Let’s beef up a boring bye week a bit, huh?
Most consider the offensive line to be the backbone of a good football program. Indeed, Matt Campbell has said it’s the offensive line that now will determine when the program takes its next step.
ISU’s offensive lines have been...less than impressive since Seneca was a senior, back in 2002. Let’s look at how he put these guys, the current OL room, together.
2016
HS - Josh Mueller, Keenan Forbes, Sean Foster
JC - Karson Green, Oge Udeogu
Most first signing classes under a new start with a scramble for talent, so it’s no surprise this was a mixed bag at best. Karson Green was an apparent swing and a miss, Mueller had a chance to play, then abruptly disappeared.
If success is built in the trenches, then the vagaries of recruiting tell us exactly how corresponding “hits” and “misses” across the line of scrimmage in the first couple of Cyning classes shaped the face of Matt Campbell’s program.
Ray Lima? Hit. Oge Udeogu? Miss.
JaQuan Bailey? Hit. Keenan Forbes? Miss.
Jamal Johnson? Hit. Josh Mueller? Miss.
Enyi Uwazurike? Hit. Karson Green? Miss.
Those guys could have made a big difference in the progression of the offense.
Udeogu struggled with injuries, then became a borderline NFL talent after transferring. Forbes also had talent but was a mystery, apparently because of academics. Shoot, even Sean Foster and Josh Bailey paralleled each other by both emerging as seniors.
Then things...started to get better.
2017
HS - Colin Newell, Jeff Nogaj, Alex Kleinow, Rob Hudson, Jacob Bolton
JC - Josh Knipfel
A concerted effort led to better results, but not a whole lot better. Nogaj and Bolton disappeared from the roster and Kleinow has been shifted to defense. At least the immense Hudson still counts as an “incomplete”.
On the other side of the coin, both Knipfel and Newell proved to be at least three year starters. Indeed, Newell is starting to look like an NFL draft pick.
*If we count walkons who were recruited with this class, Derek Schweiger makes the ratio look better.
2018
Trevor Downing, Zach Ross, Joey Ramos, as HS signees.
With some big on field wins under their belt to establish credibility, here is where the staff really started to hit their OL recruiting stride.
Trevor Downing started as a redshirt freshman, and Joey Ramos probably could have as well. Both look like future NFL guys. Maybe even good enough that I have to stop and think about how I’d prefer they not leave early.
And the thing is, Zach Ross could have been right there with them, if not for a devastating knee injury his senior year of high school. At 6’2” he’s a bit shorter than the others, but showed quickness, athleticism and determination. CMC mentioned this summer camp that he was finally back healthy, saying that it was nice to see Zach running around out there.
2019
Jake Remsburg, Darrell Simmons, Jarrod Hufford, Grant Treiber
The current group of redshirt freshman already has a “cha ching!” out of of the class members. Simmons and Remsburg may be a little rough around the edges, but both seem to have a promising future.
I’d expect about the same out of Jarrod Hufford—perhaps a bigger Derek Schweiger. He should at least make for a solid swing G/T guy.
That said, Grant Treiber is the guy in this class I really want to see. He’s been my favorite for a while. I think he might prove to be the best OL recruit CMC has yet brought in, the best Cyclone LT in a very long time. Going back to Karl Nelson. The same kind of upgrade at left tackle that Downing provided at left guard, only, well...at the premium LT spot.
2020
Tyler Miller, Hayden Pauls, Brady Petersen, Sam Rengert, Anthony Smith
One of the unusual things about this class is how the players in it hearken back to their predecessors.
Brady Petersen is practically a clone of Collin Newell in being an unrecognized local kid who made a name for himself at camp—and both were listed at 6’5” 255 when they committed. Though I felt he was the most raw of the five OL who signed, Brady was one of the true freshmen CMC mentioned as looking good in fall camp.
Anthony Smith is in the same mold as Darrell Simmons as an underrecruited kid at a large high school, who excelled playing left tackle for his high school team at around 6’3” 270. They even move the same. The only real difference I could see in my admittedly unschooled eye was that Anthony appeared...slightly more dominant.
