Starting RG Max Buchanan is going to be out a while. He announced it himself earlier today, surgery on the left knee he hurt at Clemson.

From everything I've been told this is a long-term injury, but I don't believe it's a season-ending one. We will see Max Buchanan in a Canes uniform again before this year is done. That's the good news. The bad news is we have to figure out right guard without him, and for a lot longer than anybody wanted.

First, special shoutout to the man himself. Buchanan knew something was really wrong and he went back into a road game at Clemson anyway. Former Hurricanes wide receiver Ahmmon Richards, who will tell you football has a 100 percent injury rate, joined me on today's show and started there.

"I respect the toughness," Ahmmon said. "He put on them knee braces and got right back in there."

The four options​

SJ Alofaituli is the first man up based on how we rotated at Clemson. He finished that game, and it was the best I've seen him play. A lot of the criticism of him earlier this year was accurate. A lot of it also forgot he's a second-year player.

He is still going to be undersized at right guard when the fronts get bigger.

Jamal Meriweather has already been in this spot. Go back to Central Michigan. Buchanan took the first two series with the ones and Meriweather took the third. He also filled in at right tackle when Matthew McCoy went out. He didn't do particularly well in limited snaps, but he's been in college a while, he's got size and he can move.

Jackson Cantwell is the name everybody wants to argue about. He's mostly been a left tackle and a guard since he got here, but there's a version of this where he plays right tackle and McCoy slides inside to guard, where he was really good last year.

The last one is the interesting one. If SJ's snapping holds up the way it did against Central Michigan, he goes to center, his natural position, and Ryan Rodriguez moves to guard, where he started against Florida. I'm not sure you mess with what's working at center. Rodriguez just played his best game at center and we have a veteran quarterback who is comfortable with him.

The Cantwell question​

I've seen the comments. I've also heard it from people who actually know, not just people watching from afar.

You can't hope a guy is ready because he's a five-star who's getting paid a lot. But, he has flashed.

Who's to say the flashes can't become consistent?

Look at Ben Congdon. We told you in camp he was going to compete to start. Then Stanford comes and he doesn't take a snap with the ones. Against Wake Forest he didn't play at all. Then he's rotating and doing well against Central Michigan, and starts at Clemson, on the road.

Richards sees the talent, he just isn't sure it's a guard's talent. Congdon has a wrestling background, and that natural bend is already there for him even at his size. Cantwell's background is the shot put and the discus.

"Maybe he's just truly a tackle," Ahmmon said, and he happens to be sitting behind two really good ones in Okunlola and McCoy.

Where Ahmmon lands​

His guess is Meriweather starting at right guard with Cantwell rotating in. He thinks Meriweather's mobility and strength fit better inside than they did at tackle. And he doesn't want Rodriguez going anywhere.

"He's kind of settling in," Ahmmon said. "You probably just plug in someone at right guard and call it a day."

Why I'm not panicking​

I trust Alex Mirabal because he's earned it, he is the best offensive line coach in the country. Ahmmon made the point that we all had questions about both guard spots a few weeks ago, and the staff got those calls right.

The timing helps. "It could not have come at a better time," Ahmmon said of the bye. Mario Cristobal and Mirabal get what amounts to a free week to plug in different combinations, then a full install week for Florida State.

Look at what's in front of us: North Carolina's front is okay, Florida State's defensive line was good last week and terrible the first few weeks. Nobody in this league is lining up Aaron Donald across from our right guard, we should be able to handle these lines the way we handled Clemson's.

Richards expects a rotation at right guard until somebody runs away with it, and he thinks the string of home games late in the year helps the young guys settle in. That's how Congdon did it. He rotated with SJ, then he took the job. I'd bet this one gets decided the same way.

The whole conversation with Ahmmon is below, including his full breakdown of every possible lineup. Watch it, then subscribe to CanesInsight on YouTube. We're live every day.

 

If the big road graders like Cantwell. Ervin Wilkerson can't sustain low pad levels why not rotate them each for one series to establish the run? Who says we need to keep them in for 60 snaps? Keep big guy with fresh legs in right guard. Play sj and meri on pass pro.

 

What about Pickett?

Pickett and Meriweather both had surgery last year. Both are getting back at it and Meriweather clearly has far more big game experience/development.

All correct. Pickett may have an outside shot at getting into a rotation now. He looks like a prototype G. Meriweather is tall but not much over 300lbs.

 

SJ and Merriweather for now

I very much hope it is Meriweather

 

All correct. Pickett may have an outside shot at getting into a rotation now. He looks like a prototype G. Meriweather is tall but not much over 300lbs.

305lbs while SJ is 290lbs. IMO, it's more about the fight in the dog than the size of the dog.

 

All correct. Pickett may have an outside shot at getting into a rotation now. He looks like a prototype G. Meriweather is tall but not much over 300lbs.

