TCU Notebook: Horned Frogs still seeking clarity on the offensive line
As preseason camp winds down, it appears the TCU Horned Frogs are gaining some clarity at a key position group.
TCU had one of the best offensive lines in the country last year, but the Horned Frogs must replace three starters including All-American Steve Avila.
At the conclusion of practice No. 12 it seems like coach Sonny Dykes and offensive line coach A.J. Ricker have found a potentially potent combination.
The five-man group of Michael Nichols at right tackle, Willis Patrick at right guard, Coltin Deery at center, Brandon Coleman at left guard and Andrew Coker at left tackle has consistently been the group the staff has used during 11-on-11 at practice.
This group is the best mixture of experience, talent and power and has been solid during training camp, but there’s still a few more things to sort out, especially at center.
“I’ve had quite a few guys doing it,” Ricker said Tuesday. “To me you can never have enough centers, that’s the one position that starts the play. Getting a few key guys back that played a lot of football. Really by next week I would like to solidify who that guy is.”
Patrick and Deery have swapped places a few times and John Lanz is another Ricker expects to contend once he returns from injury.
One area that Ricker doesn’t have to worry about is the left side with Coleman and Coker. Both had over 1,000 snaps last year and have started 20-plus games in their TCU careers. Last year they started on opposing sides, but now they’re together and could form one of the strongest duos in the nation.
“That’s my guy, we’re roommates just like Steve and I were last year,” Coleman said. “A lot of experience, so I think it’s going to be a lot easier (for the offense) having us beside each other and I think with the talent and experience it’ll be a great season being able to play with each other.”
The thought of moving Coleman inside crossed Ricker’s mind in the spring. Usually teams have a hard time finding depth at tackle, but for TCU it was the opposite as the Horned Frogs needed more options at guard/center which is why TCU grabbed Patrick and Deery out of the transfer portal.
Coleman’s versatility allowed for the switch to be possible and helped provide stability to the offensive line, but it’s on his teammates to allow him to form that pairing with Coker.
“In a perfect world that’s the combination,” Ricker said. “Coleman has shown he can play left tackle, I think he can be a really good guard, but at the end of the day it’s on the other guys to elevate their game so I can do that. So far I’ve seen positive things where I can leave Coleman in at guard, but if I ever got pressed I know Coleman can play left tackle and Coker can play right tackle.”
After solidifying the center position, the next goal for Ricker is to find a solid second unit. Dykes said his hope is that TCU can have a rotation of 8-10 offensive linemen. Players like Lanz, Marcus Williams, Garrett Hayes and Ezra Dotson-Oyetade are veterans that figure to be in the mix.
But younger players like sophomore Jasper Lott and freshman Ben Taylor-Whitfield also could be factor, with Whitfield in particular getting extended run with the second team offense lately.
“Ben is special,” Ricker said. “He’s a special kid, it’s real important to him. He’s a guy I’ve had to kick out of the building here or my office, he’s always watching tape. Everything you want a young kid to do he’s done that. You look at his game, he’s got a super bright future.”
The thing that gives Ricker the most confidence about the unit being able to match the o-line from last year is the determination of the veterans. Whether they’re running with the first or second team, Ricker is seeing buy-in across the board.
“Between (Willis Patrick) and some of the other guys that have played a lot of football around here, they’ve all kind of gelled together and put their back against the wall,” Ricker said.
