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Offensive linemen don’t get much attention unless they commit a penalty or give up a sack. With South Carolina redshirt sophomore quarterback LaNorris Sellers earning high praise at a national level, it may be a good thing if you don’t know the names of the Gamecocks playing up front at the end of each week, but that won’t discount the importance of what they’ll be doing.
“They worked really hard in the offseason to get stronger, change their bodies, and keep improving on technique,” said offensive line coach Lonnie Teasley. “I’m expecting them to have a big year, to play smart, and to play physical.”
“On the offensive line, we return so many guys, and we’ve recruited well,” said head coach Shane Beamer. “We bring back both of our offensive tackles with Cason Henry and Josiah Thompson. We also bring back two tackles who have played a lot with Tree Babalade and Jatavius Shivers. That’s four guys that have played a lot of football for us. We lost three guys from the interior of our offensive line, but we’ve recruited well. We’ve got depth and athleticism, and we need to come together and gel since they have not played a lot together.”
“We have a lot of people in the room, and the number one thing I see is that we’re all so versatile,” said senior center Nolan Hay. “A lot of us can play more than one position. I just love going out there and hitting people. It’s the one sport other than UFC and boxing where you are allowed to take over somebody else and move them against their will. It’s you versus somebody else.”
Last year, Sellers earned Freshman All-America, SEC Freshman of the Year, and Third Team All-SEC honors after throwing for 2,534 yards and 18 touchdowns while rushing for 674 yards and seven scores. Having a dual threat at quarterback is great, but what about for the guys trying to block for him who may not know where he is every time the ball is snapped?
“I wouldn’t say it’s a challenge,” Teasley said. “He’s going to make plays, and we’re going to do our best to keep him clean.”
“You definitely don’t always know where he is at any given time, but when you feel your guy moving one way or the other, you figure out where (Sellers) is going,” said redshirt junior offensive tackle Cason Henry. “I like moving people. That’s why I got into football in the first place. LaNorris is an interesting quarterback to block for because of that, but he makes my life easier in a lot of ways. I’m very thankful for him.”
“He is very special compared to anyone I’ve played with,” Hay said. “I don’t see it as a challenge because if you don’t know exactly where he is, it makes you want to fight that much longer and makes you a better player.”
“With the type of offense we want to be, he’s not just going to leave pocket just because he can,” said redshirt freshman offensive lineman Blake Franks. “It’s an option though, and if we mess up as an offensive line, he has the ability to get out and get us a first down. I appreciate what he can do.”
“I’m older so I understand it depends on what the defender is trying to do,” said redshirt senior interior lineman Nick Sharpe, who transferred from Wake Forest. “I like pushing other guys against their will from point A to point B, and they can’t do anything about it. A lot of times, what the defender does will tell me where the quarterback is.”
Other than winning, the goals for the unit up front are pretty simple.
“I want to see us continue to run the ball better and to continue to protect the passer better,” Teasley said.
“I just want us to pick up where we left off last year,” said redshirt sophomore offensive tackle Tree Babalade. “We’re very hungry.”
“We have a lot of talent this year,” said sophomore offensive tackle Josiah Thompson. “We just want to make everybody better every day at practice.”
“We want to play with a lot of physicality,” said Franks. “We can be a great offensive line this year if we stay healthy and united as a team. Once we go to second and third string, they’re really good as well. I want to keep playing harder for longer.”
“A good day for us on the offensive line is if there are no sacks, we rush for over 150 yards, and we do our job by being dominant and keeping the quarterback clean,” Sharpe said.
“I’m the most confident I’ve ever been about a unit since I’ve been here,” Henry said. “I think the depth that we have and the tenacity that we play with makes me confident in our guys. Playing at a high level consistently is one of the hardest things you can do as an offensive lineman. It’s technical, physical, and mental.”
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