Summer Has Been Strong for Offensive Line, Like Gundy said in Spring, It Will Be Fine

STILLWATER – It is the question that I am asked the most. In fact, it crops up almost every summer, but this one more than others. How is the offensive line? Is the offensive line going to be good enough? I get it. In the spring there were only seven healthy offensive linemen by the end of camp. There were four or five offensive linemen that went into the portal after last season. Three of those had never played except in blowout wins and the other two couldn’t get to the first team. Still, when the last practice, sometimes a spring game, has seven-on-seven work instead of 11-on-11 that is a concern.

Even with sophomore Silas Barr having to take a medical scholarship and give up football because of a shoulder and upper arm issue and Cole Birmingham out with a knee injury the line is back to near full strength. The other linemen held out of contact in spring, expected starting center and Remington Award Watch List member Preston Wilson, starting right guard Hunter Woodard, sometimes starting center and guard Joe Michalski have been out there all summer.

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Hunter Woodard has been a strong leader all summer.

“I’ve been real excited about how the guys have come out and attacked the summer,” offensive line coach Charlie Dickey told me. “We have some really good leadership with Preston Wilson, Hunter Woodard, and Jake Springfield has shown up and displayed leadership. Caleb Etienne has done a good job and so has Joe Michalski. They’ve really done a nice job.”

Another huge plus has been the physical development of junior college All-American Tyrone Webber. Coming from NJCAA National Champion New Mexico Military Academy, Webber wasn’t as big or seemingly as strong as advertised. In spring practice, only weighing around 280, he showed fight. Getting into a program with no early morning military marches and a training table with one of the best strength and conditioning staffs in the country has converted Webber. He has fight and now looks the part.

“He really is. He has worked hard and committed himself to getting bigger and stronger and getting ready for the season,” Dickey said of the now 6-3 ½ and 300 pound expected left guard. “Coach Glass and his staff have done their usual outstanding job.”

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Collier and Brooks Jr. at matabolics.

Two other major additions are transfer portal arrivals Jason Brooks Jr. from Vanderbilt, where he started games against SEC competition; and Casey Collier, who is 6-7, 300-pounds and came in from Southern Cal.

“They has been really productive,” Dickey confirmed. “They have been a good fit with this group. Like you said, they came right in May. They wanted to be here, and they wanted to get started early. They wanted to compete right away. They have and we’re excited about those two guys as well.”

As close as I can estimate, here is the way I think the offensive line will look from a depth standpoint going into fall camp.

The critical process in fall camp will be establishing the depth chart and then working the line together to get five to work as one. That couldn’t be done with all the injuries and the incomplete roster of offensive linemen. The process has already started.

“It starts with our metabolic workouts during the summer and they get a chance to run our offense,” Dickey said. “It is a captain lead practice and they get the chance to learn going against our defense. That really helps them learn the offense. We were able to meet with them twice a week for 30 minutes and talk ball and watch video. That has been a real positive. That has the ball rolling. We start up Aug. 1 and that is when we will see where they are at. We’ll get the pads on and compete and that will show us where we’re at.”

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Iron really does sharpen iron.

The other plus for the offensive line is who they work against. With that group of defensive linemen you’d better get good or your offense is going to get stuffed. The fact that this is the best defensive line in the Big 12 and one of the best in Division I helps.

“It helps a lot. It helped us last year as well. There wasn’t a better defensive line than the one we saw in practice last year. That was a really good squad. It carries over. The good thing about Coach Gundy is our practices are physical. We compete against each other. We don’t take runners to the ground, but they compete and get after each other. They also protect each other. You’ve seen the practices. You get a pretty good idea where everybody is at when we get into team. Hopefully, we make them better too.”

Offensive line, I’m telling you don’t worry.