Dynamite Dozen: Geffrard ready to lead Whitefield to top of Class A

Lineman Ian Geffrard is returning this fall with heightened expectations for himself and his Whitefield Academy teammates.

Now a senior, the 6-foot-6, 350-pound Arkansas commit said he thinks Whitefield can not only compete for a region crown, but also a state championship.

“Junior season is usually a make-or-break, but for now, it’s just having fun,” Geffrard said. “But also, it’s about trying to win a state championship, showing people what our football is all about.”

Geffrard, a three-star recruit, said he made dropping weight and becoming quicker priorities in his offseason progression. Ideally, he has aims of entering the season at around 320 or 330 pounds, saying any product of that work in the weight room should translate to the trenches.

After playing both offense and defense for three years, Geffrard said that increasing his quickness helps give him an edge on both sides of the ball, particularly in fast-twitch scenarios. He also said his ability to perform on either side of the line can help anchor a Wolfpack defense that features several returning pieces, and provide opportunities on offense with a new quarterback.

In-game, Geffrard said his strengths remain in defending running schemes, particularly in filling the A- and B-gaps in a zero technique, although he did not discount his ability to influence other areas of the field.

“Just driving and filling up the interior,” Geffrard said. “It’s not really my forte to go outside the zone, but inside the zone, I definitely clog up the hole. I can even stop some stuff in passing just by putting my hands up.”

As such, Geffrard said defensive line and its “physical nature” is his preferred position rather than offense, but that both are important roles for him in high school.

Arkansas coach Sam Pittman, a long-time offensive line coach at the college level, took notice of Geffrard’s talents. Geffrard said Pittman and the rest of the Razorbacks' coaching staff envision a future where the two-way lineman sticks to defense in Fayetteville.

“I never saw myself playing defensive line in college, but they both kind of go hand-in-hand,” Geffrard said. “I feel like I’ve kind of opened my eyes and came to the conclusion that I like D-line more.”

Geffrard said that with guidance from Arkansas’ coaching staff and that of Whitefield’s staff, he can continue to refine the defensive side of his game. He also acknowledged the looming transition to Southeastern Conference football, which he said obviously poses a challenge, remains the right move for his career.

“It’ll be something that I have to get used to for sure, just the competitions and everything that I’ve gone against so far, compared to what I’ll go up against next year,” Geffrard said, “but I feel like, with the right coaching, I can make a difference and potentially get some playing time my freshman year as well.”

For now, Geffrard said focusing on his final season of high school football remains his utmost priority. If he plays to his ceiling, Geffrard said he can contribute to help Whitefield summit the mountain in what is now Class A Division I.

“It’s a brotherhood. We have ups and downs as brothers, but, on the field, that all gets put aside, and we just go out and ball,” Geffrard said. “As a team, it’s just about consistency, following our principles and not being so hypocritical all the time. If we can do that, I really think we can compete for a state championship.”