Well, it’s time we discuss the elephant in the room. The topic that keeps coming up as the caveat to our success with all of the weapons on offense. The O-line. The 2014 O-line will be replacing 3 starters who graduated, 2 of those 3 who are in NFL camps right now. There’s been some departures as well and there’s one player rumored to be in some academic troubles who is on the bubble to being eligible this season. That all adds up to a ton of question marks for a group that is vital to this team’s success. Lets take a look at who we have and how this O-line will look to shape up.
Starter – Tackle Trevor Poole – I’m told Trevor has moved back to his prior spot as left tackle, JJ’s protector. Poole in 2011 rotated in for Charles Burton at LT a lot, then in 2012 started until he was suspended, he returned in 2013 but with Schmaing and Kistler as the bookends he moved inside to play guard, with ok success, but at times he looked out of position as a guard. Now back in his expected role he’s going to be looked upon to lead this O-line. While he missed part of spring ball he looked best equipped to handle speed rushers as it seemed he had the better lateral/side to side movement and good hands. Previously when at tackle he wasn’t the best run-blocker. That also showed last season too at times when he was a guard. Hopefully more experience and a return outside will allow him to better balance those skills and improve on them.
Starter – Tackle John Schmaing – Schmaing was getting a lot of press during the off-season, Scott Gragg called him the next NFL-bound talent on this team. He’s the best balanced player we’ve got on the O-line, he brings 1.5 years of starting experience, he’s a good but not great run blocker and he’s a good pass blocker. Schmaing was thrown into the fire in 2012 after Poole’s suspension and did really well for himself. As a tackle he’s our most experienced player at that position.
Starter – Guard Will Weyer – Weyer is the wild-card on the inside because he may start at guard or he may start at center. It sounds like the plan for him is to most likely start at center in 2015, however in 2014 we’ve got another candidate for center in Logan Hines. Assuming both Hines brothers are healthy and starting my best guess is Weyer will play at guard. In the spring of 2013 he went from buried in depth to playing and excelling with the 1st string (due to one of our starting guards sitting out). Weyer then through the 2013 season filled in on the spot at both guard and center. At center he appeared to have some challenges adapting in live games, but that experience should help carry over. He’s a little lighter than we’d probably like for most O-line players at 270, but he’s shown the ability to make up for it with good strength and skill to block out d-linemen.
Starter – Guard Jordan Hines – Jordan Hines I suspect is going to open fall camp the other starter at guard. He opened the 2013 fall camp as a starter at guard as well but some sort of injury (shoulder I think) sidelined him. Jordan (and his brother Logan) are seniors, this is their last chance to make an impact and put in solid time. Jordan’s issue has been health, he’s gone through a series of injuries. I’m told he’s got incredible strength but there have been concerns of mental and physical toughness overall. I’ve seen other O-line players overcome those exact criticisms, can he be another that does that?
Starter – Center Logan Hines – Health is a concern for Logan as well, but not as much, he played some center as well last year when Oiland was dealing with his bad hamstring. I’m assuming that as long as he’s healthy and effective the coaches want him starting at center. Another weight room warrior, he’s shown he can run block well. What I don’t know is how he does organizing and communicating to the rest of the O-line like a good center should. If Logan gets hurt, I expect Will Weyer to back him up, which will cause quite the jumble on the inside.
Backup – Tackle Max Kelly – I’m hearing some good things about Kelly, he may see some significant time this season. He’s a tall player and good sized, this spring due to injuries to the other tackles he played a ton. Speedy/quicker DE’s are an issue for him but practicing against Holmes and Wags will help prepare him for what he may see. I actually liked what I’ve seen from him with run-blocking. At 6-7 and 275 I’d really like to see 10-15 more pounds/muscle on his frame to help him become a better all-around tackle.
Backup – Tackle Clint LaRowe – LaRowe is a little shorter but bigger than Kelly, he’s shown more issues than Kelly did (to what this fan saw) with keeping our DE’s away from the QBs. LaRowe needs to keep improving his pass-protection for sure. Run blocking looks fairly good, his extra size and ability to push back has shown some good success. Clint’s nice skill is he’s played both LT and RT and appears to be somewhat interchangeable. This will come in handy this season as the line works to come together as a new group.
Backup – Guard Devon Dietrich – Dietrich had a real strong spring camp and at this point with the departure of Samson Kalekini, Dietrich will be the first off the bench to fill in at guard. He’s shown good balance run and pass blocking, but needs to add some weight/strength (in my opinion) based on his current roster weight of 270. Dietrich’s also been mentioned as another option to play center as well… so we’ll see – the jumble continues. Basically what I expect is that if either of the Hines kids or Weyer is hurt or ineffective, Devon (at this point) will be the first backup the coaches go to.
Backup – Guard McCauley Todd – Todd came to UM and had a slow time adapting his freshman year, he’s picked up steam and (as I’m told) is now fully healthy and had a pretty good spring camp. With the injury concerns of the Hines brother Todd may be another guy we a lot of this year. He’s big, strong, and plays mean. I like that out of an O-line player. Consistency and pass-blocking need improvement. He worked his way up to backing up at LG this spring but still had issues when the D-line would stunt the DT and DE on his side. Todd could help bring that mean edge to the O-line, we all recall his high school highlight reel. This fall I’m hoping to see more consistent play from Todd as I expect he’ll see time on the field.
