OT: OSU OL
So if you are like me you have watching the BTN team previews these last couple days. Most of the previews are very vanilla with coaches jsut giving non-info about their teams. First of all Urban Meyer seems like he is constantly trying to show everyone how much he knows about football . . . mabe its just me but its a arrogant for my taste.
So we have alot of issues to deal with on our lines, but actual little tidbit that came out of the OSU preview is that the 2 deep for RT for them is converted Sr. TE Reid Fragel, and Freshman Taylor Decker. This is really just an informational post, but man I am atleast thankful that it hasnt come down to us having to convert a kid who has been playing TE for 3 years. We shall see!!
August 19th, 2012 at 11:07 PM ^
August 19th, 2012 at 11:08 PM ^
Quite a few TE's turn into pretty decent Tackles. Nate Solder being the obvious one atm.
August 20th, 2012 at 11:31 AM ^
Converted TE to LT for VaTech is another one. Wang made the All-ACC team and was drafted by the Bills if memory serves me right.
August 19th, 2012 at 11:19 PM ^
Since you seem so interested, I'll weigh in: Apparently Fragel and Decker have had their strengths and weaknesses in camp, but the staff seems confident with Fragel starting. That being said, I do think Decker will continue to challenge for the starting spot.
Overall, I think the line will definitely improve from last year, which isn't saying much. How much so will stand to be seen, but one thing is for sure. It will be adequate under the condition that no injuries are sustained. As soon as one of the starters goes down, there will be major issues.
August 19th, 2012 at 11:47 PM ^
Gotcha.
August 19th, 2012 at 11:53 PM ^
If you ever watched how Jim Bollman used tight ends, you'd know that Fragel's been a tackle his whole career. He just had a fancier job title.
August 20th, 2012 at 7:25 AM ^
The crazy part is that I can recall when UM was recruiting Fragel and we wanted him to play Offensive Tackle. Fragel didn't want to be an OT, he wanted to be a Tight End, so he went to OSU where TE's are basically just....wait for it....OT's. And now, he is officially an OT.
Funny old world now ain't it?
August 20th, 2012 at 12:11 AM ^
When those three starters were A. Moderately talented with a weed problem, B. A 5 star recruit that played like a 2 star and C. The world's most accomplished false start artist, you can only go up.
Combine that with the previously broached comments about TEs being successful on the line due to blocking experience+size, and top it off with the obvious rebuttal to your implication that tackles and guards can never interchange successfully, and you have an improved line.
August 20th, 2012 at 1:29 PM ^
moderately talented means first-team All-Big 10? K.
A 5-star playing like a 2-star means second-team All-Big 10? K.
You're right, though. The guys who couldn't push them out of jobs will definitely be leaps and bounds better. Starting a guard at left tackle, a tight end or a true freshman at right tackle, and a kid who's never played center before to replace a four-year starter at the position definitely is a surefire way to improve.
August 20th, 2012 at 12:28 AM ^
August 20th, 2012 at 12:38 AM ^
O'Connor is out for the year
August 19th, 2012 at 11:24 PM ^
"First of all Urban Meyer seems like he is constantly trying to show everyone how much he knows about football . . . mabe its just me but its a arrogant for my taste."
So you prefer coachspeak devoid of substance? Maybe I've just misunderstood you (which wouldn't surprise me because I didn't watch the interview you're talking about).
August 19th, 2012 at 11:57 PM ^
Could your thread title more accurately reflect the content of your post? Furthermore, could your post be more explicit in its connection to the OL of Ohio? I would put the OL bits in the first paragraph and the Urban Meyer-slash-BTN Preview parts in the second.
JMO.
August 20th, 2012 at 12:21 AM ^
He chose Ohio State because they promised him that he would play at TE. Michigan, like many other schools, told him the truth he did not want to hear: they were recruiting him as an OT and that was where he was best suited for his future. Now he has wasted three years of eligibility at TE and trying to convert to an OT for his senior year when he should have made this move years ago.
He chose poorly.
August 20th, 2012 at 12:59 AM ^
August 20th, 2012 at 2:24 AM ^
August 20th, 2012 at 6:50 AM ^
When you have Jake Stoneburner and Jeff Heuerman in your two-deep at tight end (at least that's the one I have - in any event, they stack up as more conventionally sized TEs), you're likely not going to see many snaps at this position if you're all 6'-8" and nearly 300 pounds of Reid Fragel (at least not in Meyer's offense). However, that's pretty good size for a tackle and it is the only way that he logs significant time on the field, just as he was essentially told by many schools a few years ago, as others have mentioned.
Recently, I think Robert Deck at TCU was a TE converted to OT, and I think Brandon Moseley (now in the NFL) was used at OT by Auburn after playing TE at the junior / community college level.
August 20th, 2012 at 11:46 AM ^
but the two deep would have been Heuerman and Vannett, with Fragel playing a situational role in short yardage or two-tight end sets. He made the right decision to switch.
August 20th, 2012 at 9:21 AM ^
Phil Steele has Fragel as 4th team All Big Ten at tackle.
August 20th, 2012 at 8:35 PM ^
Phil Steele is slightly less of a homer for ohio than Bob Ufer was for Michigan.
August 20th, 2012 at 1:39 PM ^
If you think Hoke doesn't come off as similarly arrogant ("This is MICHIGAN!") to opposing fans you are nuts.
Michigan's RT is a position-switch player who is backed up by true freshman too. TE, especially at OSU, is primarily a blocking position. A converstion from guard is probably better, but Fragel weighs 310 and if has the athleticism to be a TE - that portends well for his move to OT.
I'm all for knocking rivals schools but this is just silly.