2026 O-Line

[Cusefan69]

I think there's a progression. We used to have smaller [-ish] OL who generally weren't very good. Subpar offensive line play has been a problem in our program forever, outside of a few outlier seasons.

Fran went out and got bigger guys, several of whom have yet to prove that they are any good. So we got bigger [think: airport team].

Next step will be to either coach these guys up, or get big guys who ARE better.

Interested to see what the new OL coach brings to the table. His track record is impressive / phenomenal. If he can't coax improved productivity out of this group, then we need an overhaul.

My prediction is that he WILL, and that we'll see players like Mack, Washington, and Cruz make a jump in performance. Still standing by my original observation that Mack is a poor man's Bergeron [which is pretty freaking good].

Would love to see it after all these years of mostly oline being more weakness than strength. Get the oline working right and it will ripple effect. Helps our QB, RB, our defense by having less 3 and outs. Here's to hoping our new oline coach makes a positive impact.

 

[cayugacuse]

We had so many pressing needs that OL probably took a bit of a back seat. We have an elite OL coach now so let's see what we actually have. If Castillo can't manage a decent OL out of the 20 we have on roster our entire transfer portal outlay should go to him next season to get adequate players.

We are big across the OL but many of them are and/or play Charmin soft. If we lack requisite quickness and agility we should at least be able to roll out a group of Andrew Tiller's and beat the brakes off opponents in the trenches.

Washington has all the potential in the world with another off season to get his body right. His story is an interesting one and he should be more motivated than most.

With Shaq's advice, Byron Washington plays for a bigger purpose

Recruited as a key part of SU's future, 6-foot-8, near-400-lb Byron Washington’s journey to get his body into football shape is paying off.

dailyorange.com

Mack impressed me when healthy but he played hurt, when he played, for much of last season.

Hawn drew praise from the staff but was always going to need at least a year or 2 to get strong enough for ACC play. He was also banged up last year.

That could well be our LT, LG, C starting 3 and I certainly don't hate it.

Give me Cruz at RT and let the rest fight for RG.

Betrand and Pringle have shown nothing thus far to warrant consideration. No idea what happened to Rice either but I think he's back.

Point is we have the coaching now to get the best out of whoever puts in the work this offseason. It's all young guys with chips on their shoulders or older guys in last chance corral. Hope majority majority sack up and show up in shape and mean next season.

Agree that this new OL coach will make a huge difference. I remember Daniel Jones getting beat to death when he played for the Giants and everybody gave up on him and he was released. He finds his way to the Colts and he all of a sudden, a quality qb. Give him some protection and he can play.

 

[Niastri]

Key words are "good weight"

These kids are still growing naturally. They would probably gain weight without a nutrition or weightlifting plan.

I gained 15 pounds of muscle my freshman year and my only trainer was my bozo roommate. And I'm nowhere near 6'6.

 

[721Comstock]

These kids are still growing naturally. They would probably gain weight without a nutrition or weightlifting plan.

I gained 15 pounds of muscle my freshman year and my only trainer was my bozo roommate. And I'm nowhere near 6'6.

Muscle? Freshman Fifteen?

 

[Cusester]

We had so many pressing needs that OL probably took a bit of a back seat. We have an elite OL coach now so let's see what we actually have. If Castillo can't manage a decent OL out of the 20 we have on roster our entire transfer portal outlay should go to him next season to get adequate players.

We are big across the OL but many of them are and/or play Charmin soft. If we lack requisite quickness and agility we should at least be able to roll out a group of Andrew Tiller's and beat the brakes off opponents in the trenches.

Washington has all the potential in the world with another off season to get his body right. His story is an interesting one and he should be more motivated than most.

With Shaq's advice, Byron Washington plays for a bigger purpose

Recruited as a key part of SU's future, 6-foot-8, near-400-lb Byron Washington’s journey to get his body into football shape is paying off.

dailyorange.com

Mack impressed me when healthy but he played hurt, when he played, for much of last season.

Hawn drew praise from the staff but was always going to need at least a year or 2 to get strong enough for ACC play. He was also banged up last year.

That could well be our LT, LG, C starting 3 and I certainly don't hate it.

Give me Cruz at RT and let the rest fight for RG.

Betrand and Pringle have shown nothing thus far to warrant consideration. No idea what happened to Rice either but I think he's back.

Point is we have the coaching now to get the best out of whoever puts in the work this offseason. It's all young guys with chips on their shoulders or older guys in last chance corral. Hope majority majority sack up and show up in shape and mean next season.

I gave you a like for the excellent content and because you spelled Betrand correctly! If you had mentioned Demetris Samuel (not Samuels) I’d be giving you a gold star!️

 

[ImperialOrange]

I gave you a like for the excellent content and because you spelled Betrand correctly! If you had mentioned Demetris Samuel (not Samuels) I’d be giving you a gold star!️

I have to fight my phone to not automatically make it Bertrand vs Betrand so I give others grace there. I still have to stop and check between the Kerr brothers though, not sure I'll ever their first names correct without doing so.

 

[Niastri]

Muscle? Freshman Fifteen?

I was skinny as a rail when I started. I didn't get fat until junior year.

 

[CbusCuse]

I have to fight my phone to not automatically make it Bertrand vs Betrand so I give others grace there. I still have to stop and check between the Kerr brothers though, not sure I'll ever their first names correct without doing so.

I gave up on that one. It’s just Kerr1 and Kerr2 to me now.

 

[CbusCuse]

These kids are still growing naturally. They would probably gain weight without a nutrition or weightlifting plan.

I gained 15 pounds of muscle my freshman year and my only trainer was my bozo roommate. And I'm nowhere near 6'6.

You’ve been around long enough to remember all of the 260 lbs OL recruits we use to recruit hoping to grow them into athletic beasts. Seemed like at least half of them never got near 300 lbs in 4 years.

 

[Niastri]

You’ve been around long enough to remember all of the 260 lbs OL recruits we use to recruit hoping to grow them into athletic beasts. Seemed like at least half of them never got near 300 lbs in 4 years.

A 6'7, 270 lb kid who looks as skinny as Freshman year Niastri is very different from a 6'2 guy who already looks like he packed on 20 pounds from his mama's cannolis to get to 270lb.

But, this weight gain conversation for a single skinny freshman offensive lineman is kind of besides the point… I think we can all agree it's unlikely that any freshman offensive lineman is going to play, even somebody as highly recruited as the kids we have in the 2026 class. The vast majority will need some seasoning to get used to the fact that they're not far bigger than the people they're playing against.

Five out of the seven lineman that we recruited last season were already listed at over 300 pounds when they came in, only one of them truly fit that skinny mold. And D'Joni Scatliffe is listed at 315 now after being listed at 260 as a recruit. They're is no reason to think Jojo White won't be able to gain weight like that.

 

[CapitalO]

There is a huge opportunity here for many of these young men to become a starter or make the 2 deep chart and this could also lead to some very nice NIL. $ for them in the near future, so I am expecting some hard core S&C as well as absorbing the playbook and film room to the max. With that said I now put them under the wings of coach Castillo.