defender gets a free hit on the ball carrier (see South Carolina’s Jadeveon Clowney vs. Michigan’s Vincent Smith in the 2013 Outback Bowl).

    After all, isn’t that their job; don’t let the quarterback or running back get taken down in the backfield? I’m sure there is a ton of technique and schematic things to know as an O-lineman, but I couldn’t tell you one iota about them.

    That’s why when it comes time to pick the top players in the position in the area, I generally have to rely on knowledge and suggestions from coaches to guide me along.

    But this fall, when high school football kicks off and finally ends the boring dog days of summer, I might just have to watch the big guys up front a whole lot more. Specifically, I’ll keep my eyes peeled for Highland center Tristen Hoge.

    Now, I know there has been a lot of talk in the last few months about this young man, but there’s a reason for it — he’s really talented.

    I’m not necessarily saying this based on my own observation, but rather that of someone much more knowledgeable and experienced in this sort of thing.

    I turned to his uncle. Merril Hoge.

    The former Highland and Idaho State University football star was in Pocatello Thursday to share his stories and feelings on concussions, Tristen was in Palo Alto, Calif. for a camp at Stanford University.

    Tristen, a highly-touted recruit entering his junior year with the Rams, has seen a dramatic increase in scholarship offers this summer. Naturally, the media in attendance at Hoge’s event couldn’t help but ask him about his nephew.

    “I had seen some tape on him,” Hoge. “He’s the best center in the country. There ain’t nobody better than him. In fact, I look at some college guys that he’s better than. That’s how good he is.”

    That is some high praise. I mean, really high. It’s a bold statement for sure. But he didn’t stop there.

    “This guy is legit in every way,” Hoge said. “I would probably take three to four offensive linemen on any NFL team right now he’s as good as. He’s everything they make him up to be.”

    Wow. I understand the first reaction to this is to scoff. In fact, I did a little at first. But then I changed my mind.

    Hear me out. Hoge played nine seasons in the National Football League and currently makes a living as an NFL analyst for ESPN. He literally gets paid to understand the ins and outs of the NFL game, including the specifics of each position. He might know a little bit about this kind of thing.

    Again, trust the experts when it comes to something you haven’t seen or learned for yourself. I’m trusting Hoge, partly because I want to and partly because I have no other choice.

    And if you need a little more guidance to understand how good Tristen is and will be, just look at who has offered him a scholarship: Stanford, LSU, Notre Dame, Penn State, Utah, Washington State, BYU, Boise State, North Carolina and Florida.

    Scouts and coaches from some of those schools don’t come to Idaho unless there is a very good reason.

    And think about it, Tristen is only a junior in high school. That list will grow.

    Hoge thinks the Cardinal is a great fit for his nephew.

    “He fits (Stanford) perfectly,” he said. “He’s a forensic science guy, he wants to major in forensic science, he’s a 4.0 GPA student, he works hard and he is a freak in size.”

    I also asked Hoge about recruiting, specifically the difference between how it’s done now and how it was done when he was in high school. In 1983, when Hoge graduated from Highland (his only offer was from ISU), the opportunity for a football player to draw interest from schools like LSU, Florida, Notre Dame, etc. was almost non-existent.

    Now, because of the internet, as well as many other technological advances and changes in the recruiting process itself, no kid is out of reach.

    “The resources that kids have now to get noticed, those are so powerful and extremely important,” Hoge said. “There’s no place a kid can live where you can’t get them in an environment where they get noticed.”

    The players who score touchdowns or record sacks, fumble recoveries and interceptions tend to get all the love. Mainly because they’re skill sets and techniques are most visible.

    But take some time this year to watch the “big uglies” do their thing in the trenches. It might surprise you.

    And if you have no idea what’s going on (like me), ask an expert.