As I look over the offensive line I feel a lot better heading into fall camp than I did in spring football.
The OL was solid last year, but two of the biggest parts are gone. Mike Novitsky did a lot for the KU line handling responsibilities and bringing experience. Novitsky came from Buffalo with Leipold and Fuchs so he knew the system. He was one of the most under-appreciated players. Dominick Puni exceeded all expectations moving to tackle and was tremendous. His PFF score (80.6) shows how consistent he was all season. Those are two big losses.
How this group looks on paper
The minute Bryce Foster told me he was moving to Lawrence, my feeling about the OL changed. The biggest question was center. Ford was doing okay, but not to where you felt comfortable about playing 700+ snaps. Shane Bumgardner is a good player, but is making the transition from D2. Adding Foster gives the offense a proven player, who has battled some of the best interior DL in the country in the SEC.
Getting Foster allows Ford to move back to guard where he will likely be a three-year starter. By getting Foster I think it made the OL stronger at two positions. Logan Brown will be top player at left tackle and it is important he stays healthy. Calvin Clements is coming off an injury and still needs more developing. Brown is one player they can't afford to be injured.
I like Ford at left guard and then we need to see how Daryl Agpalsa handles the OL. Will they take the next best guard on the two-deep and make him the back-up at both guard spots? Or will he have a backup at right and left guard specifically?
I have the edge at right guard going to Kobe Baynes. The player I am interested to hear about is Amir Herring. The former four-star recruit who signed with Michigan, arrived this summer. The early things I hear is he is strong and powerful, but still needs to be developed. He played one snap at Michigan last year. The good thing there is he is redshirt freshman, so there is time to develop. Then you have Darrell Simmons and Nolan Gorczyca who were running first and second team in the spring. But that was before Ford is likely moving back to guard. The things I heard is that Gorczyca had a slight edge and that is good news because Simmons started 20 games at Iowa State.
I have narrowed my focus down to 12 players fighting for eight spots. I am watching to see who will be the back-up right tackle, backup center, and the first guard to win a job behind Ford and Baynes.
Those players are:
Brown
Bumgardner
Ford
Simmons
Herring
Gorczyca
Baynes
Doiron
Clements
Cabeldue
Foster
Livingston
The start of fall camp will be interesting to see (if we get to see the actual lineup) who comes out at center. I think Dre Doiron had a good spring and could be the backup to Foster.
Maybe the biggest thing I take away from studying the offensive line is the depth. I don't know if the sum of the five parts will be better than last year's OL, but it will be deeper. Another thing that will play a factor is the transition with Agpalsa and Jeff Grimes as new coaches. Scott Fuchs and Andy Kotelnicki worked well and had a great system together. Fuchs took average talent and made a good OL.
Some of the reason the OL had success was the scheme. They did a lot of things that kept defenses off balance and having elusive QB had KU in the top 25 nationally of fewest sacks. We will see what Grimes offense looks like.
There is depth and enough players I expect the OL to be more than adequate to field a good group.
The OL was solid last year, but two of the biggest parts are gone. Mike Novitsky did a lot for the KU line handling responsibilities and bringing experience. Novitsky came from Buffalo with Leipold and Fuchs so he knew the system. He was one of the most under-appreciated players. Dominick Puni exceeded all expectations moving to tackle and was tremendous. His PFF score (80.6) shows how consistent he was all season. Those are two big losses.
How this group looks on paper
The minute Bryce Foster told me he was moving to Lawrence, my feeling about the OL changed. The biggest question was center. Ford was doing okay, but not to where you felt comfortable about playing 700+ snaps. Shane Bumgardner is a good player, but is making the transition from D2. Adding Foster gives the offense a proven player, who has battled some of the best interior DL in the country in the SEC.
Getting Foster allows Ford to move back to guard where he will likely be a three-year starter. By getting Foster I think it made the OL stronger at two positions. Logan Brown will be top player at left tackle and it is important he stays healthy. Calvin Clements is coming off an injury and still needs more developing. Brown is one player they can't afford to be injured.
I like Ford at left guard and then we need to see how Daryl Agpalsa handles the OL. Will they take the next best guard on the two-deep and make him the back-up at both guard spots? Or will he have a backup at right and left guard specifically?
I have the edge at right guard going to Kobe Baynes. The player I am interested to hear about is Amir Herring. The former four-star recruit who signed with Michigan, arrived this summer. The early things I hear is he is strong and powerful, but still needs to be developed. He played one snap at Michigan last year. The good thing there is he is redshirt freshman, so there is time to develop. Then you have Darrell Simmons and Nolan Gorczyca who were running first and second team in the spring. But that was before Ford is likely moving back to guard. The things I heard is that Gorczyca had a slight edge and that is good news because Simmons started 20 games at Iowa State.
I have narrowed my focus down to 12 players fighting for eight spots. I am watching to see who will be the back-up right tackle, backup center, and the first guard to win a job behind Ford and Baynes.
Those players are:
Brown
Bumgardner
Ford
Simmons
Herring
Gorczyca
Baynes
Doiron
Clements
Cabeldue
Foster
Livingston
The start of fall camp will be interesting to see (if we get to see the actual lineup) who comes out at center. I think Dre Doiron had a good spring and could be the backup to Foster.
Maybe the biggest thing I take away from studying the offensive line is the depth. I don't know if the sum of the five parts will be better than last year's OL, but it will be deeper. Another thing that will play a factor is the transition with Agpalsa and Jeff Grimes as new coaches. Scott Fuchs and Andy Kotelnicki worked well and had a great system together. Fuchs took average talent and made a good OL.
Some of the reason the OL had success was the scheme. They did a lot of things that kept defenses off balance and having elusive QB had KU in the top 25 nationally of fewest sacks. We will see what Grimes offense looks like.
There is depth and enough players I expect the OL to be more than adequate to field a good group.
