Vashon High School football head coach Joseph Anderson, left, speaks with left tackle Jonah Logan, during a football practice Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2023. Logan is the No. 20 recruit on the Post-Dispatch Super 30 countdown of the area’s top senior football prospects. Photo by Christine Tannous, ctannous@post-dispatch.com
Christine Tannous, Post-Dispatch
Christine Tannous, Post-Dispatch Vashon High School offensive tackle Jonah Logan stands during a football practice Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2023, at Vashon High School in ºüÀêÊÓƵ. Photo by Christine Tannous, ctannous@post-dispatch.com
It doesn’t require an eagle’s eye to locate the biggest player on the field at Vashon High.
Senior offensive left tackle Jonah Logan is 6-foot-10 and 320 pounds. College recruiters can’t believe it until they arrive on campus and find themselves far below Logan’s eye level.
“When people come to visit, what they find hard to believe is his height,†Wolverines coach Joseph Anderson said. “I send them a picture of him standing in the doorway and his head is at (the top of) the doorway. I’m like, ‘Coach, I can’t fabricate that.’
“His arms have some length on them, too. He’s not a short-armed guy. He has a 7-foot wingspan. And what’s great about him is he’s a very humble kid. You wish you had 10 of them. He consciously tries to make the right choices. He wants to be the leader, he wants to be the guy. He’s not a cocky, arrogant kid. He believes in his skill set, but he wants to get the best out of himself.â€
Those are among the reasons Logan is one of the most highly sought-after prospects in ºüÀêÊÓƵ. He’s only in his third year playing football, yet he already has offers from nine Division I programs: Arkansas, Marshall, UNLV, Northern Iowa, Arkansas State, Murray State, Ball State, Central Methodist and Lindenwood. Logan said Missouri is sending him letters.
“I’m really blessed to have these offers,†said Logan, who just turned 17 year old on June 17. “Starting off my freshman year, I never thought this would be possible. It’s hard to make the decision. You’ve got to make sure you choose the one that’s best for you.â€
Three years ago, soon after completing eighth grade, Logan was in COVID-19 quarantine. His weight ballooned to 400 pounds. Too much gaming and a less-than-ideal diet were among the reasons. Logan, the No. 20 recruit on the Post-Dispatch Super 30 countdown, wanted to be good. He hungered to be great. He already was 6-4, but he had to trim down.
“When Jonah came to us, he was close to 400 pounds,†Anderson said. “But he fell in love with football and asked me, ‘Coach, what do I have to do?’ I said, ‘Honestly, kid, you need to lose 90 to 100 pounds.’ He said, ‘OK.’ At the time, I was talking to a 14-, almost 15-year-old. He did nothing but work in the offseason (before his sophomore year). That’s a testament to him.
“He wants to be better. That’s what I love about him. Some kids can be relaxed, like, ‘I’m big enough. I’m going to go somewhere (to play).’ When he’s the hardest worker on the team, for the other kids, it’s hard for them to deny that.â€
Logan said it “took a long time to make that decision†to commit to excelling at football.
“With that decision comes dedication and consistency,†said Logan, whose relentless in the weight room was rewarded with results. “Even the days you really don’t feel like doing it, you have to get up and do something — especially at the weight I was at, pushing 400. That was from quarantine; I couldn’t do anything. I was inside, eating, playing video games and staying up all night. It’s all I could do because my family was strict about going outside.â€
Whether pass-protecting or run-blocking, Logan is a force.
Quick feet and a remarkable ability to bend at the knees to lower his center of gravity — no small feat for a player standing close to 7 feet — enable Logan to throttle opposing linemen. Logan said players often ask him why he isn’t playing basketball instead of football.
“I don’t believe you have to be a certain height to play football,†Logan said. “I just feel like if you like the sport and love the game, go for it. One of the hardest things to get through my head is bending, because everybody I go against is obviously shorter than me. My coach is always telling me, ‘You’ve got to get low. Make sure you aim for the chest.’ Then when I look at my teammates, they’re standing straight up. At the same time, they’re not 6-10.
“I can be this tall, this strong, but I’ve still got to have good technique to dominate on the line.â€
Anderson said Vashon rivals try everything to counteract Logan.
“Last year, I saw teams throw two or three different guys at him to see if they could get something going,†he said. “First it’s a big guy, then it’s a fast guy and then it’s a guy that won’t quit. I’ve seen Jonah throw kids around; I’ve seen him dominate kids. Also, I’ve seen kids quit.â€
Logan was timed at 6.4 seconds in the 40-yard dash this summer at the Lindenwood Mega Camp, down by one second from last year. In the preseason, Logan has been the fastest lineman during team sprints.
“Everything is coming into form for him,†Anderson said. “At that size, he’s stronger than most. At the next level and beyond, he’s never going to see anybody that’s taller than him. The problem is his center of gravity is a lot lower than it has been in the past. You’re not going to block anybody that’s your size, so having to block an average kid that’s around 5-10 or 6-foot, even some of the bigger kids who are 6-3, 6-4, he’s still got to bend. But what I like about him is he’s not a waist bender. He’s a knee bender.â€
Anderson said Logan is versatile enough to perhaps see duty as a defensive end, too.
“And that’s scary for a quarterback,†Anderson said.
Vashon was 8-3 last season, falling 17-7 to Parkway Central in the Class 4 District 3 title game.
The Wolverines return running back Marquis Gleghorn (939 yards, 10 touchdowns) and receivers Zach Smith Jr. (35 catches, 648 yards, eight TDs) and Dierre Hill Jr. (29 catches, 462 yards, five TDs). On the right side of the line will be tackle Marquis Sanders, a 6-5, 332-pounder.
“I would love to see us win districts,†Logan said.
Top high school football players: The Post-Dispatch Super 30 countdown 2023-24
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Vashon High School football head coach Joseph Anderson, left, speaks with left tackle Jonah Logan, during a football practice Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2023. Logan is the No. 20 recruit on the Post-Dispatch Super 30 countdown of the area’s top senior football prospects. Photo by Christine Tannous, ctannous@post-dispatch.com
Christine Tannous, Post-Dispatch Vashon High School offensive tackle Jonah Logan runs a drill during a football practice Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2023, at Vashon High School in ºüÀêÊÓƵ. Photo by Christine Tannous, ctannous@post-dispatch.com
Christine Tannous, Post-Dispatch Vashon High School offensive tackle Jonah Logan stands during a football practice Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2023, at Vashon High School in ºüÀêÊÓƵ. Photo by Christine Tannous, ctannous@post-dispatch.com
Vashon High School offensive tackle Jonah Logan blocks tight end Micheal Taylor during a football practice Aug. 9, 2023, at Vashon High School in ºüÀêÊÓƵ.
Vashon High School offensive tackle Jonah Logan blocks tight end Micheal Taylor during a football practice Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2023, at Vashon High School in ºüÀêÊÓƵ. Photo by Christine Tannous, ctannous@post-dispatch.com