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Welcome back.
Yesterday we looked at BC's depth at quarterback, running back, tight end and wide receiver. Looking at the depth we found that Addazio has some holes in some positions that need to be filled (running back/dual threat quarterback), and other positions that may have excess depth (wide receiver). Today we are going to take a look at the offensive line, a crew that struggled mightily in 2012.
Though it hasn't been officially announced yet, Jim Bollman who served as offensive line coach and running game coordinator most likely will be replaced. BC is in dire need of a line coach that will serve Steve Addazio's vision of creating a bruising run game that punishes opponents. But just like basically every other position on the Eagles' they have a lot of work to do.
Recruiting information is courtesy of 247sports, and a little research on Yahoo!
Guards
Status: BC had pretty solid stability in the guard position during the 2012 campaign. Ian White was easily the best lineman on the team, and it was no coincedence that the line's play went from bad to downright awful after his injury. Bobby Vadaro played a decent season, starting all 12 games, and Harris Williams got some solid playing time as well. BC has a solid recruit coming up, Frank Taylor, who also was BC's highest rated recruit in the 2012 class. He was redshirted last season, so Addazio and his offensive line coach will have a big time kid to tinker with on the line. Another interesting note is that there were no guards that graduated this season.
Commits: None
Targets: Alex Officer, Trey Rutherford
Thoughts: I am up in the air on how I feel about this group of players. Ian White will be back, and I think he will be the anchor of this offensive line next year. I really hope to see Addazio plug in Frank Taylor if he can, because from what I've seen in his film, he looks like a beast. I'm all about giving the other guys a shot, but I also hope that if a spot opens up, that Addazio looks to build the offensive line back up, and this would be a prime position to start.
Tackles
Status: BC is going to have major turnover here, as both starters from last season (Emmett Cleary & John Wetzel) have graduated. That is both a good and bad thing. Good, because as we have seen, both guys did an admirable job, but they were overwhelmed too. BC struggled running between the tackles, and both struggled keeping Chase Rettig on his feet. Just like at the guard position, BC has a solid recruit waiting in the wings. Redshirted freshman Wins Homer, should be ready to fill in, and either Aaron Kramer or Seth Betancourt will most likely be plugged in to the other tackle position.
Commits: None
Targets: Shane Rafter (Temple?)
Thoughts: It's a little unnerving that Frank Spaziani didn't bother to recruit anyone else to play tackle, which is possibly the most important position on the line. Cleary and Wetzel both started almost every game, and there isn't much proven depth left on the team. It'll be interesting to see what Wins Homer can do, but he hasn't played a snap yet. Unlike the guards, I really think this is a position where BC needs more depth.
Center
Status: It was the Andy Gallik show here, as he started every game for the Eagles at center in 2012. I hate to get on a kid, but he struggled mightily last year, especially against blitzes up the middle. He looked overwhelmed at points, and never seemed to look comfortable. Could this be fixed by a new coach? Absolutely. If Gallik struggles, sophomore Paul Gaughan could step in.
Commits: None
Targets: Matt Barone (Temple)
Thoughts: Barone hasn't been linked to BC yet, but he may be certainly worth a look. He's rated as a three star center, so maybe Addazio can convince him to come to BC. Again not to pile on Gallik, but if his issues aren't something that coaching can fix, I hope Addazio has another go to kid (whether it be Gaughan or converting another OL to center) that he can rely on.