Football Position Preview: Offensive Line

What have you seen so far from the guys in the OL room?
Our guys have come with the right mindset to get better every day, and that was the challenge heading into fall camp. We want to control what we can control, elevate our game, and change our brand of who we are. Day by day, we have taken steps forward, and we have a lot of new faces, but our guys are making strides. We're looking for versatility to find the right ten guys to get on the bus, and then we just have to put them in the right seats. Right now, we're having a tough time figuring out who the best five are, which is a good problem to have. 

What's your biggest strength? 
Depth. We have a lot of guys competing, and there's a mutual love of football in that room. The expectations I have for them are high, and I want them to expect that of themselves. There have been a lot of position battles, and there's some really talented players in that group. We just have to make sure the talent matches the production. It's a thankless job to play O-Line, but we have a fun group. 
 
What do your returners bring to the table?
Reese [Moore] comes to work every day, and sometimes you don't even know he's out there because he isn't a rah rah guy. He leads by example, and he has a worker's approach to everything. You never have to worry about if he's going to have a bad day. He's had a great offseason, and he's playing with a ton of confidence. Jacob [Thielen] has taken on a vocal role, and you know you are going to feel his emotion and his energy. He never gets tired, he's tough as nails, and he's a guy you love to coach. He tries to do it exactly right every time, and you don't have to say anything when it's wrong because he's already working on correcting it. He has been an anchor point since we got here in the spring. Alan [Hatten] has had a great offseason. Following the spring, I challenged him to go above and beyond in the weight room, and he came into camp in great shape and with a renewed focus. He's played a multitude of positions throughout the fall, and he's become more consistent as a player. He's put himself in a position to compete, and there will definitely be a role for him. Peyton [Girty] is a tough young man who has focused on his strength and flexibility in the offseason. He wants to do everything right, and you know he is going to give you his best effort all the time. He's a no-nonsense guy, and he's always ready when his number is called. He has turned into a reliable guy for us. Dylan [Howerton] is starting to play with more confidence, and he has a ton of athleticism. He takes pride in his game, and he's had a solid camp. Wyatt [Tate] has done some things well in camp, and he has put himself in a battle for the top ten. CJ [Zotz] has played all five positions, and he's a quiet but solid player. I love coaching him because you know he is going to be prepared. Cohen [Carpenter] has had a good camp, and he has gone through a body composition change over the last eight months that's allowed him to perform better than anticipated. He's always going to keep me on my toes, and I enjoy getting to coach him. Ty [Smith] has all the athletic ability in the world, but the biggest things with him are going to be strength and confidence. We are looking for him to continue to elevate his game. Jackson [Andrews] is continuing to work hard for us, and we love seeing him out there on the field. 
 
Let's get to the new guys. 
Femi [Sakiri] got here in the spring and hit the ground running. He's very mature and works incredibly hard. He gives himself a chance to be successful because he is smart, strong and versatile. I love having him in the room, and he's got a bright future ahead of him. He's going to play himself into a role for us this fall. Trent [Pullen] is a guy I recruited out of high school, and he has answered the call of getting stronger in the weight room. I have to push him a little bit, but he's still a young player who is getting better every single day. Rafiti [Ghirmai] comes to us from Texas and had a great offseason. We coach him hard, and he's always the most exasperated at the end of practice. He didn't have the luxury of having the practices in the spring, but he's done a great job of adapting. Joziah [Fogle] is a true freshman who is a mountain of a man and has had a tremendous camp. He has seen time at multiple positions and with multiple groups, and he makes his adjustments right away. He's been even better than we thought he would be. Dylan [Kinney] has a good pedigree and is a smart player, and talking football with him makes it easy to see how much he loves the game. He competes at a high level, and I anticipate that he will continue to progress. Tay [Yanta] had a prior relationship with a bunch of coaches on our staff, and he has been a big bright spot for us so far. He is tough, smart and loves the game of football. He brings a different skill set and a lot of size, and he's had a great camp so far. 
 
How do you keep your group motivated?
They have strength in numbers, and they have strength in size. On the championship teams I've been a part of, the offensive line takes a big brother approach to the whole team. As you go throughout the season, everybody is always intrigued with the O-Line. They have so much respect in the locker room because of their job and how they go about their business. It's a different group because we get to play with five guys, but it takes kind of a wolfpack mentality. The biggest thing is being honest with them. I want to tell them when they are on their best game, and I need to be able to tell them when they're not. The closeness in our room has allowed us to challenge these guys each day, but it's my job to make sure we keep the hunger.