Backup – Center Weyer or Deitrich – here’s the challenge left by the departure of Kalekini. There’s no stand-alone center backup. It could be Weyer or Deitrich. I’m trying to recall but Max Kelly might’ve played some center in spring ball too. Whoever backs up will probably also force a shift at guard as well.
Depth – Tackle Cameron Rokich – Rokich was hurt or just didn’t play at all in spring ball. I thought he was going to grey-shirt last year, but wound up being on the roster as an RS. He’s one of these guys that I’d guess the coaches are hoping to add size/strength to his frame. His 6-5 but was listed at 245 on the roster. He looked bigger in spring ball. 2014 is probably going to mostly be a watch/adapt/keep getting bigger kind of year for Cameron.
Depth – Tackle Jackson Thiebes – A real intriguing story for Jackson. He came here as a JuCo transfer to play TE. Injuries forced the coaches to have him play tackle though in the spring (which is where I think he played in high school). Although quite light (255 pounds) he actually surprised many showing good quickness, blocking technique, and ability to adapt and improve. He’s a sophomore, I think he’s got a red shirt he can still use. My bet is he get red shirted this year so in 2015 he can be an RS-Soph with hopefully more weight on and could find himself in the mix at tackle right away.
That’s it folks, the O-line not only has some questions but in some respects it’s a too thin for comfort! On the board it’s been posted that there’s an OT transfer coming from a JuCo, I’ve also heard chatter of another O-line transfer but that might’ve been just mixing the JuCo kid or rumor mill stuff. Another guy or two would really help – if they can come in and contribute. Also the Griz have a true freshman OT coming in, the guy has the size at 6-7 already and 270 pounds. Depending on how he adapts he may be looked upon to backup, esp if Kelly or LaRowe get moved around to fill gaps on the interior.
Looking at the possible 1st string and 2nd string O-line this would be one of the smaller/lighter OL’s we’ve had in awhile:
1st string: Avg 6-4.5 and 288 pounds
2nd string: Avg 6-5.5 and 280 pounds
Biggest concerns for me:
1. Experience on the field and experience playing as a unit
2. Injury history from some projected starters
3. Very little sign of DOLA from half the group
What gives me hope:
1. Scott Gragg’s O-lines have always been good pass protectors
2. Kfense is helping on the O-line now which could help the interior get some more individual attention.
3. The fab 5 freshman from three years ago are all going to get a chance to contribute, they’re all RS-Sophs and have 3 years’ time practicing together already
Time will tell here, this is the biggest area of concern for me with this team. Once fall camp is rolling it’s going to be something to pay real close attention to.
Starter – Tackle Trevor Poole – I’m told Trevor has moved back to his prior spot as left tackle, JJ’s protector. Poole in 2011 rotated in for Charles Burton at LT a lot, then in 2012 started until he was suspended, he returned in 2013 but with Schmaing and Kistler as the bookends he moved inside to play guard, with ok success, but at times he looked out of position as a guard. Now back in his expected role he’s going to be looked upon to lead this O-line. While he missed part of spring ball he looked best equipped to handle speed rushers as it seemed he had the better lateral/side to side movement and good hands. Previously when at tackle he wasn’t the best run-blocker. That also showed last season too at times when he was a guard. Hopefully more experience and a return outside will allow him to better balance those skills and improve on them.
Starter – Tackle John Schmaing – Schmaing was getting a lot of press during the off-season, Scott Gragg called him the next NFL-bound talent on this team. He’s the best balanced player we’ve got on the O-line, he brings 1.5 years of starting experience, he’s a good but not great run blocker and he’s a good pass blocker. Schmaing was thrown into the fire in 2012 after Poole’s suspension and did really well for himself. As a tackle he’s our most experienced player at that position.
Starter – Guard Will Weyer – Weyer is the wild-card on the inside because he may start at guard or he may start at center. It sounds like the plan for him is to most likely start at center in 2015, however in 2014 we’ve got another candidate for center in Logan Hines. Assuming both Hines brothers are healthy and starting my best guess is Weyer will play at guard. In the spring of 2013 he went from buried in depth to playing and excelling with the 1st string (due to one of our starting guards sitting out). Weyer then through the 2013 season filled in on the spot at both guard and center. At center he appeared to have some challenges adapting in live games, but that experience should help carry over. He’s a little lighter than we’d probably like for most O-line players at 270, but he’s shown the ability to make up for it with good strength and skill to block out d-linemen.
Starter – Guard Jordan Hines – Jordan Hines I suspect is going to open fall camp the other starter at guard. He opened the 2013 fall camp as a starter at guard as well but some sort of injury (shoulder I think) sidelined him. Jordan (and his brother Logan) are seniors, this is their last chance to make an impact and put in solid time. Jordan’s issue has been health, he’s gone through a series of injuries. I’m told he’s got incredible strength but there have been concerns of mental and physical toughness overall. I’ve seen other O-line players overcome those exact criticisms, can he be another that does that?
