Gopher 2025 Offensive Line Outlook

Donate To GopherHole
6

60's Guy

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 29, 2010
Messages
9,912
Reaction score
4,953
Points
113
We lost Ersery, Quinn Carroll, Phillip Daniels, Martes Lewis, and Tyler Cooper...anybody else?
We have three transfers in Marcellus Marshall, Kahlee Tafai, and Dylan Ray.
The roster returns Nathan Roy, Nkele, Greg Johnson, Jerome Williams, Tony Nelson,
Jackson Hunter, Spencer Alvarez. edit: add Brett Carroll, Beers and Tripp
Then we have incoming freshmen but offensive line is position freshmen rarely play right away.
So...are we okay? The line seemed to under perform last year compared to previous years but
almost all those guys are gone. So it seems we'll have almost all new guys?
What's the outlook? Who are we penciling in besides Roy and the three incoming transfers?
 
Last edited:

Hard to say with another transfer portal window, but I’d say some combination of Johnson, Marshall, Beers, and Tafai. Ray and Roy in that next category, especially Roy since we need another tackle body.
 

You’re missing Brett Carroll. He’s key because he may free up Johnson to move to guard. Nelson is likely the other guard with Ray being a nice swing piece. Roy and Tafai would be the favorites at tackle and Marshall is great insurance there and elsewhere on the line. It’s a pretty talented group - on par with previous years - but no one really knows where the developmental trajectory will take us. It is pretty young and if there one spot in the roster you don’t want to be young, this is the one.
 


60's Guy said:
We lost Ersery, Quinn Carroll, Phillip Daniels, Martes Lewis, and Tyler Cooper...anybody else?
We have three transfers in Marcellus Marshall, Kahlee Tafai, and Dylan Ray.
The roster returns Nathan Roy, Nkele, Greg Johnson, Jerome Williams, Tony Nelson,
Jackson Hunter, Spencer Alvarez.
Then we have incoming freshmen but offensive line is position freshmen rarely play right away.
So...are we okay? The line seemed to under perform last year compared to previous years but
almost all those guys are gone. So it seems we'll have almost all new guys?
What's the outlook? Who are we penciling in besides Roy and the three incoming transfers?
Click to expand...
Will be interesting to see how things shake out in the spring. But I gotta think that Greg Johnson is starting somewhere on the line next year even if it isn't at Center again.
 


I think we’ll be fine; better than last year over time. It would be nice if all of our returning guys are good enough to start and the transfers provide depth.
 



Gopherphile said:
You’re missing Brett Carroll. He’s key because he may free up Johnson to move to guard. Nelson is likely the other guard with Ray being a nice swing piece. Roy and Tafai would be the favorites at tackle and Marshall is great insurance there and elsewhere on the line. It’s a pretty talented group - on par with previous years - but no one really knows where the developmental trajectory will take us. It is pretty young and if there one spot in the roster you don’t want to be young, this is the one.
Click to expand...
Didn’t Beers play ahead of Nelson last year?
 



I think the interior should be better, but the tackles will be a challenge. I assume Tafai steps right in. I’m not sure Roy is going to be ready right away. He didn’t play much as a true freshman. Is Marshall the only other guy who has reps at OT?
 


btowngopher said:
I think the interior should be better, but the tackles will be a challenge. I assume Tafai steps right in. I’m not sure Roy is going to be ready right away. He didn’t play much as a true freshman. Is Marshall the only other guy who has reps at OT?
Click to expand...
Roy may or may not be ready but wouldn't base that on how much he did or didn't play as a true freshman. Very few offensive lineman are ready to compete as true freshman. It happens (Setterstrom and Eslinger are two famous examples from here) but most lineman need time.

In some ways, the fact that he managed to see action in 2 games as a true freshman actually makes it more likely he will be ready to play next year potentially.
 

MNVCGUY said:
Roy may or may not be ready but wouldn't base that on how much he did or didn't play as a true freshman. Very few offensive lineman are ready to compete as true freshman. It happens (Setterstrom and Eslinger are two famous examples from here) but most lineman need time.

In some ways, the fact that he managed to see action in 2 games as a true freshman actually makes it more likely he will be ready to play next year potentially.
Click to expand...
Agreed. He had a welcome P4 football moment in the bowl game, but he’ll have the spring/fall camp to compete and continue to improve
 



btowngopher said:
Didn’t Beers play ahead of Nelson last year?
Click to expand...
Yep, and I forgot about Beers in my response (and Tripp). Beers and Nelson were our starting guards in the bowl game so I'm guessing they're pretty even.
 


OL coach is good. He seems to always get guys into positions. He's put multiple players into the NFL and camps.
 


