[BJWilliams]

We finish up our look at the offense by looking at the guys in the trenches who will be tasked with keeping the QBs upright and opening holes for the running backs:

Players Lost:

Hunter Steward (2013 Big South All-Conference First Team)
Malcolm Boyd

Players Returning:

Max Sommer
Jonathan Burgess
Greg Ray
Mitch Hanson
Aharown Campbell
Ethan Callison
Cody Gochenouer
Michael Henderman
Lucas Holder
Grant Jones
Kris Wilson
Dylan Brucki

Players Incoming

Trey Caso 6'4" 290 Lbs (Blessed Trinity HS, Roswell GA)
Jeff Fox 6'4" 280 Lbs (Aquinas HS, Augusta GA)
James Passmore 6'6" 275 Lbs (North Gaston HS, Dallas, NC)
Gregg Storey 6'5" 315 Lbs (Panthers Creek HS, Cary, NC)
Tanner Hartman 6'4" 290 Lbs (Liberty Christian Academy/Penn State University, Christiansburg, VA)

The Flames lost two outstanding linemen in former all-conference standout Malcolm Boyd and 2013 all-conference honoree Hunter Steward (now with the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League). What they return, however, is probably one of the deepest groups of linemen in recent memory. Four starters from last year's team are back (Ray, Hanson, Campbell and Burgess) and solid returners in Sommer, Callison, Gochenouer and Grant Jones, who was the first lineman to win the Titan Trophy given to the most outstanding football player in the Lynchburg area in 2010. He will be joined in the lineman pool by Hartman, who was a teammate of Jones at LCA in 2010. According to Coach Dennis Wagner in an interview with Flames beat writer Chris Lang, they plan to keep 10 guys in the rotation at line which will keep fresh bodies in the game as games wear on, especially during a very stout non-conference schedule during the first half of the season.

Of the incoming players, Hartman is the one most likely to break into the rotation, although you could see Wilson and Brucki also make their way in as well.

Projected Rotation

LT- Max Sommer
LG- Jonathan Burgess
C- Greg Ray
RG- Aharown Campbell
RT- Mitch Hanson

Grant Jones
Tanner Hartman
Ethan Callison
Cody Gochenouer
Michael Henderman

[olldflame]

We have 15 scholarship OL on our roster (plus 2 walkons). Only 2 of them are Seniors and 2 are Freshmen who will likely redshirt. At some point, unless we have some transfer out, I think they need to look at who in that bunch can play on the defensive side, because there is no way we can play more than about 10 at OL, and that's stretching it. A lot of coaches play their OL starters virtually the entire game because coordination and timing is so important with that unit and they consider that more important than keeping fresh players in the game. DL is just the opposite.

[flamehunter]

Word is that Hanson has moved to RG and Hartman will be in at RT.

[bluejacket]

Word is that Hanson has moved to RG and Hartman will be in at RT.

Hmmmmm......

[BJWilliams]

Its about getting your best five guys up front. Hartman has come in and is showing the staff that he is one of the best 5 and Hanson, instead of coming off the field, is moving inside because he is versatile enough to do so. Campbell remember is a 2013 starter and has chemistry with the other 3 returning starters on that line, so even if he has to come in off the bench when Hanson needs a blow, there should not be much dropoff

[Purple Haize]

Its about getting your best five guys up front. Hartman has come in and is showing the staff that he is one of the best 5 and Hanson, instead of coming off the field, is moving inside because he is versatile enough to do so. Campbell remember is a 2013 starter and has chemistry with the other 3 returning starters on that line, so even if he has to come in off the bench when Hanson needs a blow, there should not be much dropoff

No it's not. You may have 2 left guards that are better linemen than your center, but neither of them can play center.

[BJWilliams]

Fair point. I was speaking to the versatility of the group as a whole.

[bluejacket]

Its about getting your best five guys up front. Hartman has come in and is showing the staff that he is one of the best 5 and Hanson, instead of coming off the field, is moving inside because he is versatile enough to do so. Campbell remember is a 2013 starter and has chemistry with the other 3 returning starters on that line, so even if he has to come in off the bench when Hanson needs a blow, there should not be much dropoff

No it's not. You may have 2 left guards that are better linemen than your center, but neither of them can play center.

[flamehunter]

Coaches are very high on Mitch. They haven't been too happy with the guard play on either side. Because of his versatility they moved him there and Tanner was the next guy in line.

[olldflame]

Coaches are very high on Mitch. They haven't been too happy with the guard play on either side. Because of his versatility they moved him there and Tanner was the next guy in line.

Unless Jonathon Burgess has suddenly regressed from his all-conference level of play last year, I think this is only half true. It is an encouraging sign though that you are progressing when a returning starter who is not injured and probably has actually improved is relegated to a reserve role because you have "upgraded".

[BJWilliams]

It speaks to the versatility of the guys as a whole. You have an all-conference player at guard who is now a reserve, you have a guy in Campbell who probably moves to the left side of the line, while Hartman moves into the tackle spot on the right side with Hanson, who WAS the right tackle, moving inside. When you can move pieces around like that and still get a very solid group of 5 up front, that tells me that while we do have a lot of guys to pick from for that 2-deep, injuries won't decimate the line depth AS much (Im not saying it will have zero effect).

[olldflame]

Burgess is still starting BJ. It's Campbell who has been replaced by Hanson at G, with Hartman taking over for Hanson at T.

[BJWilliams]

Ahh...Well Campbell will make a very solid reserve. He started 9 of 12 games last year (with Boyd starting in the other three after recovering from the leg injury), so he isn't a bad guy. Again, it speaks to the versatility of the group as a whole.