Woodrow more likely right now but Pickett is a guy I’ve been waiting for to take a step. I love his potential inside.

 

Well ****

 

Even with Buchanan out, keep Cantwell at T, and try to get him reps at both LT and RT so he can take one of those spots next year. (And provide meaningful backup reps later this year)

SJ will start at RG and Merriweather will get his chances. I don’t know the nuance of LG vs RG, but for whatever reason, SJ did look better at RG. I’d keep Merriweather at G for the rest of this season, he’s not a P2 tackle, which is what we will need come playoffs.

 

I think it'll be a rotation between Meriweather & SJ at RG. Jaden Wilkerson was getting some positive buzz at tackle during camp, but I don't think he's at a level that would force McCoy inside at RG.

 

"...The real concern and what keeps me up at night is if either Samson or McCoy get hurt. Let's hope that never comes to pass."

 

Whatever happens I hope SJ is rotating out, and they leave Samson+Congdon on the left side the rest of the way.

I don't think moving SJ to Center and Rodriguez to RG is the worst idea, mostly because it is the only real position I think SJ can actually play here, and also because it's easier to help SJ at center than at RG imo especially since Rodriguez can be in to make Oline calls regardless. And we know staff is likely confident in Rodriguez at either C/G. So then it's like Would I rather SJ play Center or Guard? Well if he doesn't **** up any snaps it's a clear decision for me where I'd prefer him which is center....

But I also do really hope they do the McCoy to RG every few series to bring in an OT - Cantwell, Meriweather, or Hawks I'd assume. I like this because it also works to get backup Tackle reps as well which could come into play with any future injuries, So I think this is probably the ideal outcome. If they just strictly sub SJ out at RG I'd guess that currently would mean Meriweather. Which I personally don't like all that much, cause I don't think he's been good, but whatever.

 

If we see issues with guard play comes back up can we expect Dawson to vary the run scheme and run more outside zone? I know he loves the inside zone but if it isn’t working I’d love to see more pistol outside runs.

 

305lbs while SJ is 290lbs. IMO, it's more about the fight in the dog than the size of the dog.

And Meriweather is 6 inches taller. So SJ is actually the more stout player. Meriweather doesn't really have a Guard's build, but he's so much better there than at OT.

In addition to the "fight" these guys have, it's also just making the right move/ knowing your assignment. The first few games, SJ and a few others look confused. A lot of the mistakes had little to do with physical size and more with just not knowing where to be. The OL started functioning much more smoothly in the Clemson game.

 

You gotta put Merriweather in there at G and rotate the younger players (Pickett, Woodrow) if needed. SJ needs to just stay 2nd at C behind Rodriguez.

With how injuries have come about so far, I don’t feel comfortable having our 1st and 2nd team centers playing at the same time. I feel like you gotta go baptism by fire with the younger players backing up at RG.

 

Could be something, probably nothing, but McCoy and Buchanan swapped spots for two plays on the long drive during the 3rd quarter. I would imagine it had to do with managing the pain in the shoulder area where he got hurt. Wonder if that plays a factor in the next iteration of the lineup they roll out with.

 

We can't take many more hits to the offensive line, or we'll have to put kids in who aren't ready mentally or physically. While we have an o-line room full of potential, remember that potential is something that hasn't happened yet. An O-line with multiple true freshmen starting would be okay in a throwaway year, but this is a CFP team. That said, with a buy week, the staff will have to identify and prepare 4 more kids to play.

 

I'm not sure what you guys see in Meriwether other than height and hopium. He had one ok series in the 1st half vs CMU; didn't do anything really. Then he played mostly vs the CMU backups in the 4th qtr.

It's gonna have to be SJ.

 

Yeah they held their own against a good ND OL

They got manhandled and gave up 242 yards on the ground. ND hasn’t done that to anybody yet this year. Their running game were ranked in the 90s.

 

I think Mirabol has a plan and has a pretty good idea of how this should work, so I will be watching this closely to see how our OL whisperer gets the Canes OL ready to face elite competition without getting embarrassed.

Mirabol has FSU, Pitt and UNC to get the OL ready for ND. IMHO , he will start SJ against FSU, but rotate SJ and Meriwether at RG, then see who develops and progresses. Mirabol will eventually play the player or players who gives us the best chance to win. If he thinks they should rotate like McCoy and Samson did last season, he will do it

 

Can someone explain the obsession behind moving McCoy or Rodriguez to guard? Both have been solid at their current spots and I’d much rather try to plug one hole than have two guys learning on the fly.

Furthermore, isn’t tackle a more difficult and more important position than guard? Why would we move a veteran NFL talent off of a tackle spot?

 

Can someone explain the obsession behind moving McCoy or Rodriguez to guard? Both have been solid at their current spots and I’d much rather try to plug one hole than have two guys learning on the fly.

Furthermore, isn’t tackle a more difficult and more important position than guard? Why would we move a veteran NFL talent off of a tackle spot?

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