Last season, assistant coach coach Josh Oglesby did one of the more impressive jobs of putting together an offensive line that featured three transfers—including a center that was new to the position—and a former defensive lineman.
This season will not be as difficult but it is still crucial to find a combination of guys that will keep Noah Fifita upright. Up to this point in training camp, the offensive line room is in a very good spot.
“I think we are in a much better place depth-wise, and that’s just because last year there was a great crop of young kids that just weren’t really ready,” Oglesby said Monday. “I think the room is in a very healthy place, and I think the best part about it is that there’s competition in the room and you kind of see that out there now with you know different guys getting in, getting snaps, and having a productive camp.”
One of the first steps in forming this year’s group is finding a new center. With Ka’ena Decambra running out of eligibility, Washington transfer Zach Henning has proven to this point to be a good replacement.
Henning was on a visit to ASU in January when he texted Oglesby that he was done and ready to come down to Tucson. The plan was to take a flight, but Oglesby took matters into his own hands.
“He was supposed to get down later that night, and I was texting him, and he’s like, ‘Yeah, I’m kind of done with this,’ and I was like, ‘Shoot, I’ll be there to get you tonight if you need,’” said Oglesby. “So I drove up myself and brought him back down, and we just hung out in the car on the drive back, and I’m super grateful that he chose us, and he’s been awesome for our room and for our team.”
While the center position needed to be figured out, the right side of the line was already figured out and it is easily the more solidified side of the line. The Wildcats were bringing back Alexander Doost already, but got the surprise of Tristan Bounds being granted another year of eligibility.
It has made Oglesby’s job of figuring out the line easier. The experience, as well as freakish strength, that both Doost and Bounds bring is invaluable.
“I think it would make anybody’s job easier, but I’m excited about Alex and Tristan,” said Oglesby. “They are guys that have got a lot of reps together in game, so they know how each other operates, which is huge for that tackle-guard relationship.”
Not only has the return of the right side of the line made life easier on Oglesby, but it has made it easier for Henning as well. It’s a side that he does not have any doubt about.
“Playing next to Doost is pretty great,” said Henning. “He’s very strong and helps out with a lot of things. He’s also very smart as well, which helps out with the schemes with me learning it, and then Tristan’s kind of the same. He’s a very smart football player. He knows a lot, especially the edge of the defense. So it’s nice to have him out there and help me out.”
Three out of the five spots are figured out, but the left side still needs replacements for Ty Buchanan and Chubba Maae. Once Bounds was done for the season, it was Matthew Lado who stepped in and was able to do a good job of keeping Fifita off the ground.
Now, he has switched to the left side of the line and has become comfortable in what he is being asked to do. In Oglesby’s eyes, he is ready to be in the conversations of best Big 12 tackles.
“It’s time for him to take the next step because he has all the ability to be a true lockdown Big 12 tackle, and we’re starting to really focus in on the little nuances of it because the game has slowed down for him,” said Oglesby. “He’s ready to take that next step and truly become the guy that people are going to talk about. He’s becoming much more confident in the fact that he is a large human, and he’s starting to act like a large human out there.”
When Lado first arrived in Tucson, he was listed 292 pounds and now entering his junior year he is listed at 319 pounds. It’s been an adjustment with his newly found muscle and weight.
“I would say the hardest part has been the balance aspect of being a lighter weight, and then having to increase all the way to 320, and having to control that weight while you’re pass blocking, run blocking,” said Lado.
Four of the five spots are figured out for the most part, leaving the left guard spot open. Rhino Tapa’atoutai made the switch from tackle to guard and it has been a good fit for him, which makes him the leading candidate to take the final starting spot.
Having the starting five figured out is ideal, but it is always nice to have emergency plans in place. If a starter were to go down for some reason, the next guys need to be ready to go when called into action.
In a perfect world, there would be as much as eight guys that Oglesby would trust in a starting role. When it comes to a sixth, seventh, and eighth guy, there is healthy competition from the guys fighting for those roles.
“God, that sounds awesome, that’d be dope,” said Oglesby. “I don’t think that’s completely flushed out yet, but I think that’s a good thing because we have guys that are pushing for those spots, and there’s great competition there.”
Oglesby won’t be afraid to change things up if needed mid-season, as we saw last season. At the end of the day, whichever group can keep Fifita protected best will see the field the most.