When former offensive line coach Cody Kennedy left for Southern Miss (briefly, before then heading to Arkansas), he said it was tough because he wanted to see the developing line he had worked with this past year become the force he expected it to be in the next two years. The Green Wave started two true freshmen on the right side for much of 2020, returns seven guys who started at least three games up front in 2020 (Sincere Haynesworth 12, Corey Dublin 11, Joey Claybrook 9, Trey Tuggle 8, Josh Remetich 5, Caleb Thomas 4, Timothy Shafter 3) and has two redshirt freshman whom Kennedy was very high on in
Two offensive line coaches later, it is a little hard to judge how much the linemen improved during a chaotic spring drills in which the coach hired to replace Kennedy, George Barnett, left for Iowa after working the Potato Bowl and one spring practice. The group was coached by a grad assistant for the next couple of workouts before Chris Watt was hired and began learning his guys on the fly while spring ball continued. Joey Claybrook, who will start at left tackle, was not available due to offseason knee surgery from an injury in the Potato Bowl. Josh Remetich was out with an injury, too, and a few other guys missed some practices as well, so it was impossible to get a read on how well the group will play in the fall.
This much we know. The left side of the line is set with Claybrook, Corey Dublin at guard and Sincere Haynesworth at center. The coaches believe that trio will be as good as anyone in the AAC, with Dublin electing to return for a COVID-granted extra year and on his way to shattering the school record for career starts as a full-time five-year starter.
This much we don't know: who will start on the right side in the opener, and who will start there as the year progresses. I watched 10 of the 14 spring practices and my opinion changed by the day. Tuggle, who started the first seven games at right guard as a true freshman and also started the regular-season finale against Memphis, was a backup when he practiced in the spring. As already mentioned, Remetich, who started the first four games at right tackle plus the Memphis game, was not available. The most frequent starters were Thomas at right guard and Shafter at right tackle. Thomas played pretty well last year while starting against SMU, UCF and Temple while subbing for an injured Remetich before getting hurt himself, returning again vs. Memphis. Shafter, a former walk-on who started against East Carolina, Army and Tulsa when Tuggle was down, struggled mightily as one of the guys trying to replace Claybrook at left tackle when he got hurt against Nevada.
Redshirt freshman Rashad Green, one of the young guys Kennedy touted, got some reps with the first unit at right guard this spring and looked pretty good, albeit in drills that were not live. No one looked particularly good at either tackle spot with Claybrook out, although Michael Lombardi, the other redshirt freshman Kennedy really liked, worked with the first team on the left side and earned praise from the coaches. That spot, to me, will determine how effective the line is in 2021 and whether Michael Pratt can get comfortable in the pocket rather than constantly worrying he is about to get hit.
I went back and forth when I had to do depth charts for Athlon's and Lindy's in my previews because I really don't have enough info on whom Watt likes the best or what he envisions for this group., and even though I was there for all three scrimmages, I did not get a good read on the guys vying for time.
My best guess is that Thomas will win the three-way battle with Remetich and Green at right guard, although Green will warrant playing time. Thomas improved tremendously last season after being out with injuries in his first year, and if he makes a similar leap in the fall, he can become a decent starter. Remetich had one turned out to be a killer personal foul penalty against Tulsa, although it would have been a footnote if the defense had been able to defend a pass. Ask me tomorrow and I might have a different answer about the starter here.
In what is pretty much a toss-up, I expect Tuggle to reclaim the right tackle position from Shafter, who looked shaky again in the spring at times. Lombardi will be in the picture, too, after playing on the left side in the spring, but Tuggle was ahead of him in the first year and I see no reason he cannot hold on to that advantage. This spot needs to play better overall than it did a year ago.
Offensive linemen play all game if healthy, but the top backup to Haynesworth is Michael Remondet (big dropoff) and the top backup to Dublin is Jackson Fort (also a big dropoff). Juco transfer Haydan Shook and freshman Hutson Lillibridge were at spring practice but did not make an impact, although Shook was not healthy for part of it.
Two offensive line coaches later, it is a little hard to judge how much the linemen improved during a chaotic spring drills in which the coach hired to replace Kennedy, George Barnett, left for Iowa after working the Potato Bowl and one spring practice. The group was coached by a grad assistant for the next couple of workouts before Chris Watt was hired and began learning his guys on the fly while spring ball continued. Joey Claybrook, who will start at left tackle, was not available due to offseason knee surgery from an injury in the Potato Bowl. Josh Remetich was out with an injury, too, and a few other guys missed some practices as well, so it was impossible to get a read on how well the group will play in the fall.
This much we know. The left side of the line is set with Claybrook, Corey Dublin at guard and Sincere Haynesworth at center. The coaches believe that trio will be as good as anyone in the AAC, with Dublin electing to return for a COVID-granted extra year and on his way to shattering the school record for career starts as a full-time five-year starter.
This much we don't know: who will start on the right side in the opener, and who will start there as the year progresses. I watched 10 of the 14 spring practices and my opinion changed by the day. Tuggle, who started the first seven games at right guard as a true freshman and also started the regular-season finale against Memphis, was a backup when he practiced in the spring. As already mentioned, Remetich, who started the first four games at right tackle plus the Memphis game, was not available. The most frequent starters were Thomas at right guard and Shafter at right tackle. Thomas played pretty well last year while starting against SMU, UCF and Temple while subbing for an injured Remetich before getting hurt himself, returning again vs. Memphis. Shafter, a former walk-on who started against East Carolina, Army and Tulsa when Tuggle was down, struggled mightily as one of the guys trying to replace Claybrook at left tackle when he got hurt against Nevada.
Redshirt freshman Rashad Green, one of the young guys Kennedy touted, got some reps with the first unit at right guard this spring and looked pretty good, albeit in drills that were not live. No one looked particularly good at either tackle spot with Claybrook out, although Michael Lombardi, the other redshirt freshman Kennedy really liked, worked with the first team on the left side and earned praise from the coaches. That spot, to me, will determine how effective the line is in 2021 and whether Michael Pratt can get comfortable in the pocket rather than constantly worrying he is about to get hit.
I went back and forth when I had to do depth charts for Athlon's and Lindy's in my previews because I really don't have enough info on whom Watt likes the best or what he envisions for this group., and even though I was there for all three scrimmages, I did not get a good read on the guys vying for time.
My best guess is that Thomas will win the three-way battle with Remetich and Green at right guard, although Green will warrant playing time. Thomas improved tremendously last season after being out with injuries in his first year, and if he makes a similar leap in the fall, he can become a decent starter. Remetich had one turned out to be a killer personal foul penalty against Tulsa, although it would have been a footnote if the defense had been able to defend a pass. Ask me tomorrow and I might have a different answer about the starter here.
In what is pretty much a toss-up, I expect Tuggle to reclaim the right tackle position from Shafter, who looked shaky again in the spring at times. Lombardi will be in the picture, too, after playing on the left side in the spring, but Tuggle was ahead of him in the first year and I see no reason he cannot hold on to that advantage. This spot needs to play better overall than it did a year ago.
Offensive linemen play all game if healthy, but the top backup to Haynesworth is Michael Remondet (big dropoff) and the top backup to Dublin is Jackson Fort (also a big dropoff). Juco transfer Haydan Shook and freshman Hutson Lillibridge were at spring practice but did not make an impact, although Shook was not healthy for part of it.