Starter – Center Logan Hines – Health is a concern for Logan as well, but not as much, he played some center as well last year when Oiland was dealing with his bad hamstring. I’m assuming that as long as he’s healthy and effective the coaches want him starting at center. Another weight room warrior, he’s shown he can run block well. What I don’t know is how he does organizing and communicating to the rest of the O-line like a good center should. If Logan gets hurt, I expect Will Weyer to back him up, which will cause quite the jumble on the inside.
Backup – Tackle Max Kelly – I’m hearing some good things about Kelly, he may see some significant time this season. He’s a tall player and good sized, this spring due to injuries to the other tackles he played a ton. Speedy/quicker DE’s are an issue for him but practicing against Holmes and Wags will help prepare him for what he may see. I actually liked what I’ve seen from him with run-blocking. At 6-7 and 275 I’d really like to see 10-15 more pounds/muscle on his frame to help him become a better all-around tackle.
Backup – Tackle Clint LaRowe – LaRowe is a little shorter but bigger than Kelly, he’s shown more issues than Kelly did (to what this fan saw) with keeping our DE’s away from the QBs. LaRowe needs to keep improving his pass-protection for sure. Run blocking looks fairly good, his extra size and ability to push back has shown some good success. Clint’s nice skill is he’s played both LT and RT and appears to be somewhat interchangeable. This will come in handy this season as the line works to come together as a new group.
Backup – Guard Devon Dietrich – Dietrich had a real strong spring camp and at this point with the departure of Samson Kalekini, Dietrich will be the first off the bench to fill in at guard. He’s shown good balance run and pass blocking, but needs to add some weight/strength (in my opinion) based on his current roster weight of 270. Dietrich’s also been mentioned as another option to play center as well… so we’ll see – the jumble continues. Basically what I expect is that if either of the Hines kids or Weyer is hurt or ineffective, Devon (at this point) will be the first backup the coaches go to.
Backup – Guard McCauley Todd – Todd came to UM and had a slow time adapting his freshman year, he’s picked up steam and (as I’m told) is now fully healthy and had a pretty good spring camp. With the injury concerns of the Hines brother Todd may be another guy we a lot of this year. He’s big, strong, and plays mean. I like that out of an O-line player. Consistency and pass-blocking need improvement. He worked his way up to backing up at LG this spring but still had issues when the D-line would stunt the DT and DE on his side. Todd could help bring that mean edge to the O-line, we all recall his high school highlight reel. This fall I’m hoping to see more consistent play from Todd as I expect he’ll see time on the field.
Backup – Center Weyer or Deitrich – here’s the challenge left by the departure of Kalekini. There’s no stand-alone center backup. It could be Weyer or Deitrich. I’m trying to recall but Max Kelly might’ve played some center in spring ball too. Whoever backs up will probably also force a shift at guard as well.
Depth – Tackle Cameron Rokich – Rokich was hurt or just didn’t play at all in spring ball. I thought he was going to grey-shirt last year, but wound up being on the roster as an RS. He’s one of these guys that I’d guess the coaches are hoping to add size/strength to his frame. His 6-5 but was listed at 245 on the roster. He looked bigger in spring ball. 2014 is probably going to mostly be a watch/adapt/keep getting bigger kind of year for Cameron.
Depth – Tackle Jackson Thiebes – A real intriguing story for Jackson. He came here as a JuCo transfer to play TE. Injuries forced the coaches to have him play tackle though in the spring (which is where I think he played in high school). Although quite light (255 pounds) he actually surprised many showing good quickness, blocking technique, and ability to adapt and improve. He’s a sophomore, I think he’s got a red shirt he can still use. My bet is he get red shirted this year so in 2015 he can be an RS-Soph with hopefully more weight on and could find himself in the mix at tackle right away.
That’s it folks, the O-line not only has some questions but in some respects it’s a too thin for comfort! On the board it’s been posted that there’s an OT transfer coming from a JuCo, I’ve also heard chatter of another O-line transfer but that might’ve been just mixing the JuCo kid or rumor mill stuff. Another guy or two would really help – if they can come in and contribute. Also the Griz have a true freshman OT coming in, the guy has the size at 6-7 already and 270 pounds. Depending on how he adapts he may be looked upon to backup, esp if Kelly or LaRowe get moved around to fill gaps on the interior.
Looking at the possible 1st string and 2nd string O-line this would be one of the smaller/lighter OL’s we’ve had in awhile:
1st string: Avg 6-4.5 and 288 pounds
2nd string: Avg 6-5.5 and 280 pounds
Biggest concerns for me:
1. Experience on the field and experience playing as a unit
2. Injury history from some projected starters
3. Very little sign of DOLA from half the group
What gives me hope:
1. Scott Gragg’s O-lines have always been good pass protectors
2. Kfense is helping on the O-line now which could help the interior get some more individual attention.
3. The fab 5 freshman from three years ago are all going to get a chance to contribute, they’re all RS-Sophs and have 3 years’ time practicing together already
Time will tell here, this is the biggest area of concern for me with this team. Once fall camp is rolling it’s going to be something to pay real close attention to.
