Whether you see UCLA’s Sean Rhyan as a tackle or a guard at the next level, there’s no denying the upside he has in the NFL.
A three-year starter at the collegiate level, Rhyan has been an anchor for the Bruins’ offensive line since stepping into the starting lineup as a true freshman in the 2019 season opener. He is known for playing with a nasty edge in his game and complementing that with nimble feet, making him arguably one of the more well-rounded linemen in the 2022 NFL draft.
Draft Wire had the chance to speak with Rhyan about his pre-draft preparations, his diverse athletic background, his low social media profile, and more.
JI: You’ve had a successful career, starting all three years at UCLA, and being the first freshman to start the season opener at tackle in nearly a decade. Looking back on it now, what did your UCLA career mean to you?
SR: Looking back on my career at UCLA, and obviously, starting as a true freshman, it just goes to show to show that a little bit of hard work here and there can go a long way. Soon enough, you’ll get the recognition that you want. It’s pretty much as simple as that; just wanting to work hard and get better every day and succeed. It goes a long way, I think, for a lot of people. And, of course, [former UCLA offensive line] Coach [Justin] Frye, to put his trust in me, to throw a scrawny little freshman out there at tackle. With his belief in me, I think that helped me a lot, too.
JI: There’s been some debate about whether you’re a guard or tackle at the next level, but the praise has been high for you at either spot, regardless. Have you heard any feedback about which position you’d play, and do you have a preference between the two?
SR: I’m aware that there’s some conversation about what position I would play in the NFL. I don’t want to lock myself into just going out there and saying, ‘I’m a tackle only, or I’m a guard only, or even a center’. The way I’m training right now is I’m preparing to play any position on the line. I think being more versatile is going to help me in the long run and give coaches and teams, with drafting me, it gives them the ability to have a versatile player. They’re not just filling one position, they’re drafting me to play any of the five.
I had a discussion with a coach in high school at the Army All-American Bowl. That’s kind of what happened to me, because we were short on centers, and a coach asked if they want to play, and I’ve never played center. So I raised my hand and learned to snap that day. I played all the positions in the game. It was different, having your hands on the ball, but at the end of the day, it’s to do what’s best for the team and it’s fun, so that’s kind of where I’m at.
JI: How have those reps at center been going for you?
SR: Here and there, when we would do just like position work over here, I just take a few reps here at center and watch how the centers move and mimic what they do. My roommate in college was a center, so we would help each other out in college, so I kind of know some of the technique there. I just moved from tackle to guard to center, just go back and forth, just try and get as comfortable with each position as I can so some team [isn’t] shocked when I’m playing right or left or have my hand on the ball.
JI: Watching you against Kayvon Thibodeaux earlier this year was like watching two boxing heavyweights go at it in their prime. How do you prepare for someone like Kayvon leading up to the game, and was it any different from your regular weekly preparation?
SR: Week by week, we watch the film, and then I’ll watch the film individually, just watch and see if they have any keys or tells or see what their go to move is. Each week is the same pretty much, in regards to preparation and all that. Going up against Kayvon, I knew that he has a really good get off, and he has an elbow brace. I knew that would probably cause some problems because he has that elbow brace on. It’s to protect him, but it also adds a little extra oomph to that one arm. Going into it, I had a little split made for my form that would be going against that arm of his so that, when he would do a dip-and-rip or a chop, my arm wouldn’t even feel it. That was kind of the only extra preparation that I did in regards to getting ready to play Kayvon.
JI: I found an old article from when you were being recruited that called you “mysterious” for not having a Twitter account and keeping a low-key profile. What benefits have you found from stepping out of the spotlight in a sense?
SR: The pressure in high school was a lot, because you’re so young, you’re a high prospect coming out of high school, everyone wants to talk to you and DM you and get into your head. With not having a Twitter, a Facebook or anything – I really just have Instagram – I think you minimalize a lot of that. It allowed me to focus on just continue to get better, and along with that, I think social media can be a problem sometimes. When you’re young, you’re young and dumb, so some of that can come back and bite you. With having a low social media presence, it allowed me to stay focused on sports, and [it’s] pretty much just simple as that: To stay focused and allow me to continue to do what I wanted and not listen to all the outside noise or doubt or overhype. You’re always going to do really well. It’s just between you and you. It’s a battle you started, so that’s the advantages.
