Bucs senior, MSU commit Ashton Lepo ready to impose himself on opponents

Jul. 27—Ashton Lepo has been head and shoulders taller than his classmates for a long time. He was taller than his dad early on in middle school, and that came in handy on multiple occasions.

Especially when it came to breaking up altercations in the hallways at Lakeshore Middle School.

"There were at least a couple times he intervened, and there may have been a few more," current LMS principal Amanda Sorrelle said. "He would just pull the kids apart from each other easily, he was always in the right place at the right time."

Well-known for having a smile on his face around friends and teammates, that protective nature started at a young age.

"He gets along with almost everybody," Ashton's father Jeff said. "He was breaking up these fights in middle school because they had to respect his size."

Fast-forward a couple years, and Lepo's 6-foot-8, 280-pound frame has also helped catch the eye of college football programs across the country. That's including nearby Michigan State, where he's headed next year after committing in mid-March.

There wasn't a big debate in his head over his preferred landing spot. Lepo grew up a Spartan fan, and after MSU head coach Mel Tucker arrived in East Lansing in early 2020, the Grand Haven lineman will be part of Tucker's second class of recruits — one that has received a little buzz on social media for its focus on size.

"We're really excited," Lepo said of his fellow class of 2022 recruits. "We can get in group chats and get to know each other a little bit before we get onto campus. The momentum is really growing."

Being done with the college recruiting process is a weight off Ashton's shoulders. High school student-athletes already had a lot on their plate last year between virtual schooling, social lives and sport commitments.

Add in phone calls with several college football coaches every couple days, and it's a process the Lepos are glad they're done with, even if they got a taste of it when older sister Avolyn was involved with volleyball recruiting a couple summers ago.

"We knew a little bit about it, but it's on a whole different level from volleyball," Jeff said. "Sometimes, you're right on the phone with Mel Tucker, with [Cincinnati head coach] Luke Fickell. That's a lot of responsibility for a 17-year-old kid."

The next level

It's really only been in the last couple years that the rising senior's strength caught up with his height, which is credited to a 6-foot-10 uncle on his mother's side. Lepo had the size for a high school offensive lineman last fall, but more work this summer, where athletes can now lift after COVID-19 restrictions hampered that last year, has given him head-turning potential.

"I was a little chubby when I was younger, but I was really skinny my freshman and sophomore year," Lepo said. "It's been a lot of time in the weight room, and a lot of eating."

That weight room focus has been part of what Buccaneers head coach Mike Farley can push Lepo to be ready for the Big Ten after his senior season this fall.

"We've had kids working extremely hard," Farley said. "Ashton's strength level is unbelievable, he's between 30 and 40 pounds heavier than it was last year at this time."

Putting in a new offensive system during a chaotic summer of 2020 had adverse effects on the Bucs' results, an 0-7 season that was tough to swallow following a playoff berth in 2019. That also made it more difficult for Lepo to impose himself on opponents.

"There were games where he didn't grade out very well, more or less because he was missing assignments," Farley said. "It was more mental than physical. That'll be the big thing this year is preparing mentally better than he did last year."

This summer has felt more normal the whole way around, which has both player and coach hopeful for what lies ahead.

"Now it feels like we've got the hang of everything," Lepo said. "We're not behind like we were last year. Our guys are putting the work in and trying really hard to improve."

Staying busy

While it can be tempting to look ahead to playing in front of thousands every weekend in college, Ashton's doing his best to stay in the moment. After all, he's still trying to enjoy what will be his final summer as a high schooler on the Lakeshore.

"We're trying to get out on the lake as much as possible, whether it's a boat, a jet ski, whatever," Lepo said. "Dayne [Arnett] always wants to go lift or eat something. I had two burgers before I got here."

He keeps in touch regularly with MSU coaches, including offensive line coach Chris Kapilovic, and he's part of a group casually trying to pull high-schoolers towards East Lansing. Recently, four-star wideout Antonio Gates Jr. — yes, the son of the NFL tight end who retired in 2018 — pledged to Tucker's program, and there is a sense that a new recruiting focus could edge MSU back towards their success in the early parts of the last decade.

Standing at 16 players as of late July, MSU has the 27th-rated class in the country. Lepo is Michigan's No. 23 player in the 2022 class according to 247 Sports, granting him three-star status. He knows he'll be at the forefront of opposing gameplans against OK Red competition, but he's focused on enjoying his final season in Grand Haven's blue and gold.

"Not everybody gets to keep playing after this year," Lepo said. "A lot of the coaches at MSU have told me to keep the hard work up. This is my last time playing for Grand Haven, and that means something to me and my teammates."

It's a strong level of maturity from the offensive tackle, who will be tasked with helping keep Owen Worthington upright this fall. That fits in pretty well if his conversations with college coaches are anything to go by, according to his dad.

"I was really kind of shocked, it's been fun as a parent to see him grow mentally and deal with that process," Jeff said. "I'll be in the other room listening to him talk to coaches, and he could actually handle himself very well. One day, you're walking out of science class and you're on the phone with a college football coach. He's stepped up and handled it."

There's even been time for Ashton to dabble in some of the new avenues afforded to him by recent NCAA changes as it relates to name, image and likeness.

New social media followers — generally Michigan State fans — have given made him more attractive to businesses such as YOKE Gaming, an app that allows users to team up with sports stars to play video games together. How it'll all shake out over the next four years remains to be seen, but he's (predictably) all for the new changes.

"I feel bad for some of these guys in the past that were kicked off their teams and whatnot," Lepo said. "It's good to have that recognition of all the hard work you're doing and putting forth for your team. As long as I don't sign anything, why not have a way to make a little quick money?"

More than anything else, the Bucs' winless 2020 has Lepo fired up to get back on the field and prove why he's headed to the next level.

"Last year was tough, but it's in the past now," Ashton said. "If we can help each other improve, we'll be a good team."

You can email Kyle at kturk@

grandhaventribune.com or find him on Twitter @KyleTurkGHT.