Around the 'Shoe

It will help after we actually play this season. I suspect our line will perform significantly better than it has in the past which will show high school players that we can actually coach the OL now. It also won't hurt that our play-calling will not be predictable like it has in the past, which was one of the reasons the OL had a hard time of it. I'm sure it wasn't easy when we had 5 guys on the line, and the opposing defense brought 7 or 8 to get to the QB and idiot Bollman continued to call Dave up the gut.

We all know high school ratings are overrated, but especially for OLs, who are typically late bloomers--best example: Riley Reiff, who was a 6-6/230 DE in South Dakota. I doubt anyone projected him to be the second OL taken in the 2012 draft. Here's a 2012 NFL Draft recap for the 17 offensive linemen taken in the first three rounds (HS ratings by Scout):

1. Kalil, Matt, T, 6'6", 306, USC, Round 1 (4th overall), Vikings, 2008 5-star
2. Reiff, Riley, T, 6'6", 313, Iowa, Round 1 (23), Lions, 2008 3-star DE
3. DeCastro, David, G, 6'5", 316, Stanford, Round 1 (24), Steelers , 2008 4-star
4. Zeitler, Kevin, G, 6'4", 314, Wisconsin, Round 1 (27), Bengals, 2008 3-star
5. Schwartz, Mitchell, T, 6'5", 318, California, Round 2 (37), Browns, 2007 3-star
6. Silatolu, Amini, T, 6'4", 311, Midwestern State, Round 2 (40), Panthers, 2009 2-star as a JC; unranked in HS
7. Glenn, Cordy, T, 6'5", 345, Georgia, Round 2 (41), Bills, 2008 4-star
8. Martin, Jonathan, T, 6'5", 312, Stanford, Round 2 (42), Dolphins, 2008 3-star
9. Allen, Jeff,OT, 6'4", 307, Illinois, Round 2 (44), Chiefs, 2008 2-star
10. Adams, Mike, T, 6'7", 323, Ohio State, Round 2 (56), Steelers, 2008 5-star
11. Konz, Peter, C, 6'5", 314, Wisconsin, Round 2 (55), Falcons, 2008 3-star
12. Osemele, Kelechi, T, 6'5", 333, Iowa State, Round 2 (60), Ravens, 2007 2-star
13. LeRibeus, Josh, G, 6'3", 312, SMU, Round 3 (71), Redskins, 2007 3-star
14. Stephenson, Donald, T, 6'6", 312, Oklahoma, Round 3 (74), Chiefs, 2007 3-star
15. Brooks, Brandon, G, 6'5", 343, Miami (OH), Round 3 (76), Texans, 2007 2-star
16. Holmes, Lamar, T, 6'5", 323, Southern Miss, Round 3 (91), Falcons, 2009 3-star as a JC; unranked in HS
17. Bergstrom, Tony, T, 6'5", 313, Utah, Round 3 (95), Raiders, 2005 2-star

Notice that none of the 17 were hardships—all were in college at least 4 years. 4 went 5 years, which means they were redshirted as freshmen. Bergstrom graduated in 2005…went on a 2-year Mormon mission after HS…will turn 26 in August.

Only 2 were 5-stars, 2 were 4-stars, 8 were 3-stars, and 5 were 2-stars, including who weren’t ranked as HS seniors and went to JCs. In other words, a guy has a statistically better chance of playing in the NFL if he's a 2-star or 3-star than if he;s a 4-star or 5-star.

Brewster was a 5-star and not drafted. As was Pitt's Luke Nix. Those are just two that immediately come to mind; there were others, not to mention a lot of 4-stars.

You people worry to much. It's EARLY in the process for 13'.
They will wait after all of the summer camps to see who they want. Some of these kids OSU cooled on.
That's why they are more focused on the 14' class at his point for OL.
Remember, Bollman brought in players that were low on the food chain like Michigan is doing now.
And... the ones that were labeled as good. Datish, Boone, Adams, Shugarts, and Brewster suffered from
terrible techique and lack of coaching. It became more evident with this past spring with what UM has instituted.

Of the top 4 teams going into the bowls this season, only Stanford had an OL drafted in the first three rounds (they actually had two: DeCastro and Martin). That's not to suggest Alabama, LSU and Okie State didn't have great OL talent. But the OL, more than any other group, must work together as a unit. They must be a human wall, a shield, a road plow, a gate. So while individually they may not earn the accolades other OLs do, as a unit success is defined by performing well as one. They used to be characterized as the big, dumb, slow guys;l not anymore--it's a position that requires intelligence, strength, athleticism and chemistry. Plenty of mediocre RBs and QBs have been made to look great playing behind great OLs but few great RBs and QBs will look great playing behind a mediocre OL.

The image that always comes to my mind when I think about OLs is the scene in Ben-Hur when he first sees the team of horses he'll eventually drive in the chariot race in Jerusalem. As they are rounding a turn around the oasis, he predicts that they won't be able to hold the turn and sure enough they don't. But by switching them around so that the slowest but steadiest horse is on the inside and the one with the most stamina is on the outside, they are able to perform better as a unit and win the race. That's where talent meets coaching.

Ed Warinner should be a pre-season favorite to win national assistant coach of the year.