Lastly on the interior, Hayden Pauls seems to me very much in the mold of Trevor Downing and Joey Ramos. At close to 6’5”, Hayden is athletic, agile, determined and hard working. His difference with those two is that Hayden is (or perhaps was) a bit lacking in muscle mass, so he’ll need some quality time with Dave Andrews and his S&C staff. If he can get up over three hundred pounds adding core strength, without losing any athleticism, he could be special.
The two tackles? I think that Sam Rengert is somewhere between Remsburg and Treiber in base skill set. Not as innately powerful as one, not as highly athletic as the other. Meanwhile, the formerly lanky Tyler Miller has himself up to a currently listed 6’9” 317, so I’m looking forward to seeing what comes out the other side of Andrews’ S&C program. The two should help firmly secure the OT depth chart going forward.
Summation?
It’s been a long process. Matt Campbell, Tom Manning and Jeff Myers held this unit together with duct tape and binder twine until the position was restocked and these guys were ready. The current group is young—and will improve.
And when that freshman five comes off redshirts in ‘21, it looks like there will be a solid three deep, a quality two deep, for the first time in like, ever.
Shoot, I can’t even tell you the last time ISU fielded five high quality starters tackle to tackle, all at positions they belonged in. The early Eighties? Nope, Keleche Osemele or Keith Sims lining up at LT do not count. And even their lines were patchwork affairs.
Continuing Forward?
‘21 Commits
Dodge Sauser 6’4” 275, Jim Bonifas 6’5” 255
I’ve heard people complaining about these two. Having looked at their film, I can only assume that’s due to the “stars and offers” factor. Neither, especially Sauser, is ranked very high by the various recruiting services.
At the same time, both have really quick feet, which is requisite for a good OL. Sauser especially fits that aforementioned Colin Newell profile—though Grinnell is a bit further away than Ames or Ankeny, and doesn’t start with an “A”. I’ve got no complaints about that kind of guy.
Bonifas is a little more highly ranked, and he’s right in the 6’5” range where he has that positional versatility to play inside or outside, maybe even left tackle. Kind of like Joey Ramos. Again, a very valuable type of guy to have in your program.
A lot is going to be told by how this class rounds out. I’m fairly sure the staff is looking for a prototypical tackle or two, mainly because the interior positions seem well stocked at the moment.
A solid foundation. Go Cyclones!
Most consider the offensive line to be the backbone of a good football program. Indeed, Matt Campbell has said it’s the offensive line that now will determine when the program takes its next step.
ISU’s offensive lines have been...less than impressive since Seneca was a senior, back in 2002. Let’s look at how he put these guys, the current OL room, together.
2016
HS - Josh Mueller, Keenan Forbes, Sean Foster
JC - Karson Green, Oge Udeogu
Most first signing classes under a new start with a scramble for talent, so it’s no surprise this was a mixed bag at best. Karson Green was an apparent swing and a miss, Mueller had a chance to play, then abruptly disappeared.
If success is built in the trenches, then the vagaries of recruiting tell us exactly how corresponding “hits” and “misses” across the line of scrimmage in the first couple of Cyning classes shaped the face of Matt Campbell’s program.
Ray Lima? Hit. Oge Udeogu? Miss.
JaQuan Bailey? Hit. Keenan Forbes? Miss.
Jamal Johnson? Hit. Josh Mueller? Miss.
Enyi Uwazurike? Hit. Karson Green? Miss.
Those guys could have made a big difference in the progression of the offense.
Udeogu struggled with injuries, then became a borderline NFL talent after transferring. Forbes also had talent but was a mystery, apparently because of academics. Shoot, even Sean Foster and Josh Bailey paralleled each other by both emerging as seniors.
Then things...started to get better.
2017
HS - Colin Newell, Jeff Nogaj, Alex Kleinow, Rob Hudson, Jacob Bolton
JC - Josh Knipfel
A concerted effort led to better results, but not a whole lot better. Nogaj and Bolton disappeared from the roster and Kleinow has been shifted to defense. At least the immense Hudson still counts as an “incomplete”.
On the other side of the coin, both Knipfel and Newell proved to be at least three year starters. Indeed, Newell is starting to look like an NFL draft pick.
*If we count walkons who were recruited with this class, Derek Schweiger makes the ratio look better.
2018
Trevor Downing, Zach Ross, Joey Ramos, as HS signees.
With some big on field wins under their belt to establish credibility, here is where the staff really started to hit their OL recruiting stride.
