The Good, the Bad, the Ugly: Offensive Line Preview

Spring football continues to chug on and the anticipation for the fall season continues to build. Last week, we previewed, arguably, the deepest position in the Mountain West with the wide receiver position. This week, we will move into the trenches and take a look at the offensive line group for each team.

The Good

Boise State

The Broncos are loaded in the trenches and are coming off of the best season the offensive line has had in over a decade. Boise State returns four of five starters and has a group of highly regarded players competing for the right tackle position. Sophomore Kage Casey seems like a lock to play on Sundays, and a healthy Ben Dooley will go a long way in making sure that whoever starts at quarterback will have plenty of time to operate in the pocket.

Air Force

If there is one thing we can count on, it is Air Force having a dominant offensive line. The Falcons averaged over 280 yards rushing per game and did it with a number of injuries on the offensive side of the ball. This unit will be good regardless of how many players they have to replace. The bigger question for Air Force is who will get the bulk of carries behind this impressive unit?

New Mexico

The Lobos were surprisingly strong in the rushing game last season, and they have some really talented players returning. It did not help that Croskey-Merritt emerged as an elite running back and is now gone. This unit certainly has some question marks, but they should be one of the more productive groups for a team that has a ton of uncertainty entering the 2024 season.

Utah State

This is one of those fringe groups that could have landed in the “Bad” category. They were pretty good at running the ball, but their quarterback took way too many hits. With the uncertainty at the quarterback position, this unit will need to be really good this fall. The Aggies are not deep enough to overcome poor play on the offensive line, but I think this group will emerge as a strength of the 2024 team.

San Jose State

The play of the Spartan offensive line was one of the biggest surprises of the 2023 season for me. This is not a team that was known for a dominant rushing attack, and the emergence of the offensive line and running back Kaire Robinson provided a huge boost to this team. Robinson is now gone, but new head coach Ken Niumatalolo will build a team that prides itself on elite play in the trenches. I expect the Spartan offensive line to be really good this fall.

The Bad

Fresno State

If you watched the Bulldogs play last fall, it was pretty clear that the mediocre play of the offensive line kept a good team from being great. Mikey Keane took an absolute beating this past season. Keane’s health this fall will be what dictates where this team goes this year. If this unit can pull it together, the Bulldogs should be a realistic contender for the Group of Five playoff spot. They will also need to be more consistent in the running game; they were really inconsistent with their rushing attack last season.

UNLV

This group was not bad, but they got exposed against good competition late in the season. UNLV’s rushing attack definitely took a dip late last season, and the quarterback was under constant pressure. This group feasted against bad teams and struggled against good teams. If Slucka is the starting quarterback, they are going to be a run first team and will rely heavily on the offensive line.

Wyoming

In one of the bigger surprises of the 2023 season, the Cowboy offensive line was not the dominant force that we have become accustomed to. While they did a decent job protecting the quarterback, they were in the bottom half of the conference in rushing. This is a team that is built to run the rock. They did have some health issues that hindered those rushing numbers, but this group will need to improve if the Cowboys want to be contenders for a Mountain West Championship.

San Diego State

Similar to the Cowboys this is a group that has a reputation of dominant, physical play and they did not live up to that in 2023. It will be interesting to see the evolution of this group heading into the fall. Sean Lewis is going to want to be more well-balanced than past Aztec squads, meaning this group will need to be faster on the edges to protect their quarterback. The talent is there, but will they be able to develop quick enough to contend in conference play?

Nevada

Putting the Wolf Pack in the “Bad” category might be a bit optimistic considering the struggles they faced this past fall. But I know Jeff Choate, and I know how he demands physical play from the team he coaches. This group will not be great this fall, but they will be improved. I don’t think this team will bounce back to the level of making a bowl, but I think they will get close.

The Ugly

Hawaii

The Rainbow Warriors were the only team that failed to rush for 1,000 yards last fall and they struggled to protect the quarterback. I know Timmy Chang wants Hawaii to be a throw first team, but he is going to have to make some schematic changes for this unit to be successful. They will need to improve the quick passing attack and find a way to make the running game a weapon. This unit needs to improve significantly if the Rainbow Warriors are going to be a true threat in the Mountain West.

Colorado State

The biggest issue that has plagued Jay Norvell in his coaching career is developing elite offensive lines. The Rams are clearly a pass first team, but they have been abysmal running the ball since Norvell arrived in Fort Collins. This team has as much talent at the skill positions as anyone in the conference, but they will need to improve significantly in the trenches if they want to contend for a championship in the near future.

Who has the top offensive line in the Mountain West? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.