The truth about our offensive line (Biggus Piggus)

[luke hawg]

When we hired Bret Bielema everyone was surprised then excited about building a team comparable to his 2010 Badgers. The strength of that team being a hulkish offensive line.

John Moffitt 3rd round  2011 3 star
Gabe Carimi 1st round 2011 3 star
Bill Nagy 7th round 2011 3 star
Kevin Zeitler 1st round 2012 3 star
Peter Konz 2nd round 2012 3 star
Travis Fredrickson 1st round 2013 3 star
Ricky Wagner 5th round 2013 0 star walk on

Our offensive line is struggling at the moment which some equate to a low number of linemen over multiple classes.

Wisconsin OL classes
2006
5 linemen
Composite star rankings: 2,3,3,3,4

2007
1 linemen
Composite star ranking: 5

2008
5 linemen
Composite star ranking: 2,3,3,3,3

2009
4 linemen
Composite: 2,3,3,3

15 total, zero JUCO

Arkansas OL classes

2013
4 linemen
Composite: 4,3,3,3

2014
5 linemen
Composite 4,4,3,3,3

2015
4 linemen
Composite 4,4,3,3

2016
4 linemen
Composite 4,3,3,3 and yes I counted Dylan Hays had an SEC offer

17 total, 4 JUCO

Unfortunately Petrino wasn't stockpiling talented offensive linemen because it wasn't required in his system. Its not required in his system just like Ole Miss and Texas A & M. This meant we didn't have the luxury of redshirting Skipper, Kirkland, and Ragnow which has stretched us a little thin. The powerhouse offensive lines of Wisconsin were made up of only Juniors and Seniors. We have been forced into playing some guys earlier.  But have no fear, this is only a 1 time deal. There is almost no chance of playing on the offensive line as a freshman going forward. In terms of numbers, a solid class this year will put us on par with classes at Wisconsin. By the way in the face of all this turmoil, we are ranked and 4-1 with Bama coming to town.

http://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/arkansas-football/bret-bielema-details-two-hardest-positions-recruit-college-football/

[goodguytex]

Well, we are 3-1 until we play Alcorn State, but I think we will crush them, so 4-1 is pretty much a foregone conclusion.

[Inhogswetrust]

Missing a few years there aren't you.

[Redhogs]

When we hired Bret Bielema everyone was surprised then excited about building a team comparable to his 2010 Badgers. The strength of that team being a hulkish offensive line.

John Moffitt 3rd round  2011 3 star
Gabe Carimi 1st round 2011 3 star
Bill Nagy 7th round 2011 3 star
Kevin Zeitler 1st round 2012 3 star
Peter Konz 2nd round 2012 3 star
Travis Fredrickson 1st round 2013 3 star
Ricky Wagner 5th round 2013 0 star walk on

Our offensive line is struggling at the moment which some equate to a low number of linemen over multiple classes.

Wisconsin OL classes
2006
5 linemen
Composite star rankings: 2,3,3,3,4

2007
1 linemen
Composite star ranking: 5

2008
5 linemen
Composite star ranking: 2,3,3,3,3

2009
4 linemen
Composite: 2,3,3,3

15 total, zero JUCO

Arkansas OL classes

2013
4 linemen
Composite: 4,3,3,3

2014
5 linemen
Composite 4,4,3,3,3

2015
4 linemen
Composite 4,4,3,3

2016
4 linemen
Composite 4,3,3,3 and yes I counted Dylan Hays had an SEC offer

17 total, 4 JUCO

Unfortunately Petrino wasn't stockpiling talented offensive linemen because it wasn't required in his system. Its not required in his system just like Ole Miss and Texas A & M. This meant we didn't have the luxury of redshirting Skipper, Kirkland, and Ragnow which has stretched us a little thin. The powerhouse offensive lines of Wisconsin were made up of only Juniors and Seniors. We have been forced into playing some guys earlier.  But have no fear, this is only a 1 time deal. There is almost no chance of playing on the offensive line as a freshman going forward. In terms of numbers, a solid class this year will put us on par with classes at Wisconsin. By the way in the face of all this turmoil, we are ranked and 4-1 with Bama coming to town.

I love it...5 years later and it's STILL  Petrino's fault....for the love god...just stop.

[luke hawg]

I love it...5 years later and it's STILL  Petrino's fault....for the love god...just stop.

It's not his fault at all just a completely different system that requires emphasis in other areas for success. How did you come to that conclusion? For it to be Petrino's fault he would have had to purposefully place less emphasis on O-line recruiting to sabotage our future coach. His linemen are required to do a lot less physically. He is not going to spend countless hours recruiting a stud offensive linemen when an average linemen is sufficient is his scheme. He can use that time to flip a Joe Adams or reel in a stud defensive end.

[luke hawg]

Missing a few years there aren't you.

No, the years for each team our comparable if producing the level of talent at Wisconsin by evidence of the 2011-2013 draft is the desired result.

[Hawghiggs]

 The truth is. Maybe he should have recruited more O-linemen. Instead of leaving scholarships unfilled.

[bcdeputy]

I love it...5 years later and it's STILL  Petrino's fault....for the love god...just stop.

We'll quit blaming Petrino, when you guys quit saying how much better off we'd be with him as our coach

[ricepig]

The truth is. Maybe he should have recruited more O-linemen. Instead of leaving scholarships unfilled.

Maybe he offered several and they said no, truth be told. We got a few 3* to walk on, some have stuck with it, others, not.

[HawgnCorona]

I love it...5 years later and it's STILL  Petrino's fault....for the love god...just stop.