I think there is enough talent there to be solid but my concern will be how cohesive the unit will be with all the new players and new OL coach. Might be a work in progress as the season goes more so than usual.
 

mcrow47 said:
I think there is enough talent there to be solid but my concern will be how cohesive the unit will be with all the new players and new OL coach. Might be a work in progress as the season goes more so than usual.
Click to expand...
We have a new OL coach? We have 3 transfers that have been starters at other P4 programs. OL will be fine. WR and QB are the big questions on offense.

Center will be in his second year. Others got some valuable playing time.
 

MaxyJR1 said:
We have a new OL coach? We have 3 transfers that have been starters at other P4 programs. OL will be fine. WR and QB are the big questions on offense.

Center will be in his second year. Others got some valuable playing time.
Click to expand...
I thought someone earlier in the thread said there is a new OL coach, maybe I misread it.
Like I said, that talent is there but a lot of players will be playing together for the first time on the OL this year. Might take a while to gel as a unit. Hopefully not too long.
 

I wouldn't count out Williams at Right tackle. He has a shot to step up.
 

restovich said:
Beers. Nelson, Johnson. All start. And then two of the OL portal guys, The one from Washington, the one form South Florida probably.
Click to expand...
Isn’t there a guy from Kentucky who transferred in and started like 3 years there? I thought he was a guard. I could see him being in the mix with the guys you mentioned. As others have said there is quite a bit of talent but will need some time to gel. I also agree with the poster about Brett Carroll. I believe he was also a 4 star guy with a lot of offers like Roy. Has the size already so he might be able to sneak in there.
 

Last year's OL was the worst since year 1 of the Fleck era. Plenty of room to improve this year.
 

NotAFanOfBecky said:
Isn’t there a guy from Kentucky who transferred in and started like 3 years there? I thought he was a guard. I could see him being in the mix with the guys you mentioned. As others have said there is quite a bit of talent but will need some time to gel. I also agree with the poster about Brett Carroll. I believe he was also a 4 star guy with a lot of offers like Roy. Has the size already so he might be able to sneak in there.
Click to expand...

Yes; Dylan Ray. 6-6/310.

 

I'll bet both Nathan Roy and Brett Carroll, a couple of big 4* RS Frosh find playing time. I am curious about Aluma Nkele, who transferred in a year ago. He is huge ... listed at 6'8", 390 when he transferred. Plays RT. Had two years of eligibility. Not sure if he had a red shirt year to burn (hope so, meaning that he might still have two years of eligibility). Is he a factor at all, or simply a depth player at this point?
 

Gophergrandpa said:
I'll bet both Nathan Roy and Brett Carroll, a couple of big 4* RS Frosh find playing time. I am curious about Aluma Nkele, who transferred in a year ago. He is huge ... listed at 6'8", 390 when he transferred. Plays RT. Had two years of eligibility. Not sure if he had a red shirt year to burn (hope so, meaning that he might still have two years of eligibility). Is he a factor at all, or simply a depth player at this point?
Click to expand...
He only played in four games according to gophersports.com, so guessing depth piece, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he transfers out, but also wouldn’t be surprised if we bring in another tackle or two. I’d like to see some contribution from Alvarez this year, this will be his fourth year in the program and has yet to see any action.
 

Gophergrandpa said:
I'll bet both Nathan Roy and Brett Carroll, a couple of big 4* RS Frosh find playing time. I am curious about Aluma Nkele, who transferred in a year ago. He is huge ... listed at 6'8", 390 when he transferred. Plays RT. Had two years of eligibility. Not sure if he had a red shirt year to burn (hope so, meaning that he might still have two years of eligibility). Is he a factor at all, or simply a depth player at this point?
Click to expand...
Nkele played in 4 games this year including starting the bowl game. Wouldn't be surprised to see him in the starting lineup and would be shocked if he wasn't at least in the rotation.
 

MaxyJR1 said:
OL coach is good. He seems to always get guys into positions. He's put multiple players into the NFL and camps.
Click to expand...
The line was inconsistent this past year though, which worries me a lot. Run blocking took a big step back IMO, and the pass blocking was great during some games but bad during others. Brosmer's effectiveness running the offense lived and died by how the OL performed in a given game. Plus I think this season had the most false starts I've seen from our team in a while.

I'm sure there are a lot of different factors that played into this, and maybe this year was just an abnormal dip in the OL performance rather than the beginning of a trend, but I am still worried.
 


Taji34 said:
The line was inconsistent this past year though, which worries me a lot. Run blocking took a big step back IMO, and the pass blocking was great during some games but bad during others. Brosmer's effectiveness running the offense lived and died by how the OL performed in a given game. Plus I think this season had the most false starts I've seen from our team in a while.

I'm sure there are a lot of different factors that played into this, and maybe this year was just an abnormal dip in the OL performance rather than the beginning of a trend, but I am still worried.
Click to expand...
This will hopefully get better with the progression of Johnson, who was playing Center for the first time in his football career.
 

You must log in or register to reply here.



Top Bottom