Offensive Line Will Surprise

[Sarms58]

PITT was a very good team last year and finished with 11 wins. They were the 4th best team we played last season, but you could argue third best. I do not expect them to have the same type of season however the matchup against their defense will be a challenge for our o line. If the o line performs well then that should be a good indicator moving forward.

Yea, I think the Pitt game will give us a very good understanding of where we are as a team. We'll be an underdog on the road in September - a great opportunity to shine!

 

[MiramarVol]

It's gonna be hot and we need to rotate some of the guys out to keep them fresh for the 4th. Depth early on will be a great benefit down the stretch especially if injuries happen and they will.

 

[DaddyChad]

I'm not seeing it. O-line will be the lowest performing offensive group. LT is a major question, I'm not convinced either of our starting guards gets replaced, and if our center goes down it'll be a long season. It's not this staffs fault, but that position group is in a rough spot. All of the freshmen appear to be developmental guys and we lose multiple guys in 23.

Disagree completely. Except I will agree with you on if we lose our center it maybe an issue. Really liked what we have every other position depth and quality wise. After Cooper at center it get dicey imo.

 

[njvols]

The staff did a solid job with what they had last year. It was a patchwork group that had to deal with injuries throughout the season. Returning 4/5 starters helps and a few our backups played meaningful snaps last year. I believe the unit takes another step forward in the right direction this year. We will just have to see how much the progression will be. The sacks given up need to go down significantly because that was a glaring issue. LT is a concern but there are more able bodies competing for that that spot compared to last year. Another off season with S&C under their belts combined with the same OC will pay huge dividends imo.

Agree that first line is sec ready on paper and from LY. Optics say addl depth and another year in system will yield better performance. Need to shore up the sacks and short yardage run game and we are off to the races. Then if we hold up on 3rd down on D we’ll have a pretty darn good year.

 

[keenobserver]

We don't currently have any dominant offensive linemen on our team like Alabama and Georgia usually have.... We do, however, have a chance to be collectively good as a unit. When we find the right 6-7, I hope they make up for the overall talent deficiencies by playing smart, tough, and for each other.

 

[onevol74]

I have no clue if we will be better but I can tell you our OL looks completely different than they did at the bowl game. In a positive way. They look like SEC linemen this year.

 

[volmanNC]

I’m just worried about the future. We have missed out on some of our top OL recruits and passed on some great instate talent. Where do we go next. Juco?

portal...!!!

 

[walkenvol]

We don't currently have any dominant offensive linemen on our team like Alabama and Georgia usually have.... We do, however, have a chance to be collectively good as a unit. When we find the right 6-7, I hope they make up for the overall talent deficiencies by playing smart, tough, and for each other.

Wright is being discussed as a first round pick - what do you consider dominant like Al & Ga?

 

[keenobserver]

Wright is being discussed as a first round pick - what do you consider dominant like Al & Ga?

Neal and Leatherwood are the first that comes to mind.

I believe there are those who are speculating Wright has the talent, size, and the athletic ability to be a first round pick if he can prove it with his play on the field this season.

I would question if someone has watched him at all in the past if they believe his body of work is deserving of a first round pick. He has really, really, struggled in pass pro. He has alot of experience and is our best lineman, so I'm hoping for 1st round caliber play this season and I'll be able to agree with you soon. I'm not ready to call Darnell Wright a dominating OT just yet.