Texas football giant jump-started Chaparral DL Gavin Geweniger's career to become leader
On the first day of spring football practice at Scottsdale Chaparral on Monday afternoon, college coaches gravitated toward the first defensive line drill.
There, the biggest guy in the mix, 6-foot-5, 255-pound Gavin Geweniger was not only leading the drill but coaching it.
He surveyed the linemen as they got down in their three-point stance, adjusting anybody whose form was not in alignment. Then, he showed how to get off on the snap.
Explosive, huge, and now ready to lead a rebuilding Chaparral team that reached the 6A final each of the past two seasons, Geweniger got his start in Texas, playing his first eight years of elementary school in the Southlake (Texas) Carroll programs, before moving with his family to Scottsdale the summer before his freshman year.
"I played in the Carroll program from first through eighth grade," he said. "The move was prompted by my dad's work. He got a promotion that required us to be closer to the West Coast.
"Southlake Carroll is a huge program. The shops in town close on Friday nights, because everyone went to the game. I remember when I was playing football in elementary school, the Carroll varsity players would come visit us and I never thought about playing in college or in the NFL. I just wanted to be a Carroll football player."
That has since changed, he said, "but that’s how powerful the program really is."
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His football roots have been transplanted at Chaparral, where title quests are always at the forefront, no matter how many players the Firebirds must replace on offense and defense after being spoiled the last two years by quarterback Brayten Silbor, and, before that, Jack Miller (now at Florida) for three years.
The QB position is one of nine full-time starting positions on offense that coach Brent Barnes must replace after winning 6A state in 2020 and finishing runnerup to Gilbert Highland last season.
Meanwhile, the program's rock now is Geweniger, who gained 25 pounds of muscle since the end of last season, has an 82-inch wingspan, a 4.2 grade-point average, and has seen his recruiting start to blow up.
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He picked up an offer from Iowa State on Tuesday, a day after the University of Arizona offered. He picked up his first Power 5 offer on April 12 from Washington and visited the Seattle campus last week.
There were five Division I college coaches visiting him on the first day of spring practice.
"It's a great experience so far and I'm looking forward to it," Geweniger said about the recruiting process.
The Chaparral secondary will be young and inexperienced, but the Firebirds should be strong in the box.
"Last year, (Geweniger) was coming off a sophomore season in which he had a knee injury," Barnes said. "He's another year removed from that. He's had a full offseason of all the work he can do, not just in the weight room but out on the field.
"I think you're going to see a quicker, more explosive athlete than what you've seen in the past."
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Last season, playing at 230 pounds, Geweniger had 39 tackles, six sacks and nine tackles for losses.
Barnes said college coaches coming through ask about Geweniger first.
"He'll be getting plenty of attention (in spring ball)," Barnes said.
Geweniger will be playing more on the outside of the defensive line this coming season, hoping to put more pressure on quarterbacks.
He has embraced the leadership role.
"We have a lot of new guys in the program now, so I have to really step up," he said. "I'll play mostly that three-tech position but I'll play a little more edge to be able to rush the passer on third and fourth down."
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Miles VandenHeuvel, a junior, will be battling for the quarterback job, along with 2025 class's Bryce Herges and 2024 Shea O'Brien. VandenHeuvel played defensive back on varsity last season.
The key will be finding somebody to get the ball to wide receivers Cody Judge and Plas Johnson. They combined for 54 catches for 801 yards and seven TDs last season.
"Brayten was a pretty special QB," said Judge, who had 40 catches last season. "I never had a ball thrown to me before at any caliber like that.
"We'll just see if our next QB can go up to the expectations. Brayten set a high bar. So did Jack Miller before that."
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Barnes will let the spring workouts and the June 7 on 7s work themselves out for a quarterback to emerge.
"We've got a lot of guys who will need to step up, step in and make plays," Barnes said. "Last year, we might have had four or five, at most, returning starters. You've got to kind of do that each year, and guys will have to fill into those roles and do the best they can and develop."
To suggest human-interest story ideas and other news, reach Obert at richard.obert@arizonarepublic.com or 602-316-8827. Follow him on Twitter @azc_obert.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Texas football giant jump-started Chaparral's Gavin Geweniger's career
