TCU is replacing a lot of talent across the offensive line in 2016. How quickly the new bodies adjust to being starters will impact how well the offense clicks this season.
It's often an overlooked position when the previews start rolling out, and when a team is also looking to replace it's start quarterback, star wide receiver, and stud running back, offensive line almost fades completely out of the picture.
For TCU however, replacing four starters along the offensive line will be critical to how well the offense performs in 2016. The Frogs have said goodbye to Joey Hunt, Brady Foltz, Jamelle Naff, and Halapoulivaati Vaitai, and now they need to work to replace all four across the line.
TCU does seem to have a bit of depth along the line, with several guys making starts at key times over the past two seasons, so it's just a matter of who gets the nod at a few positions.
So, who will step up next to Joseph Noteboom and become the new anchor for TCU's lights out offense? Let's take a look. First, here's a list of all the OL on TCU's 2016 roster (courtesy of gofrogs.com):
Name
Pos
Ht
Wt
Class
Austin Schlottman
C
6'6"
300
JR
Garret Altman
C
6'6"
272
JR
Jozie Milton
C
6'2"
310
RS FR
Patrick Morris
OG
6'3"
300
JR
Nate Guyton
OG
6'0"
290
FR
Cordel Iwuagwu
OG
6'3"
298
RS FR
Chris Gaynor
OG
6'5"
300
JR
Kellton Hollins
OL
6'2"
291
FR
Austin Myers
OL
6'5"
302
FR
Lucas Niang
OL
6'6"
295
FR
Ty Barrett
OL
6'5"
316
SO
Trey Elliott
OT
6'4"
285
SO
David Bolisomi
OT
6'6"
315
RS FR
Matt Pryor
OT
6'7"
350
JR
Joseph Noteboom
OT
6'5"
315
JR
Aviante Collins
OT
6'6"
305
SR
Ryan Griswold
OT
6'5"
270
SO
Sam Awolope
OT
6'6"
292
RS FR
So, let's go position by position and take a stab at who could fill the spots available.
Center
This one is probably the easiest to predict. When Joey Hunt went down with an injury late in the season, Austin Schlottman stepped up, and played very well for the last four games of the season (started at RG against Kansas, C against OU, Baylor, Oregon).
While he struggled in a few instances, those four starts should have the Frogs feeling good about Schlottman for this season. He's a capable center was asked to perform against some very solid defensive lines down the stretch, which he did admirably.
So, we'll pencil in Schlottman at starting center. Milton gets the nod as his backup.
Left Tackle
Left Guard
Center
Right Guard
Right Tackle
Starter
Austin Schlottman
Primary Backup
Jozie Milton
Left Tackle
When LT Halapoulivaati Vaitai went down with a leg injury last season, Joseph Noteboom made the move from the right side to the left, with Matt Pryor sliding into the right tackle spot.
It's more than likely Noteboom begins the season at left tackle, replacing Big V. His backup could be one of several guys, but I'm going to plug Trey Elliot into this spot for now. Elliot seemed to get a bit of work at the LT position this spring, which makes him the leading candidate to be the backup at this spot.
Left Tackle
Left Guard
Center
Right Guard
Right Tackle
Starter
Joseph Noteboom
Austin Schlottman
Primary Backup
Trey Elliot
Jozie Milton
Left Guard
Jamelle Naff was a great player, albeit somewhat underappreciated, and he worked incredibly well with the men next to him. When he went down with a season-ending injury, he was replaced by Brady Foltz, who shifted over from right guard. Matt Pryor took over Foltz's spot at right guard, and it seems like he'll stay on that side of the line.
There are several names to consider in this spot, and the first is Chris Gaynor, the Dodge City CC transfer who signed with TCU back in December. Despite being an offensive tackle at the JuCo level, Gaynor is listed as a guard on TCU's roster.
Second, we've got Cordell Iwuagwu, the redshirt freshman. He's been getting up to speed rather quickly this spring/summer, and should be a good depth player along the line. He's probably not ready to step into a starting role quite yet, though.
Another name to consider, and the one we are going to roll with as the starter, is Patrick Morris, who saw a good chunk of game time last season. Morris has good experience along the line, and started at the position for a good portion of the spring.
Left Tackle
Left Guard
Center
Right Guard
Right Tackle
Starter
Joseph Noteboom
Patrick Morris
Austin Schlottman
Primary Backup
Trey Elliot
Cordel Iwuagwu
Jozie Milton
Right Guard
Matt Pryor should be the favorite to start at this position, but depending on how well Chris Gaynor gets up to speed, Gaynor could push for the starting role.
Pryor is massive, standing at 6-foot-7 and 350 pounds, which means if he puts his hands on you it's game over. However, he does seem to struggle a bit with speed rushers, which is why he seems to have transitioned to playing at guard rather than tackle.
He'll get the nod for now, but again, keep an eye on how Gaynor performs once camp gets started in a few weeks.
Left Tackle
Left Guard
Center
Right Guard
Right Tackle
Starter
Joseph Noteboom
Patrick Morris
Austin Schlottman
Matt Pryor
Primary Backup
Trey Elliot
Cordel Iwuagwu
Jozie Milton
Chris Gaynor
Right Tackle
Aviante Collins is arguably the most experienced offensive lineman TCU has at this point, but Frog fans may have forgotten about him a bit since he went down against SMU. He received a medical redshirt, and is coming back as the only senior offensive lineman on TCU's roster.
Collins came in as a freshman in 2012 and was immediately tabbed as a starter during TCU's inaugural season in the Big 12. It was a massive task to give to a freshman, and Collins had his fair share of struggles. He began at left tackle, before being moved to right tackle to finish the season, and, while he had some very good moments, never looked completely confident.
The next few seasons saw him receive less playing time, before an injury knocked him out last year.
Now, though, Collins should have a shot at redemption, as he's the frontrunner to start at right tackle.
Left Tackle
Left Guard
Center
Right Guard
Right Tackle
Starter
Joseph Noteboom
Patrick Morris
Austin Schlottman
Matt Pryor
Aviante Collins
Primary Backup
Trey Elliot
Cordel Iwuagwu
Jozie Milton
Chris Gaynor
David Bolisomi
And there you have it. For a team replacing four starters along the line, it's nice to have depth in place to step up. If these guys play up to their potential and gel quickly as a unit, they'll lay a great foundation for the offense in 2016.