While there's a general picture of who will roll out on the O-line for the first snaps against Stanford, the picture isn't 100% clear. This group is more like seven or eight guys pressing for reps, and I expect it to keep moving over the course of the season even without an injury.
Here's where I see it after camp:
Samson Okunlola has done everything we hoped for originally coming out of high school. I always thought his build made him more of a guard prospect, but his footwork and the quickness of his feet say otherwise. He's solid there, full stop.
Ryan Rodriguez is locked in at center. Nobody's really pushing him. He's just firm in that spot, and if he stays healthy all year — which is the one thing to watch given his injury history — he will impress.
Matthew McCoy gives us the most flexibility of the group. He's solid at right tackle right now, but worst case, he's a full-time starting guard. That's the kind of value you want.
Those three came into camp with the most experience, and they leave it with the most secure jobs. After that, it gets interesting.
SJ Alofaituli is going to play more than people think. He's holding his own at left guard, and even though he's not the tallest guy up front, he's shown the staff he can be a consistent, physical presence there.
Max Buchanan has started to push him late in camp — that's probably the biggest shift of the last week and a half.
Ben Congdon is the name everyone's talking about. We knew he was a freak coming in, but nobody outside the building expected an unheralded freshman to be this ready this fast. He's got a wrestling background that shows up in how low he plays and how easily he gets under bigger guys — that's a natural guard trait, and it's why I think he's a true guard long-term, whatever else happens around him.
Jackson Cantwell is every bit as legit. He played almost every snap at left tackle this spring and is now working right guard while still taking tackle reps. I think he's more of a natural tackle who can play guard when we need him to — the son of Olympic shot putters, and it shows in his hands and his length. Both him and Congdon are going to play early. I'd be shocked if they don't.
I'll say this about both of them: don't panic the first time either one gets beat.
I watched Markel Bell get eaten alive in his first look at left tackle before he turned into the best left tackle in the country and a third-round pick. I remember Francis Mauigoa going through the exact same thing as a freshman before he was polished by his final year. Development isn't linear. Give these guys some grace.
Jamal Merriweather was banged up in the spring but picked up real pace at the end of camp and is pushing into that right tackle mix.
Behind that group, Canon Pickett and Rhys Woodrow are more down-the-road guys, but both are trending in the right direction and could find a way onto the field. Joel Ervin didn't play in the spring while he got his body right, but he showed real quality reps late in camp — I think he's got the highest ceiling on the entire offensive line if it all comes together.
Jaden Wilkerson is the backup left tackle and got good work in camp despite some inconsistency. Jacob Hawks, the 6-foot-9 juco tackle, is further down the depth chart but has real long-term upside once he catches up to the speed of the game. He has plenty of eligibility which should allow him to develop nicely here.
Is this line on the level of last year's group — the best offensive line in the country? No. That's not realistic with this much inexperience. But there's more than enough here to be playoff caliber if it gels over the course of the season, and I think it will.
We'll have the whole breakdown of how this line settles in against Stanford and every week after that — make sure you're subscribed so you don't miss it.
Here's where I see it after camp:
Samson Okunlola has done everything we hoped for originally coming out of high school. I always thought his build made him more of a guard prospect, but his footwork and the quickness of his feet say otherwise. He's solid there, full stop.
Ryan Rodriguez is locked in at center. Nobody's really pushing him. He's just firm in that spot, and if he stays healthy all year — which is the one thing to watch given his injury history — he will impress.
Matthew McCoy gives us the most flexibility of the group. He's solid at right tackle right now, but worst case, he's a full-time starting guard. That's the kind of value you want.
Those three came into camp with the most experience, and they leave it with the most secure jobs. After that, it gets interesting.
SJ Alofaituli is going to play more than people think. He's holding his own at left guard, and even though he's not the tallest guy up front, he's shown the staff he can be a consistent, physical presence there.
Max Buchanan has started to push him late in camp — that's probably the biggest shift of the last week and a half.
Ben Congdon is the name everyone's talking about. We knew he was a freak coming in, but nobody outside the building expected an unheralded freshman to be this ready this fast. He's got a wrestling background that shows up in how low he plays and how easily he gets under bigger guys — that's a natural guard trait, and it's why I think he's a true guard long-term, whatever else happens around him.
Jackson Cantwell is every bit as legit. He played almost every snap at left tackle this spring and is now working right guard while still taking tackle reps. I think he's more of a natural tackle who can play guard when we need him to — the son of Olympic shot putters, and it shows in his hands and his length. Both him and Congdon are going to play early. I'd be shocked if they don't.
I'll say this about both of them: don't panic the first time either one gets beat.
I watched Markel Bell get eaten alive in his first look at left tackle before he turned into the best left tackle in the country and a third-round pick. I remember Francis Mauigoa going through the exact same thing as a freshman before he was polished by his final year. Development isn't linear. Give these guys some grace.
Jamal Merriweather was banged up in the spring but picked up real pace at the end of camp and is pushing into that right tackle mix.
Behind that group, Canon Pickett and Rhys Woodrow are more down-the-road guys, but both are trending in the right direction and could find a way onto the field. Joel Ervin didn't play in the spring while he got his body right, but he showed real quality reps late in camp — I think he's got the highest ceiling on the entire offensive line if it all comes together.
Jaden Wilkerson is the backup left tackle and got good work in camp despite some inconsistency. Jacob Hawks, the 6-foot-9 juco tackle, is further down the depth chart but has real long-term upside once he catches up to the speed of the game. He has plenty of eligibility which should allow him to develop nicely here.
Is this line on the level of last year's group — the best offensive line in the country? No. That's not realistic with this much inexperience. But there's more than enough here to be playoff caliber if it gels over the course of the season, and I think it will.
We'll have the whole breakdown of how this line settles in against Stanford and every week after that — make sure you're subscribed so you don't miss it.
