I’m no Indy and won’t pretend to be, but I would like to foster some good Osu football discussion. I’ll attempt to do some breakdowns of each position group heading into the spring.
In todays day and age of college football I realize the roster can change fluently, but perhaps this will help give us an idea of what we have at each position.
With the coaching turnover at every position we will take a short look at that also.
Position Breakdown - Oline
Coach outgoing - Charlie Dickey
Coaches incoming - Cooper Bassett & Andrew Mitchell
Cooper Bassett has grad assistant experience at Missouri and Maryland. He has oline coach experience at West Texas A&M, Southeast Missouri, Sam Houston State, and Utah State. He has Co-OC coaching experience at Utah State.
Andrew Mitchell has grad assistant experience at Houston and North Carolina. He has oline coaching experience at TCU, Indiana State, and New Mexico State. He has OC coaching experience at Snow College. He has assistant head coaching experience at New Mexico State. He has head coaching experience at Snow College.
While it didn’t work out like I had hoped when we hired him from Kstate I wish Coach Dickey well. It just was not a good fit.
Having said that, it was time for a breathe of fresh air at this position both coaching and players and that exactly what we are getting. And to be honest, we’ve needed better coaching at this position for a long time. Quite possibly, the most important position group aside from QB and we have struggled here far too long.
For those questioning why 2 coaches, I guess I’d question back have you seen our oline product the last ten years or longer? I’m perfectly fine with having two guys and I love our hires here and the energy they are going to bring to the position which has lacked energy and toughness. Two alums who have worked up the ranks and even gotten experience past being an oline coach and became either an OC or even a head coach.
Players outgoing:
Graduates - Preston Wilson, Cole Birmingham, Dalton Cooper, Joe Michalski, Jake Springfield, Taylor Miterko.
Transferred out - Isaia Glass & Jason Brooks
Players Incoming:
Recruiting Class - Miguel Chavez, Simona Fuailetolo, Ryker Haff, Jaylan Beckley, Isaiah Kema(Mission), and Tyler Brumfield(Juco).
Transferred In - Kasen Carpenter (Tulsa), Lavaka Taukeiaho (Weber State), Louis Canepa (NMState)
Players Returning:
Redshirt Freshman - Chauncey Johnson, Caleb Hackleman, and Nuku Mafi.
Sophomores -Jamison Mejia, Jack Endean, Jakobe Sanders, and Gage Stanaland
Juniors - Davis Dotson, Noah McKinney, Calvin Harvey, Austin Kawecki, and Jarrett Henry.
Of course we wish the outgoing Seniors who gave blood, sweat, and tears for the program well. However, things grew stale with them and I’m excited for new blood at this position.
Is the cupboard bare? I don’t think so. Will it be interesting to see how this plays out? Absolutely. Do I think we will have a top oline in the big 12? Probably not and it may take some time.
Now where to begin with predicting what will happen here? Not sure where to even start. We can all project but it’s so wide open with so many unknowns. I’ll attempt to do it and give some notes as to why below but in the end it’s just throwing stuff at the wall and hoping it sticks.
My predicted depth chart (2 deep):
OT - Noah McKinney (Jack EnDean) or (Nuku Mafi)
OG- Lavaka Taukeiaho (Isaiah Kema)
C- Jakobe Sanders (Kasen Carpenter)
OG- Austin Kawecki (Gage Stanaland)
OT- Louis Canepa (Davis Dotson) or (Tyler Brumfield)
Trying to project a 2 deep is so difficult. So many unknowns. Here is my thinking with this 2 deep. I like Lavaka and Louis coming in with college football experience. Austin Kawecki is gonna start somewhere on the line and it’s either going to be at guard or center. I liked the play of Jakobe Sanders when he got time last year against Colorado and he is strong as an ox. Noah McKinney was the one I struggled to put in the most and could see any of Endean, Dotson, or Brumfield beating him out, but he does have a level of experience so I gave him the nod.
