The Oklahoma 2016 Offensive Line By: JY Posted on: March 8, 2016

Image via scout.com

Hey you filthy animals! I hope everyone hasn’t gotten eaten alive by cabin fever just yet.  I always get excited around spring ball.  The hardest time of the year for a college football player is right after you come back from the holiday break leading up until spring practice.  Most people, college athletes included, truly don’t understand how much better you can get in the span of three short months.  Working and growing those muscles, muscle memory, footwork, weight loss or gain, and just simply sharpening the edge.  I’d say 90% or more of the general public doesn’t understand how to push themselves beyond the point of breaking, puking and simply asking and then making yourself to give just a little bit more.  That’s what growing up is as a football player.  Creating good work habits, good eating habits and good competition habits.

Why my little sermon on winter ball is relevant is that even last year outside of Ty Darlington (5th year) and Nila (5th year), the Sooners trotted out two freshman and a sophomore as starters on the O line.  Jonathan Alvarez and Orlando Brown were both 2nd year players while Dru Samia came in and really did something that’s very rare in college football.  That’s stepping in a elite power five conference as a 17 year old kid and earning a spot over 22 and 23 year olds.  That doesn’t happen often.  So with that, it kind of goes without saying that the tackle spots are probably locked up.  Dru also led the team in the 225 rep test this year as well, which tells you what kind of worker he is.
After observing how Coach Bedenbaugh builds an offensive line, he loves those guys on the interior who are steamrollers.  This year will be the first year that all of the starters along the front are players that Coach B went out and recruited.  That means a lot because he has an idea of what he wants his offensive line to look like and how it needs to be able to function when he recruits guys.
Center: Right now Jonathan Alvarez is the starting center.  Dependability is a big deal for O line coaches.  Can you be where I need you to be when you’re supposed to be there, blocking the gap you’re supposed to block?  Dependability is what got Alvarez the spot as well as Dru Samia outside last year.  Simply do what you’re supposed to do.  I’ve always been a fan of Jonathan’s.  While he came under fire from the Sooner recruiting junkies because he wasn’t a recruit with a lot of accolades, the people in the know saw what Coach B did.  An aggressive, quick, smart physical guy who play after play just put guys on their backs.  At 6’3″ 297, he’s about the same size as the last two Sooner Centers.  Ikard went 6’3″ 298 and Darlington went 6’3″ 289.  Still with Jonathan coming into his 3rd year in the program, I expect him to be probably a little closer to 310 before it’s all said and done.  So while he’s a little bit bigger, he’s also a little bit more powerful too.  Having that year as a starter at guard will no doubt help him and I expect the position of center to be a physical upgrade.
Left Guard: At Left Guard I expect it to be Cody Ford.  Cody goes 6’3 or 6’4″ and is about 320.  So you immediately get bigger at the spot with Alvarez sliding inside to Center.  Watching Cody Ford in high school, he was and is plenty athletic to play tackle, but his length forced a move inside to guard at the college level.  This is a theme of recruiting when you watch really good offensive line coaches build their lines.  They go after tackles who are maulers who they can kick down inside at guard.  That way they don’t get “out-athleted” at the spot, while being really physical.  What excites me the most about watching Cody play is that he is a steamroller.  He generates north and south movement.  After a redshirt year I expect him to be a lot like Orlando Brown out there.  A guy who really turns a lot of heads and performs at a high level.  Position upgraded.
Right Guard: At Right Guard when the dust settles I expect it to be Bennett Powers.  While early reports are of Jamal Danley taking reps and being the starter to open the spring, this is going to be one of the more hotly contested competitions we’ll see.  Ben goes 6’5″ 315 and Jamal goes 6’3″ 297.  Ben has just a little bit more length, and when you watch the film on both of these guys coming out of Juco, Ben just seems more nasty.  Believe me this is a good problem to have.  Jamal had several offers like Florida, LSU, Missisippi State, etc..the talent is there, but can he put it all together?  Ben strikes me as a guy who’s going to come in, be dependable and once he learns the system, you’d have a pair of steamrollers in him and Cody Ford at the guard spots.  Either way the position is upgraded.
Several talented newcomers will be in Norman next fall to offer immediate depth, talent and competition.  Stud’s like JonCarlo Valentin and Erik Swenson will come in and push people.  This offensive line in the fall will have more depth and talent across the board at the two deep than we’ve seen in recent years.  Guys like Bobby Evans will be pushing Orlando.  Alex Dalton will get healed up from his ACL and he’ll be in the mix as well.  Bedenbaugh is a master at getting guys on campus and letting the competition sort things out.  Offensive linemen understand that details make a big difference.  Being on time to lifts, meetings and film.  Going to class.  Work habits in practice and all of those little things make you compete every second.  When you have talent two and three deep like Bedenbaugh has amassed, then it just makes the whole team better.
Other position groups take note and the consistency rubs off.  Overall I expect the offensive line to be better this year.  I think it will be more physical and more talented.  I expect it to be much more sharp execution wise in year two in the system.  When that happens guys can tee off and become half a step quicker off the ball.  When O linemen don’t have to think, that’s when defenders get earholed and a lot of big plays happen.

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