BACKGROUND: Aireontae (AIR-ee-on-tay) "Tae" Ersery (ER-ser-ee), who is one of six children, was born and raised in Kansas City, Mo., with his mother (Takita Charles). His first love was basketball, which he initially played in pickup games and later in organized leagues. He competed on AAU teams throughout middle school and was looking to play in high school. Growing up, Ersery watched football (mainly the Kansas City Chiefs) but didn't play organized football. Ersery attended Ruskin High and hit a growth spurt after his freshman year. Behind urging from his uncle (Bill) and the coaches, he joined the football team the summer before his sophomore year. At 240 pounds, he started out as a defensive end, but the coaches needed him on the offensive line — Ersery proved to be a quick study at both tackle spots (bulked up to 265 pounds by the end of the season). Ersery played on both the offensive and defensive lines as a junior and senior, and he was a bright spot for a team that won a combined three games during his three varsity seasons. To stay in shape in the offseason, he joined the wrestling team as a sophomore (285-pound class). As a junior, Ersery joined the track team and placed fourth at the 2019 Class 4 state championships in the shot put (his first year in track). He had personal bests of 53 feet, 10 inches in the shot put, 137-2 in the discus and 108-1 in the javelin. A three-star recruit, Ersery was the 80th-ranked offensive tackle in the 2020 recruiting class and the No. 18 recruit in Missouri. He started attending recruiting camps after his sophomore and junior seasons and picked up his first offer from FCS Northern Iowa (May 2019). Ersery's recruitment ramped up after he showed out at a satellite camp at Lindenwood University. Within a week of the camp, he picked up over a dozen offers, including from Kansas, Kansas State and Minnesota. A week later, he took a visit to Minneapolis and committed to head coach P.J. Fleck. Ersery was the 17th-ranked recruit in the Gophers' 2020 class. He earned Academic All-Big Ten honors and graduated with a degree (May 2024). Ersery opted out of Minnesota's 2024 bowl game and accepted his invitation to the Senior Bowl. STRENGTHS: ● Imposing size with broad shoulders, long arms and obvious upper-body strength ● Trusts athleticism and feet to stay patient in his process (credits his time in basketball and dance for his footwork) ● Quick out of his stance to jump set, pull or reach and seal three-tech defensive linemen ● Able to quickly access his length to fend off cross-chops and inside counters ● Displays an improved feel for stunts and blitzes compared to 2023 tape ● Flashes square power to move defensive linemen against their will (weight-room strength translates to the field) ● His coaches praise the jump he made during his college career ● Grew into a team leader, according to NFL scouts ● Started 38 straight games at left tackle to finish his career WEAKNESSES: ● Upright, and his hands are often wide and inaccurate when striking mid-slide, leaving him hugging/hooking rushers ● False steps at times and occasionally allows his feet to get choppy if he gets stressed ● Can do a better job continuing to work his hips into position as he engages ● His anchor can be diminished when he's late with his strikes ● Comes off the ball high, which leads to waist-bending tendencies ● Can see him finish with grit on some plays but needs to do it more consistently ● Didn't miss any starts because of injury past three seasons but did sit out most of regular-season finale (Nov. 2024) with right ankle sprain ● Almost all of his career snaps (96.3 percent) came at left tackle SUMMARY: A three-year starter at Minnesota, Ersery locked down the left tackle position in offensive coordinator Greg Harbaugh's zone-heavy scheme. Because he did not play football until his sophomore year of high school, he was raw when he enrolled at Minnesota but developed into the Big Ten's Rimington-Pace Offensive Lineman of the Year in 2024. With his NFL-ready build and length, Ersery has a stiff punch to steer rushers wide of the pocket, and he can anchor down when rushers try to attack him down the middle. Though he moves well for a big man, especially as a zone-blocker, there are some sloppy elements to his game and he is stiff when attempting to redirect or recover, especially when his hands are tardy. Overall, Ersery has the size, strength and movement talent to become an NFL starting tackle — if his timing, angles and overall consistency continue to improve with pro coaching. It might be a bumpy ride early as he transitions to the next level.
Finally the Texans are starting to build a line with some size. I love the move! We need some beef to let Joe Mixon do his thing.
