O-Line Next year

[JRE1975]

What I have heard from various people while on road trips to games this year is that Bolton has a legitimate chance to start next year as a freshman at one of the tackles, and they are very high on Nogaj and Hudson also.

Even if they don't start, at least Bolton was good enough to make the two deep as a redshirt. Bolton is very large young man and sure looks the part

 

[Cyclonepride]

O line is definitely a place where a lot of improvement can be made systematically by redshirting and then strength and conditioning. It stands to reason that it will improve more than other areas (as other areas are easier to improve more quickly) as the fruit of the system starts coming in.

 

[FinalFourCy]

I never would have guessed that o line would still be our weak link in year 3 of the Campbell era. Good thing it's mostly due to skill positions trending up in a hurry.

Really?
That should have been your first guess given the sad pipeline he inherited and how long it takes to build linemen.

 

[NATEizKING]

^

 

[FinalFourCy]

I think you might be correct, although several underclassmen May challenge Oge. My biggest concern is Foster - not convinced he has the feet to play tackle.

He’s not ideal, but he takes a lot of freshman missteps. Improving that along with better fits will make him serviceable imo.

 

[tolfbfan]

What is key to me is what is behind them. Too many years to count we have thought our woes on the O-line were over only to have a few key injuries and find out that once again ISU had no quality depth.

I would say some very large buttocks!

 

[LincolnWay187]

I love any talk about an improved line or any offensive line recruit we get. Such a key part of the game

 

[TheJackWePack5]

What I have heard from various people while on road trips to games this year is that Bolton has a legitimate chance to start next year as a freshman at one of the tackles, and they are very high on Nogaj and Hudson also.

Even if they don't start, at least Bolton was good enough to make the two deep as a redshirt. Bolton is very large young man and sure looks the part

There will be several guys on that two deep next year that are massive. Bolton and Hudson are definitely two of them.

 

[madguy30]

Online started to look decent and get some push late in the last two games of the season. If players are returning from it, it should be better.

The hype surrounding football next August might be as high as it's ever been.

 

[bozclone]

It is huge that we will return 4 guys with starting experience and one guy that was a possible starter until he was injured. All should be bigger, stronger, and better.

What I like is that we should finally have some competition. The coaching staff is really high on the freshman group. They may not start, but at least the starter will have to earn their spots. There was not much competition for playing time this year. Like with any group, if there is completion the whole group will get better.

 

[tolfbfan]

In my opinion, it took 3+years to make the Oline a strength at Toledo. Now they seem to just reload each year replacing grads w/ experienced linemen.

Toledo this year, 2 deep:
LT 76 Nkansah, Elijah RS SR/3 58 Bell, Cameron RS SO
LG 67 Kassem, Sami RS SR/TR 62 Fair, Jordan RS SO
OC 60 Jeppesen, Nate RS SR/3 72 Harris, Bryce RS SO/1
RG 72 Harris, Bryce RS SO/1 65 Doerger, Luke RS FR
RT 71 Weiss, Brant RS SR/2 58 Bell, Cameron RS SO

 

[Frak]

I think if you add a road grader like Odeogu, the OL automatically gets better. The other thing I'll say is that Knipfel and Foster were just in their second year out of HS this season. They are going to improve a lot over the offseason. Knipfel especially, as this will be his first offseason in Ames. We are going to miss Campos, but every other spot on the OL is going to be quite a bit better.

 

[ForeverIowan]

When did all of the activity in the grad transfer market take place last year and the year prior with Catalina and the USC and Michigan transfer? With a top 5 RB in college football returning and a young O line you've got to think we'd be in the running. With the luck we've had in the past in tbis area we deserve a big time player.

 

[CyCloned]

In my opinion, it took 3+years to make the Oline a strength at Toledo. Now they seem to just reload each year replacing grads w/ experienced linemen.

Toledo this year, 2 deep:
LT 76 Nkansah, Elijah RS SR/3 58 Bell, Cameron RS SO
LG 67 Kassem, Sami RS SR/TR 62 Fair, Jordan RS SO
OC 60 Jeppesen, Nate RS SR/3 72 Harris, Bryce RS SO/1
RG 72 Harris, Bryce RS SO/1 65 Doerger, Luke RS FR
RT 71 Weiss, Brant RS SR/2 58 Bell, Cameron RS SO

This is the problem that ISU needs to get beyond. Had a couple seniors on the line this year. They will most likely have 1 senior that contributes next year unless they get a grad transfer. Until they can put together a line that is mostly JR and SR as opposed to FR and SO it will be hard to be dominate. Looks like they are heading in the right direction.

 

[Frak]

This is the problem that ISU needs to get beyond. Had a couple seniors on the line this year. They will most likely have 1 senior that contributes next year unless they get a grad transfer. Until they can put together a line that is mostly JR and SR as opposed to FR and SO it will be hard to be dominate. Looks like they are heading in the right direction.

Give them two years when JGJ, Knipfel and Meeker are SRs. And Foster is a JR. That will be our first dominant OL.

 

[ForeverIowan]

Give them two years when JGJ, Knipfel and Meeker are SRs. And Foster is a JR. That will be our first dominant OL.

Chase Allen will be a junior as well and is a great blocking tight end. Oh and that guy David Montgomery will be a senior........ That is the year to make some serious noise.

 

[ISUcyclones11]

Random thought but imagine David Montgomery with the 2015 O-Line