I agree. You cant lay this at his feet...

[ricepig]

I agree. You cant lay this at his feet...

Nutt's....Ford.....Crowe??

[luke hawg]

You people are so dense. No one is blaming Petrino.

[InHOGuration Ball]

We'll quit blaming Petrino, when you guys quit saying how much better off we'd be with him as our coach

Oh, I think a lot of people will quit saying how much better off we'd be with Petrino as our coach when our coach wins 10 and 11 games in consecutive seasons.  I like Bielema as our coach, but the reality is he hasn't been able to match Petrino's success.  Winning makes you an elite college football coach.

[Oklahawg]

SEC defenses are far more athletic and prone to being fast vs big like their Big 10 counterparts.

You may recall that during the later Petrino years we struggled at the start of the year because the pass blocking schemes required so much practice time we didn't have time to rep the run blocking. Nutt was easier - the (zone) run blocking schemes were simplified so they could be repped a lot for comfort and timing, but this left the passing schemes simple and easily exploited.

We are trying to build a sophisticated run blocking scheme AND sophisticated pass blocking scheme. Our optimal run blockers are not our optimal pass blockers. At some point, we needed to have committed to a set of five starters and built a gameplan around what they could do. We seem to still be bludgeoning a full playbook of preparation onto the players...all while not necessarily utilizing the entire playbook in games (yet).

By all reasonable metrics we do suffer from non-redshirt years and early departures. We were badly hurt by not grabbing enough OL in the last couple of classes, or chasing late reaches. But, if you can play at Texas, and are an early graduate (certainly smart enough to learn the playbook), why can't you succeed right now at UA?

Something structural had to have kicked in, right? CBB's stubborn insistence on certain practice habits, maybe, or changes in terminology.

It is really odd.

[Hawghiggs]

Maybe he offered several and they said no, truth be told. We got a few 3* to walk on, some have stuck with it, others, not.

Then we need to do a better job of getting them to say yes.

[Lake City Hog]

Okla, 2 things---
We heard that Chaney had such a complicated O that it might take a couple of years to get it fully installed and now we have a blocking scheme that is similar??? Why do we inflict such trouble on ourselves?

Since BB has been here we have redshirted very few of our better players. If you look at BB's first class we could have easily redshirted Skipper and Kirkland. Neither of them really played much until later in the season and we won our ONLY 3 games before they became regulars or even starters. We could have lost 9 games with the older guys and right now Kirkland would be a redshirt JR as would Skipper.

I don't see why people cannot understand that at Arkansas you don't recruit depth you redshirt depth. Continuing to play true freshmen makes it very difficult to ever really have good depth.

[Dwight_K_Shrute]

Maybe Kurt Anderson isn't all that and a bag of chips when it comes to being an offensive line coach.  His twitter game is fierce so that's got to translate to coaching up talent.

Anderson had a total of 5 years FBS experience all at Eastern Michigan 4 as OL coach.  In those 4 years EMU's record was 10-38.

Now Coach B is supposed to have an eye for coaching talent so maybe KA is still learning and developing as a coach and it is his first year with the team.  He has never been a position coach at high FBS program before this.  I'm just no sure if the SEC is where you learn OTJ.

Here is the total FBS coaching experience OL or otherwise for every team in SEC West.

Alabama Mario Cristobal 15 years
Auburn JB Grimes 25 years
LSU Jeff Grimes 16 years
Texas A&M Jim Turner 7 years (9 years at FCS)
Ole Miss Matt Luke 14 years
MSU John Hevesy 15 years

We have by far the least experienced OL coach in the SEC West.  Sometimes that doesn't matter sometimes it does.  You couple that with it being his first year, and having one of the youngest lines in the league and it's not hard to figure out why they are slow to develop and gel.

[factchecker]

Here is the total FBS coaching experience OL or otherwise for every team in SEC West.

Alabama Mario Cristobal 15 years
Auburn JB Grimes 25 years
LSU Jeff Grimes 16 years
Texas A&M Jim Turner 7 years (9 years at FCS)
Ole Miss Matt Luke 14 years
MSU John Hevesy 15 years

We have by far the least experienced OL coach in the SEC West.  Sometimes that doesn't matter sometimes it does.  You couple that with it being his first year, and having one of the youngest lines in the league and it's not hard to figure out why they are slow to develop and gel.

I think you make a good point but I thought I would add an interesting stat:

Sacks Allowed for each coach's unit-

Alabama Mario Cristobal - 8 sacks allowed
Auburn JB Grimes - 12 sacks allowed
LSU Jeff Grimes - 7 sacks allowed
Texas A&M Jim Turner - 4 sacks allowed
Ole Miss Matt Luke - 9 sacks allowed
MSU John Hevesy - 8 sacks allowed

Kurt Anderson - 7 sacks allowed

I have yet to find a stat database that shows hurries, knockdowns, or pressures.  However, Kurt isn't doing all that terrible for being the youngest coach in conference.

Consider this shocking stat as well-

Sam MF Pittman---- The god of offensive line coaches....  His unit has allowed how many sacks this season?

12!!!!  Tied for 13th in the SEC.

If you want to find the answer to our line woes it's simple: recruiting.

We're young on the line due to our past recruiting failures which falls on Coach Bielema.  We swung and missed on big time recruits.  We mis-evaluated on Koehler, wasted a spot on Jovan Pruitt, and reached with a couple of the JUCO guys from 2013.  In a perfect situation we don't have to start Kirkland or Skipper as true freshman in 2013.

Our guys will get better.  They got better last season as the season progressed.  They'll get better or things will change.