If Newsome, Thomas, Sherriffs, oh hell any of the skill guys, played behind an agressive, physical, attacking offensive line, they'd have been far more productive then they were. The difference between mediocrity and sustained success in football comes down to who wins in the trenches. We are not going to land the top OL recruits in the country. But, OL is not a heavily recruited position anyway. You can find kids who fly under the radar. Size is important, but it's not everything. They need to be agile, physically strong, and relentless. I want kids that play other sports in high school, besides football. I love when lineman also wrestle in high school. They learn the advantages of leverage and how to gain leverage on their opponent. A physical advantage up front (like we had against Marshall) means nothing if you can't beat the defender to a spot, get hands on him, and gain a leverage advantage to move him where you want him to go.
Until UConn can start finding those types of kids and developing aggressive offensive linemen and depth at that position, mediocrity will continue. If you put Leonard Fournette behind UConn's OL, his stats would be far different. As good as he is, it's hard to churn out yards when there are no running lanes. Newsome became the feature back because, he was the best back to get yards in small spaces. The other backs have talent, but they take longer to get to and through the hole.
I like the talent and youth at the skill positions, but if they can't block for them, it will continue to be a struggle offensively.
OL should be the biggest point of emphasis in the offseason and recruiting for the program to take the next step, and stay there.
