Early in the spring, the offensive line struggled with communicating with each other and keeping up with the new tempo of the offense. Now, as spring ball is set to end this Saturday, the unit has not only been able to catch up to speed, but has become more aggressive. The group is becoming the type of line the offense is going to need, and sophomore left tackle Jeremiah Poutasi is getting excited.
“We heard about who was going to be the starting five,” Poutasi said. “We said, ‘Well, if that’s what we are going to roll with then we just go out there and ball out.’”
Poutasi said things began to change when linemen started looking to their emotional leader: senior guard Jeremiah Tofaeono.
Running back Kelvin York, who returned to practice from a lingering turf-toe injury in time to participate in the last scrimmage, noticed a significant change in the offensive line from the time he went out to the time he returned.
“They are in better shape,” York said. “From running [this] type of offense, you have to be in shape.”
As a result of better play from the offensive line, the offense as a whole is finding its rhythm — especially in the running game. Head coach Kyle Whittingham called the offensive line the highlight of Tuesday’s practice.
“The way they protect and block up the run game, they have become more fundamentally sound,” he said.
With the annual spring game scheduled for Saturday, the offense is starting to shape up with the depth at running back, hard-working receivers and now a motivated offensive line.
“Our offense is rolling,” Poutasi said.
Kicking game
The search for a new kicker continues. With a host of players on the roster who have no college game experience, it is still an open battle, but special teams coordinator Jay Hill said it has been narrowed down to sophomore Andy Phillips and freshman Jamie Sutcliffe. The duo are the kickers who have received the most reps during the spring.
The furthest field goal attempt in the spring has been 46-yards, but only one of those two attempts has been made. But leg power is not the only thing for which coaches are looking.
“Repetitive accuracy is a big deal that you can only see in live drills,” Hill said. “That’s a process, trying to widdle it down to the guy who is being the most accurate.”
Corner position
The cornerbacks have been a subject of regular concern in the spring. Keith McGill, Justin Thomas, Davion Orphey and Reginald Porter are all competing to start. McGill and Thomas have had the most reps with the starting defense, but defensive coordinator Kalani Sitake said there is still uncertainty at the position.
“There are some guys that we are counting on that I think we can do some good things,” Sitake said. “Who’s leading the bunch, I don’t know yet.”
McGill has been the best out of the group — mostly because of his size. At 6-foot-3, McGill is a tough matchup against wide receivers. The rest of cornerbacks have had their moments, but Sitake, safeties coach Morgan Scalley and cornerbacks coach Sharrieff Shah are looking for more consistency.
“They show flashes, they show good things,” Sitake said. “I like to see guys do it every play, and that’s what we are looking for right now.”