Trevor Downing started as a redshirt freshman, and Joey Ramos probably could have as well. Both look like future NFL guys. Maybe even good enough that I have to stop and think about how I’d prefer they not leave early.
And the thing is, Zach Ross could have been right there with them, if not for a devastating knee injury his senior year of high school. At 6’2” he’s a bit shorter than the others, but showed quickness, athleticism and determination. CMC mentioned this summer camp that he was finally back healthy, saying that it was nice to see Zach running around out there.
2019
Jake Remsburg, Darrell Simmons, Jarrod Hufford, Grant Treiber
The current group of redshirt freshman already has a “cha ching!” out of of the class members. Simmons and Remsburg may be a little rough around the edges, but both seem to have a promising future.
I’d expect about the same out of Jarrod Hufford—perhaps a bigger Derek Schweiger. He should at least make for a solid swing G/T guy.
That said, Grant Treiber is the guy in this class I really want to see. He’s been my favorite for a while. I think he might prove to be the best OL recruit CMC has yet brought in, the best Cyclone LT in a very long time. Going back to Karl Nelson. The same kind of upgrade at left tackle that Downing provided at left guard, only, well...at the premium LT spot.
2020
Tyler Miller, Hayden Pauls, Brady Petersen, Sam Rengert, Anthony Smith
One of the unusual things about this class is how the players in it hearken back to their predecessors.
Brady Petersen is practically a clone of Collin Newell in being an unrecognized local kid who made a name for himself at camp—and both were listed at 6’5” 255 when they committed. Though I felt he was the most raw of the five OL who signed, Brady was one of the true freshmen CMC mentioned as looking good in fall camp.
Anthony Smith is in the same mold as Darrell Simmons as an underrecruited kid at a large high school, who excelled playing left tackle for his high school team at around 6’3” 270. They even move the same. The only real difference I could see in my admittedly unschooled eye was that Anthony appeared...slightly more dominant.
Lastly on the interior, Hayden Pauls seems to me very much in the mold of Trevor Downing and Joey Ramos. At close to 6’5”, Hayden is athletic, agile, determined and hard working. His difference with those two is that Hayden is (or perhaps was) a bit lacking in muscle mass, so he’ll need some quality time with Dave Andrews and his S&C staff. If he can get up over three hundred pounds adding core strength, without losing any athleticism, he could be special.
The two tackles? I think that Sam Rengert is somewhere between Remsburg and Treiber in base skill set. Not as innately powerful as one, not as highly athletic as the other. Meanwhile, the formerly lanky Tyler Miller has himself up to a currently listed 6’9” 317, so I’m looking forward to seeing what comes out the other side of Andrews’ S&C program. The two should help firmly secure the OT depth chart going forward.
Summation?
It’s been a long process. Matt Campbell, Tom Manning and Jeff Myers held this unit together with duct tape and binder twine until the position was restocked and these guys were ready. The current group is young—and will improve.
And when that freshman five comes off redshirts in ‘21, it looks like there will be a solid three deep, a quality two deep, for the first time in like, ever.
Shoot, I can’t even tell you the last time ISU fielded five high quality starters tackle to tackle, all at positions they belonged in. The early Eighties? Nope, Keleche Osemele or Keith Sims lining up at LT do not count. And even their lines were patchwork affairs.
Continuing Forward?
‘21 Commits
Dodge Sauser 6’4” 275, Jim Bonifas 6’5” 255
I’ve heard people complaining about these two. Having looked at their film, I can only assume that’s due to the “stars and offers” factor. Neither, especially Sauser, is ranked very high by the various recruiting services.
At the same time, both have really quick feet, which is requisite for a good OL. Sauser especially fits that aforementioned Colin Newell profile—though Grinnell is a bit further away than Ames or Ankeny, and doesn’t start with an “A”. I’ve got no complaints about that kind of guy.
Bonifas is a little more highly ranked, and he’s right in the 6’5” range where he has that positional versatility to play inside or outside, maybe even left tackle. Kind of like Joey Ramos. Again, a very valuable type of guy to have in your program.
A lot is going to be told by how this class rounds out. I’m fairly sure the staff is looking for a prototypical tackle or two, mainly because the interior positions seem well stocked at the moment.
A solid foundation. Go Cyclones!
