Texas Offensive Line 2018

[sbmcruise]

When I watched our team’s offense struggle against TCU because of our hobbled offensive line I was painfully reminded of last year’s basketball team struggling without a point guard. Shaka brought in Matt Coleman and the future looks bright for our basketball team. Unfortunately I don’t see enough relief for our offensive line in our recruits for next year’s team. Of our 25 recruits listed on 24sports.com, only two are offensive linemen: Rafiti Ghirmai (4 star OT 6'4" 290) and Reese Moore (2 star TE and OT 6'6" 265). Considering our apparent needs, that doesn’t look like nearly enough OL to shore up our offensive line.

Our need for healthy TEs is also well documented. Reese Moore at 265 may be more of a TE than an OL at this point so I’m counting him as a TE recruit. Malcolm Epps (4 star TE 6'5" 218) looks to light to block as much as we need TEs to do.

I looked at the uncommitted top 50 OL in the country and we didn’t seem to be strong competitors for any of them and none of the uncommitted guys are from Texas. Some of our banged-up guys could get healthy in the off season. We could flip somebody at the last moment or find an under recruited diamond in the rough. Unless something major happens the future looks bleak at our offensive line positions and that severely affects our ability to run the football and protect our quarterback. I’m worried.

 

[Crockett]

There are some reasons for hope for the offensive line because of players already on the roster who will presumably get well/get better. Samuel Cosmi is a tackle with good frame/good feet signed last year. Too light to play as a true freshman, he may be ready to take some snaps in 2018. Patrick Hudson was a coveted recruit back in February 2016 who has been injured this year. Derek Kerstetter is playing as a true frosh, making mistakes but also making some plays.. I picture a bigger, more powerful version of Derek being better than adequate. If we can talk Conner Williams into coming back, I like the an OL, left to right, of Wiliams, Vahe, Shackleford, McMillion/Hudson, Kerstetter/Okafor. But after bringing in only 2OL in 2017, we definitely need more than 2 in 2018.

 

[ProdigalHorn]

Unless something major happens the future looks bleak at our offensive line positions and that severely affects our ability to run the football and protect our quarterback. I’m worried.

Our line problems won't get fixed next year by a 2018 recruiting class. Improvements next year have to come from the people we have on campus right now, unless there's a JUCO out there who can step in (which frankly has not worked out so well in the past.)

As Crockett indicated, we've got some hope for improvement next year. Just adding the pile of injured bodies back into the mix helps. I don't know that it will be great next year, but I think it has a pretty good shot at being at least competent, and maybe solid.

2018 may not be a fantastic recruiting year for linemen, and that's going to happen. We have to grab one or two really good ones where we can, and hope that '19 has a better yield.

 

[HornHuskerDad]

Just adding the pile of injured bodies back into the mix helps.

Great point, Prodigal - getting everyone healthy will produce a significant improvement. Keeping them healthy throughout the season would really help!

 

[rick mueller]

Great point, Prodigal - getting everyone healthy will produce a significant improvement. Keeping them healthy throughout the season would really help!

Unless of course we another pile of injuries, which it seems we ask for with TH's intense practice style. Of our host of OL injuries, only Conner's happened in game action.

 

[Run Pincher]

Zackleford cleared to play against KU. Connor possible but not likely. Hopefully that at least means he'll be back for the mountain ears.

 

[PecosBill]

Zackleford cleared to play against KU. Connor possible but not likely. Hopefully that at least means he'll be back for the mountain ears.

Cleared to play or cleared to practice without contact?

 

[Joe Fan]

Patrick Hudson was a coveted recruit back in February 2016 who has been injured this year. Derek Kerstetter is playing as a true frosh, making mistakes but also making some plays.. I picture a bigger, more powerful version of Derek being better than adequate.

Hudson has the physical tools and a high ceiling, but he was not exactly lighting it up when he was healthy. If we could somehow transplant Kerstetter's attitude into Hudson, we would have one helluva OL. But before anything else, we have to figure out how to keep him healthy.

 

[Joe Fan]

....Improvements next year have to come from the people we have on campus right now, unless there's a JUCO out there who can step in (which frankly has not worked out so well in the past.).....

We are after a highly ranked JUCO OT (orig from Brooklyn of all places). Right now it looks like a battle between us and LSU. Even if we land him, there always seem to be issues of transcript transfer in getting JUCOs into UT. And then you never really know how JUCOs will adjust either. Despite all that, I pray we get him. We need something.