2025 Trib HSSN Preseason Football All-Star Team: Central Catholic’s Jimmy Kalis

By: Chris Harlan
Saturday, July 19, 2025 | 8:01 AM

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Jimmy Kalis is the 6-foot-7 son of a former NFL lineman. Recruiting websites rank him among the best tackles in the country, and he has college offers from most of the national championship favorites.

So, naturally, Kalis’ opponents might try to test whether he’s legit or just hype.

“I definitely think that’s how it works, but that’s great for me,” said Kalis, a junior entering his second season as the starting left tackle at Central Catholic, the reigning WPIAL champion. “I always want to get the defender’s best. I honestly think it’s good if people want to work on me because no matter what quarter it is, no matter what the score is, I know there’s someone trying to get me.

“There’s always someone watching me, and that keeps me on my toes. That keeps me getting better each and every play.”

Last season left no doubt he’s legit. The WPIAL coaches in Class 6A agreed, voting Kalis first-team all-conference as a sophomore. His blocks helped the Vikings ultimately reach the state final.

“He’s an exceptional talent,” Central Catholic coach Ryan Lehmeier said. “Just his sheer size and ability to play with leverage for someone that young, he really came on the scene quick.”

Kalis, who is 6-7 and 285 pounds, was destined to be big and athletic.

His father, Todd, a guard for the Vikings, Steelers and Bengals, was 6-6 and 296 pounds in his playing days. Kalis’ mom, Kristen, a former college basketball player, stands 6-1. His 31-year-old brother Kyle (6-4, 306) also played in the NFL.

So Kalis knew he’d be tall, too.

“I’ve gone up about 2 inches every year,” Kalis said. “In eighth grade, I was about 6-3. Freshman year, 6-4 or 6-5. Sophomore year, 6-6. And just this spring going on visits I was measuring 6-7.”

But Kalis wasn’t quite so big when he first enrolled at Central Catholic as a freshman. A self-described “tall, skinny kid” growing up, he has worked to add muscle. Since last season, he has improved his bench press by about 60 pounds.

He jokes that he ate his way into the position.

“Going into eighth grade, I needed to make a decision about what I wanted to do,” Kalis said. “My dad played O-line. My brother played O-line. I said, ‘Dude, I’m an O-lineman.’ So, in eighth grade, I started eating like crazy.”

College coaches surely noticed his growth.

Kalis had nine scholarship offers at this time last summer and now has nearly 50. His options include 10 schools from the 12-team College Football Playoff. The past four national champions — Ohio State, Michigan, Georgia and Alabama — offered him a scholarship.

Rivals.com ranked him 18th among all offensive tackles nationally in the 2026 class.

“I’m always trying to get better,” Kalis said. “I won’t say I’m satisfied with anything I do. It’s about never being complacent.”

This summer was spent focused on his fundamentals with Central Catholic line coach Tim Sasson and private O-line guru LeCharles Bentley, a former Pro Bowl lineman. Kalis called it a “deep dive” into technique that touched on “pass protection, body posture, stance, first set — all that stuff.”

He says he feels more knowledgeable nowadays. That’s surely bad news for opponents.

“Last year at this time, I really needed to prove myself,” Kalis said. “This year, I feel like I just need to keep moving forward.”

Jimmy Kalis

Central Catholic

Junior

6-foot-7, 285 pounds

Position: OL

Stars: Four

Division I offers: Pitt, Penn State, West Virginia, Akron, Alabama, Arizona, Arizona State, Auburn, California, Central Michigan, Clemson, Duke, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Miami (Fla.), Miami (Ohio), Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Mississippi, Mississippi State, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, N.C. State, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon, Purdue, Rutgers, Sacramento State, South Carolina, South Florida, SMU, Stanford, Syracuse, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, Toledo, UCLA, Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech, Washington, Wisconsin.