In most instances, the offensive player who gets almost all of the attention on the team is the quarterback. However, some of the unsung heroes in the game of football are often the players upfront on the offensive line.
According to sophomore running back Trayveon Williams, the work the o-line does up front against strong SEC defenses does not go unnoticed.
“My boys are doing great,” Williams said. “Coach Turner getting those guys well and moving bodies. I told those guys I got the syrup as long as they keep bringing the pancakes. I got love for my guys they’re grinding and we’re going to have a great season.”
With both of last year’s starting tackles departing to the NFL, A&M will feature a few new faces in the trenches this upcoming season. However, the starting lineup and updated depth chart are not readily available to the media and according to A&M head coach Kevin Sumlin there won’t be any further announcements.
For the ‘Maroon Goons,’ this upcoming season will be a season of growth and cohesion for the unit. Sophomore center Colton Prater said now the group is poised for a strong year after spending time with one another.
“I think we got a little more experience playing together,” Prater said. “Last year’s line [consisted of] a lot of guys who really hadn’t played together much but this year we’ve been together for a whole year.”
Last season, there were several players on the offensive line that had limited in-game experience. This season though, Prater said A&M has a slew of players that can go in at any given time regardless of classification.
“This year we’re taking 11 guys who at any point can go in the game,” Prater said. “[Coach Turner] can mix and match the starting five and we would be fine. We’ve had a freshman class that came in and has been tremendous, smart guys, humongous guys, so you’re going to be able to see them contribute.”
Redshirt sophomore Erik McCoy said they expect UCLA’s defensive front to line up in different formations going into Sunday’s season opener.
“We expect to see a lot of different fronts,” McCoy said. “They did that a lot to us last year and they’ll do it again this year. They’re going to switch it up to try and confuse us, but we’re prepared.”
McCoy added the group is excited for the potential they have moving forward.
“We’re very confident,” McCoy said. “Everyone is basically a returning starter or had playing time last year, so we’re ready to go.”
Aside from the bonding on the field through drills and practice, McCoy said there are many activities the group enjoys doing outside the sidelines to build chemistry ­— one of which is food.
“It’s amazing,” McCoy said. “We’re an all-inclusive group. We all love each other, we love to eat with each other and we just like being around each other. There is this solid little spot in Bryan that a lot of us like to go to. Just some good fried southern food and we love it.”
The Aggies will travel to the West Coast to take on the Bruins in Pasadena, California Sunday, Sept. 3 at 6:30 p.m. on FOX.