MORE: Spring Football Central
Stop us if you've heard this before: The offensive line is a concern ... for the third spring in a row. The talent and depth have improved since 2017, but much of it is young and still developing. Of the 15 linemen on the roster, nine are sophomores, redshirt freshmen or freshmen. The good news: Offensive line coach Dale Williams has done a good job each of the last two seasons assembling a serviceable front.
The strength? The tackle spots, with junior Grant Hermanns on the left side and fifth-year senior Matt McCann on the right. Each is a veteran, but knee injuries have been an issue for both players. At 6-7, 300 pounds, Hermanns looks the part of a Big Ten tackle. He is a monolith. McCann passes the eyeball test, too, at 6-6, 305, but he is a bit stiff and lacks ideal athletic ability to play on the edge. Truth be told: He probably is better suited to play guard. Redshirt freshman tackle Eric Miller is a guy the staff likes and has been working consistently as the No. 2 left tackle. But he still may be a year away from seriously contributing. His 6-7, 290-pound frame needs to fill out a bit more. Redshirt freshman Will Bramel has worked on the second team at tackle. The 6-6, 290-pound Bramel also has worked at guard.
The concern? The interior. Jeff Brohm is counting on sophomore Viktor Beach being the starting center. But he has missed most of spring drills because of a back issue. Beach may end up being the No. 1 center when Purdue hits the field at Nevada on August 30, but he needs all the work he can get ... now.
“Viktor has a back issue and it’s disappointing,” said Brohm. “He hurt it a while back. We got him out to practice and he wasn’t feeling like he was ready to go. So we are gonna have to give him a lot more time to heal as much as we can.
“We needed him to get experience and get out there and play, so that’s what we are losing out on. But, we need to get him healthy. He is going to have to utilize every day he can once he gets healthy to get ready to go because he is a guy we would like to count on to be our starting center if we can get that done.”
The players behind Beach lack his pedigree or potential: sophomore Sam Garvin--a former walk-on at Indiana--and junior walk-on Bryce Brown. Early enrollee Spencer Holstege also has taken some turns snapping. You get the feeling the 6-5, 290-pound Holstege may have a chance to carve out a role this fall--at center or guard.
A variety of players have taken first-team snaps at guard so far this spring: Holstege, redshirt freshman Jimmy McKenna, senior Alex Criddle (a converted defensive tackle), redshirt freshman Will Bramel and sophomore Mark Stickford. The 6-5, 290-pound McKenna has held steady as the No. 1 left guard early on this spring. But the right guard spot has been a turnstile, much like center.
THE SKINNY: Prior to spring break, Mark Stickford was working with the first-team at right guard. He had been a second-team right tackle in other practices this spring. The rest of the top line on final practice before spring break was left tackle Grant Hermanns, left guard Jimmy McKenna, center Sam Garvin, right tackle Matt McCann. The second-team was left tackle Eric Miller, left guard Alex Criddle, center Bryce Brown, right guard DJ Washington, right tackle Will Bramel. Criddle is interesting. As a senior, he has developed strength to go with athletic ability. Can he learn how to pass block? In some controlled scrimmage situations last Wednesday, the line opened some nice running lanes for Zander Horvath and Tario Fuller. So, there's that.
Know this: O-line coach Dale Williams has figured things out each of the last two seasons—with far less talent on hand. And keep this mind: Purdue still could add a grad transfer. Those have been key up front each of the last two seasons, with Dave Steinmetz (Rhode Island) and Shane Evans (Northern Illinois) coming on in 2017 and Dennis Edwards (Western Kentucky) last year.
This is far from a finished product, as the line may not take shape until deep into training camp. There is no hurry to settle things now. Williams wants to get it right and find the five best players.
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