Aside from the quarterback battle, which seems to be drawing to a conclusion as fall camp winds to a close, the most interesting position group on this Tigers roster is the offensive line.
Where the team either returns starters or added plug-and-play transfers for most other position groups, the offensive line requires a bit more deliberation. This team has to replace four of five starters from a year ago.
Two of the spots seem to be locked down. [autotag]Will Campbell[/autotag] is just a true freshman, but he has impressed the staff quite a bit since arriving as an early enrollee in the spring. He seems to have earned the starting left tackle job, and experienced East Tennessee State transfer [autotag]Tre’Mond Shorts[/autotag] is all but a shoo-in for the left guard spot.
Another starting spot may be off the board, as coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] said at his press conference on Tuesday that redshirt freshman [autotag]Garrett Dellinger[/autotag] has all but locked down the starting center job, which some thought would go to veteran [autotag]Charles Turner[/autotag].
That leaves what appears to be three players vying for two spots on the right side: Florida International transfer [autotag]Miles Frazier[/autotag], who can play both guard and tackle but is likely the favorite to start at right guard, along with [autotag]Anthony Bradford[/autotag] and [autotag]Cameron Wire[/autotag].
Bradford and Wire have worked inside and outside during spring and fall camps, but Kelly said Bradford has recently been working at guard while Wire has worked at tackle, where he started most of the season last year.
“We’re still moving some pieces around. You know I can tell you that the good part is Garrett Dellinger’s really settled in at the center position,” Kelly said. “I think, you know it was last week where I was pretty vocal about the snaps. He’s really settled in nicely since that day and has taken ownership at that position and has been extremely consistent, so we feel really good there at the center position. You know, we’ve been working Bradford at some guard position. But as you know, earlier he’s played a lot of tackle. So that’s giving Cam Wire some opportunity there.”
Kelly said that the staff is close to narrowing down the starting five and that the bulk of the work is now going into solidifying the rotation.
“I think what we’re looking for is some key backup situations,” Kelly said. “I think we’ve got a pretty good sense of the five, six guys — and now it’s about getting that seventh, seventh maybe eighth guy. But we’re, we feel pretty comfortable with knowing that we’ve got seven, eight guys and that’s going to be our rotation.”
Despite its offensive inconsistencies last fall, the Tigers return a lot of talent (and added some more) at the skill positions in 2022. But offensive line play could prove to be a limiting factor, and it’s encouraging that the best five seem to be separating themselves from the pack.
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