I really like Lavaka and think he is going to surprise people with how good he is. I know he played at a lower level college and that there isn’t much hype around him at all but I think he is going to make an impact day 1 and take one of the starting guard spots.
Louis Canepa is a guy that could play guard or tackle but I believe his more natural position is guard. I don’t like playing him at tackle but I’m convinced that in our effort to play the best olineman we are going to have to play him out there because we didn’t sign his New Mexico State OT teammate or any “immediate starter” OT and I think that will force him outside. If Dotson, Endean, Brumfield, Mafi, or some surprise or all step up and can force Canepa inside that would be ideal. If that would happen here would be my ideal two deep:
OT - Jack EnDean (Noah McKinney) or (Nuku Mafi)
OG- Lavaka Taukeiaho (Isaiah Kema)
C- Austin Kawecki (Jakobe Sanders) (Kasen Carpenter)
OG- Louie Canepa (Gage Stanaland)
OT- Tyler Brumfield (Davis Dotson) or (Nuku Mafi)
I also think we are a year away from some pieces being in place that will be very good but they are either young or very new to D1 level and will take time to acclimate. Here is what I mean by that:
-Tyler Brumfield I think eventually is going to be a big time tackle for us, but when is the last time we have had a JUCO olinman acclimate right away for us? He may be a year away in reality.
-Isaiah Kema was highly recruited and his tape backs up his play but he has been out of football for 2 years while on a Mission. How quickly can he regain what is needed while also acclimating to D1 football.
-Nuku Mafi has big time potential but he will just be a redshirt freshman. Is he ready?
A few categories to put some guys in:
(The time is now) - Davis Dotson, Calvin Harvey, Jarret Henry. It’s time for these guys to step up and make a move. If they don’t or can’t they probably won’t ever and need to move on. Could it be with all the guys that came back last year they just have never gotten their shot? Hearing positive things about Dotson.
(Question marks) - we don’t know what they are and maybe they have a chance to make a move - Jamison Meji, Gage Stanaland, Chauncey Johnson, Caleb Hackleman.
(Young guys with Big Upside)- Nuku Mafi, Isaiah Kema, Jaylan Beckley.
This freshman class:
Jaylan Beckley - I’m surprised there wasn’t more talk about him. I suppose it’s because rivals only gave him 3 stars. His offer list warranted 4 stars and if he goes to one of the blue bloods on his offer list he gets the 4th star. I’ll put it this way, we were close on some big time guys coming out of high school - Jaeden Roberts who eventually signed with Alabama. Kelvin Banks who was committed to us but eventually decommitted and signed with Texas. But this time we kept one and I figured there might be more fanfare. This kid is a big time get. He is a get off the bus first kid. He decommitted from Clemson and picked us. I love his upside for the future.
Miguel Chavez - goes right along with the typical oline recruit we have signed the past few years. Hard to project what he will become but he has some potential and we couldn’t let him leave the state.
Ryker Haff - this kid looks like he has a little crazy to him which you like along the oline. Not sure what it is but I really like his potential. It’s going to take time but I believe he will be a good contributor for us at guard in the future.
Simona Fuailetolo - we kind of went under the radar when we went into Utah and signed this kid. Kstate and Florida saw enough potential in him to offer. He is a big kid. I really like this take for us.
Isaiah Kema - so glad we resigned this kid and we get a chance to see what he can do. His offer list was good out of high school. He isn’t your typical freshman because he went on a mission. So the question is how quickly can he make an impact. While he isn’t a typical freshman and probably more mature and more ready to contribute we also don’t know what kind of shape he stayed in and how long will it take him to adjust to D1 football.
Sunmary:
All in all this position group is so hard to predict a starting line up for. I do think that we are deeper at guard and center and lacking more at the tackle positions or the guys we do have at tackle positions with high upside are just very young or need time to adjust to this level. That’s why it would be so good to be able to bring in OT transfer that is ready now and could lock down one of the spots for us. It would buy us time that we need with the younger guys.
I do think in the world of college football we are in now it won’t take years and years for us to turn it around. It can be done in short time and I like the guys we have coaching this position to do exactly that.
