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Last year I thought we had the worst OL play we had seen in forever. Could they have looked worse because of the play at skill positions? Of course yes. Could they have struggled learning the new ways and schemes? Of course. But the result did not match the talent I thought they had coming in. And, coming out, multiyear starters and all-conference performers Moe Petrus and Mike Ryan were gone.
Let's start with what we think are our starters. At LT, Jimmy Bennett is back for his RS Sr. year. Bennett came here with a world of potential, but has gone though injury after injury after injury, and has very little actual game experience. We hear from the staff that he may be our best OL. Can he be? Can he play an entire year? It's hard to believe that the odds of that happening are good, but it will make a huge difference if it happens. Steve Greene will be the LG. He started the second half of last year, has the skills but looked a little lost at times. Now a RS Jr, he needs to show a lot. I think Mateas, the RS Soph PSU transfer is going to snap. We heard he did well his one year at Penn State, and was in line to play as he got more senior, but here he is. When he steps on the field it will be the first time in college. Adam Masters, now a RS Sr., is our most experienced OL, but having bounced back and forth between multiple positions does not enter his senior year with the type of accomplishments that we're used to our senior OL starters having. Kevin Friend, a RS Jr., is at least solid at RT and set.
The depth is troubling. The staff has faith, I think, in Gus Cruz, a RS Soph for whom they have high hopes ultimately, and Tyler Bullock, a RS Jr. who can play multiple positons. If an OT goes down Masters will slide outside. But if we need beyond 7 OL this year, it will get very iffy very fast. Backup OTs are Dalton Gifford, who will be on the two deep, and then RS Frosh Nwokeje and Hemingway, neither of whom are heavy enough yet, and true frosh Levy and Rugg. Backing up in the middle are Paull and Bockeloh, both Centers, and true frosh Tyler Samra from NJ and Rennick Bryan from New Haven, and the walk-on Danielson. If we're blowing out UMass and they want to put a second line in, honestly I have little clue what it would look like. I've never felt that way before.
So that's where we are. At one of the most critical units of any college football team, we have little depth, below average experience and no established stars. And yet, I'm cautiously optimistic. If Jimmy Bennett is the real deal and stays healthy, and if we don't ever need to go past seven deep on the OL, and if last year people played below their levels because they were struggling to learn the new schemes and techniques and now they get it, I still think there is a realistic chance that our OL play can be modestly improved from last year. And if our OL play is even as good as it was last year, with better QB play our offense will be significantly improved.
I will try to start the defense tomorrow.
Let's start with what we think are our starters. At LT, Jimmy Bennett is back for his RS Sr. year. Bennett came here with a world of potential, but has gone though injury after injury after injury, and has very little actual game experience. We hear from the staff that he may be our best OL. Can he be? Can he play an entire year? It's hard to believe that the odds of that happening are good, but it will make a huge difference if it happens. Steve Greene will be the LG. He started the second half of last year, has the skills but looked a little lost at times. Now a RS Jr, he needs to show a lot. I think Mateas, the RS Soph PSU transfer is going to snap. We heard he did well his one year at Penn State, and was in line to play as he got more senior, but here he is. When he steps on the field it will be the first time in college. Adam Masters, now a RS Sr., is our most experienced OL, but having bounced back and forth between multiple positions does not enter his senior year with the type of accomplishments that we're used to our senior OL starters having. Kevin Friend, a RS Jr., is at least solid at RT and set.
The depth is troubling. The staff has faith, I think, in Gus Cruz, a RS Soph for whom they have high hopes ultimately, and Tyler Bullock, a RS Jr. who can play multiple positons. If an OT goes down Masters will slide outside. But if we need beyond 7 OL this year, it will get very iffy very fast. Backup OTs are Dalton Gifford, who will be on the two deep, and then RS Frosh Nwokeje and Hemingway, neither of whom are heavy enough yet, and true frosh Levy and Rugg. Backing up in the middle are Paull and Bockeloh, both Centers, and true frosh Tyler Samra from NJ and Rennick Bryan from New Haven, and the walk-on Danielson. If we're blowing out UMass and they want to put a second line in, honestly I have little clue what it would look like. I've never felt that way before.
So that's where we are. At one of the most critical units of any college football team, we have little depth, below average experience and no established stars. And yet, I'm cautiously optimistic. If Jimmy Bennett is the real deal and stays healthy, and if we don't ever need to go past seven deep on the OL, and if last year people played below their levels because they were struggling to learn the new schemes and techniques and now they get it, I still think there is a realistic chance that our OL play can be modestly improved from last year. And if our OL play is even as good as it was last year, with better QB play our offense will be significantly improved.
I will try to start the defense tomorrow.