JI: How was that recruiting process different for you as a top-end recruit out of high school, not having much in the way of social media?
SR: Well, the funny thing is, I didn’t really think of myself as a top-end recruit coming out of high school. I just played ball because I loved the sport. It made it so that the coaches had to come in and physically talk to me, and I enjoyed that a lot more, seeing them face-to-face. The coaches will be able to feel you and your vibe, and vice versa towards them. Without having all the social media, where they could just message you and talk to you, it required them to come in and see me, and those coaches that came in to see me, I knew were legit, and they really wanted me to come play for their school. So it gave me a better gauge on which schools I would consider going to as a top-end recruit coming out of high school.
JI: You have a deep athletic background, playing baseball, rugby, shot put, surfing and gymnastics. How has that background molded you into the football player you are today?
SR: A lot of it was for fun. I enjoyed going to the beach, and being in the water, so that kind of helped me with my balance. My dad set me up for gymnastics when I was little, just to get my coordination down and feel my body. I think [that] helped me out, too. I think he had the plan set in stone from when I was born pretty much, and I didn’t even know it because he made it fun. With rugby, I think it got me acclimated to contact so I wasn’t afraid of it, and then all the running and juking, you get to run with the ball whether you’re a big man or small guy in rugby, so that kind of was fun, too. Everything I think worked in unison, and it was fun, so I didn’t really get burned out. Baseball was just fun to help me with my hips, get loose, quickness, stealing bases and whatnot. Playing sports when you’re young and basically be aware of how your body feels at a young age, so you know whether or not to tone it back or crank it up when you’re training in the offseason. It’s just good. I think sports, it’s a great time. It’s fantastic for kids to do.
JI: Which offensive linemen have you grown up idolizing?
SR: In regards to [technique], Joe Thomas was definitely up there. I think he’s one of the greatest offensive tackles to play the game, and he’s a great guy, too. He’s calm. He’s relaxed, and he’s cool, so that kind of goes with me. I would say I’m the same way. When you watch him, he plays very technical; he’s not out of control. I think that allows him to have tremendous success, whether that be, you know, in the run game or pass game.
Then, another o-lineman: he’s a great football player, but off the field, he has some issues: Richie Incognito, because he has tremendous grit. When he’s on the field, it’s all ball. I think that’s hard for people to get is that once you step onto the football field, you can’t really think of what’s going on outside of it. It’s just you and the other team, and you got to perform. I think that’s one thing from Richie Incognito is, he’s a great football player, and when he steps on the field, everyone respects them, because they know that he’s the real deal.
JI: How do you like to spend your free time outside of football?
SR: Outside of football, I like to visit farmer markets and swap meets and go to like fish stores and stuff when I’m not at the beach, because I think it’s good. Football is quite a big chunk of my life, but I think it’s good to focus on other things, as well. When I was in school, I had schoolwork to do, so that kind of balanced it, but since then, I like to go and just try to live a little normal life, try to go and see what kind of jams are over there at the farmers markets, see what kind of fruits are there, see what kind of pants or shirts or fish stores and whatnot. Or just simply just go down to the beach, grab a little sandwich or something to sit on the sand and watch the waves. It’s pretty relaxed.
JI: Being out on the water is just so relaxing.
SR: I would say being in nature by itself is just, it’s good. Let your mind wander a little bit and decompress, get ready for whatever you have coming up.
JI: Let’s say I’m an NFL general manager. What would I be getting if I drafted you to my team?
SR: You would get a versatile player that’s ready to work hard and wants to constantly improve and is willing to do whatever it takes, just like that. I’m powerful, I’m strong, I’m big. Everyone knows that, but the willingness to want to improve is still burning inside me, and I think I still have a high ceiling, and I’m ready to continue to grow.
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