Let’s see your oline 2 deep prediction for next year!?
In todays day and age of college football I realize the roster can change fluently, but perhaps this will help give us an idea of what we have at each position.
With the coaching turnover at every position we will take a short look at that also.
Position Breakdown - Oline
Coach outgoing - Charlie Dickey
Coaches incoming - Cooper Bassett & Andrew Mitchell
Cooper Bassett has grad assistant experience at Missouri and Maryland. He has oline coach experience at West Texas A&M, Southeast Missouri, Sam Houston State, and Utah State. He has Co-OC coaching experience at Utah State.
Andrew Mitchell has grad assistant experience at Houston and North Carolina. He has oline coaching experience at TCU, Indiana State, and New Mexico State. He has OC coaching experience at Snow College. He has assistant head coaching experience at New Mexico State. He has head coaching experience at Snow College.
While it didn’t work out like I had hoped when we hired him from Kstate I wish Coach Dickey well. It just was not a good fit.
Having said that, it was time for a breathe of fresh air at this position both coaching and players and that exactly what we are getting. And to be honest, we’ve needed better coaching at this position for a long time. Quite possibly, the most important position group aside from QB and we have struggled here far too long.
For those questioning why 2 coaches, I guess I’d question back have you seen our oline product the last ten years or longer? I’m perfectly fine with having two guys and I love our hires here and the energy they are going to bring to the position which has lacked energy and toughness. Two alums who have worked up the ranks and even gotten experience past being an oline coach and became either an OC or even a head coach.
Players outgoing:
Graduates - Preston Wilson, Cole Birmingham, Dalton Cooper, Joe Michalski, Jake Springfield, Taylor Miterko.
Transferred out - Isaia Glass & Jason Brooks
Players Incoming:
Recruiting Class - Miguel Chavez, Simona Fuailetolo, Ryker Haff, Jaylan Beckley, Isaiah Kema(Mission), and Tyler Brumfield(Juco).
Transferred In - Kasen Carpenter (Tulsa), Lavaka Taukeiaho (Weber State), Louis Canepa (NMState)
Players Returning:
Redshirt Freshman - Chauncey Johnson, Caleb Hackleman, and Nuku Mafi.
Sophomores -Jamison Mejia, Jack Endean, Jakobe Sanders, and Gage Stanaland
Juniors - Davis Dotson, Noah McKinney, Calvin Harvey, Austin Kawecki, and Jarrett Henry.
Of course we wish the outgoing Seniors who gave blood, sweat, and tears for the program well. However, things grew stale with them and I’m excited for new blood at this position.
Is the cupboard bare? I don’t think so. Will it be interesting to see how this plays out? Absolutely. Do I think we will have a top oline in the big 12? Probably not and it may take some time.
Now where to begin with predicting what will happen here? Not sure where to even start. We can all project but it’s so wide open with so many unknowns. I’ll attempt to do it and give some notes as to why below but in the end it’s just throwing stuff at the wall and hoping it sticks.
My predicted depth chart (2 deep):
OT - Noah McKinney (Jack EnDean) or (Nuku Mafi)
OG- Lavaka Taukeiaho (Isaiah Kema)
C- Jakobe Sanders (Kasen Carpenter)
OG- Austin Kawecki (Gage Stanaland)
OT- Louis Canepa (Davis Dotson) or (Tyler Brumfield)
Trying to project a 2 deep is so difficult. So many unknowns. Here is my thinking with this 2 deep. I like Lavaka and Louis coming in with college football experience. Austin Kawecki is gonna start somewhere on the line and it’s either going to be at guard or center. I liked the play of Jakobe Sanders when he got time last year against Colorado and he is strong as an ox. Noah McKinney was the one I struggled to put in the most and could see any of Endean, Dotson, or Brumfield beating him out, but he does have a level of experience so I gave him the nod.
I really like Lavaka and think he is going to surprise people with how good he is. I know he played at a lower level college and that there isn’t much hype around him at all but I think he is going to make an impact day 1 and take one of the starting guard spots.
Louis Canepa is a guy that could play guard or tackle but I believe his more natural position is guard. I don’t like playing him at tackle but I’m convinced that in our effort to play the best olineman we are going to have to play him out there because we didn’t sign his New Mexico State OT teammate or any “immediate starter” OT and I think that will force him outside. If Dotson, Endean, Brumfield, Mafi, or some surprise or all step up and can force Canepa inside that would be ideal. If that would happen here would be my ideal two deep:
OT - Jack EnDean (Noah McKinney) or (Nuku Mafi)
OG- Lavaka Taukeiaho (Isaiah Kema)
C- Austin Kawecki (Jakobe Sanders) (Kasen Carpenter)
OG- Louie Canepa (Gage Stanaland)
OT- Tyler Brumfield (Davis Dotson) or (Nuku Mafi)
I also think we are a year away from some pieces being in place that will be very good but they are either young or very new to D1 level and will take time to acclimate. Here is what I mean by that:
-Tyler Brumfield I think eventually is going to be a big time tackle for us, but when is the last time we have had a JUCO olinman acclimate right away for us? He may be a year away in reality.
-Isaiah Kema was highly recruited and his tape backs up his play but he has been out of football for 2 years while on a Mission. How quickly can he regain what is needed while also acclimating to D1 football.
-Nuku Mafi has big time potential but he will just be a redshirt freshman. Is he ready?
A few categories to put some guys in:
(The time is now) - Davis Dotson, Calvin Harvey, Jarret Henry. It’s time for these guys to step up and make a move. If they don’t or can’t they probably won’t ever and need to move on. Could it be with all the guys that came back last year they just have never gotten their shot? Hearing positive things about Dotson.
(Question marks) - we don’t know what they are and maybe they have a chance to make a move - Jamison Meji, Gage Stanaland, Chauncey Johnson, Caleb Hackleman.
(Young guys with Big Upside)- Nuku Mafi, Isaiah Kema, Jaylan Beckley.
This freshman class:
Jaylan Beckley - I’m surprised there wasn’t more talk about him. I suppose it’s because rivals only gave him 3 stars. His offer list warranted 4 stars and if he goes to one of the blue bloods on his offer list he gets the 4th star. I’ll put it this way, we were close on some big time guys coming out of high school - Jaeden Roberts who eventually signed with Alabama. Kelvin Banks who was committed to us but eventually decommitted and signed with Texas. But this time we kept one and I figured there might be more fanfare. This kid is a big time get. He is a get off the bus first kid. He decommitted from Clemson and picked us. I love his upside for the future.
Miguel Chavez - goes right along with the typical oline recruit we have signed the past few years. Hard to project what he will become but he has some potential and we couldn’t let him leave the state.
Ryker Haff - this kid looks like he has a little crazy to him which you like along the oline. Not sure what it is but I really like his potential. It’s going to take time but I believe he will be a good contributor for us at guard in the future.
Simona Fuailetolo - we kind of went under the radar when we went into Utah and signed this kid. Kstate and Florida saw enough potential in him to offer. He is a big kid. I really like this take for us.
Isaiah Kema - so glad we resigned this kid and we get a chance to see what he can do. His offer list was good out of high school. He isn’t your typical freshman because he went on a mission. So the question is how quickly can he make an impact. While he isn’t a typical freshman and probably more mature and more ready to contribute we also don’t know what kind of shape he stayed in and how long will it take him to adjust to D1 football.
Sunmary:
All in all this position group is so hard to predict a starting line up for. I do think that we are deeper at guard and center and lacking more at the tackle positions or the guys we do have at tackle positions with high upside are just very young or need time to adjust to this level. That’s why it would be so good to be able to bring in OT transfer that is ready now and could lock down one of the spots for us. It would buy us time that we need with the younger guys.
I do think in the world of college football we are in now it won’t take years and years for us to turn it around. It can be done in short time and I like the guys we have coaching this position to do exactly that.
Let’s see your oline 2 deep prediction for next year!?
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