Rebel Chuck
07-10-2007, 11:37 PM
Dave Childers
Football experts tend to look for reasons to keep Ole Miss at or near the bottom of Southeastern Conference teams, but if they were to look for a reason for the Rebels to start winning in 2007, look no further than the offensive line.
Dave Childers
Micahel Oher is receiving All-American attention
In a short year and a half under veteran line coach Art Kehoe, the offensive line has gone from one big question mark to a unit that is among the top of all SEC teams.
A makeshift line emerged last season to pave the way for BenJarvus Green-Ellis to become only the third Rebel ever to gain 1,000 yards in a single season and the line figures to be much improved this season both in terms of experience and depth.
Head coach Ed Orgeron made Michael Oher a top recruiting priority when he took over late in 2004 and the prep standout hasn't disappointed. He made freshman All-American at right guard in 2005 after starting 10 games and was the coaches' selection for second team All-Conference last season as a true sophomore. He's receiving some consideration for All-American honors this season.
With the 6-foot-5, 325 pound Oher on board, Orgeron continued to build a line that was left brittle by the departed David Cutcliffe. He signed four-star right guard John Jerry, a phenomenal 6-foot-6, 340 pound athlete who won a starting position shortly after arriving in fall camp last summer and added Corey Actis, a junior college transfer who won the starting center position at the eleventh hour last season and ended up starting all 12 games.
The right tackle position last year was by committee after Daryl Harris won the job, then was injured. Several players were tried, including starting left guard Andrew Wicker, before Maurice Miller emerged at the position.
Wicker is the Rebels only loss from last season, and while the coaches loved his style of play, Reid Neely (6-foot-6, 310 pounds) emerged in spring practice to take over on Actis' left side.
Coaches were thrilled with Neely's improvement where he blossomed from borderline prospect to a student athlete with the skills that could move the sophomore into the NFL if he continues to improve. Neely appeared in 10 games last season.
Actis may be the least talented on the line in terms of raw ability, but has the intelligence and leadership to pull the line together.
While the front line starters are attention-getters in terms of size and experience, the biggest improvement could be in terms of depth.
Returning Starters: Michael Oher, John Jerry, Corey Actis, Maurice Miller
Other Key Returnees: Reid Neely, Darryl Harris, Thomas Eckers, Marcus Cohen
Signees: Mark Jean-Louis, Rishaw Johnson, Bradley Sowell, Alex Washington
Key Losses: Andrew Wicker
The Depth Chart
The Rebels lost only Wicker, but signed four prospects in the 2007 signing class.
Leading the way is junior college transfer Mark Jean-Louis, who enrolled in January and saw action during spring practice. Due to that experience, Jean-Lewis might be the first on the list of new faces to play, but four-star signee Rishaw Johnson likely isn't far behind. Johnson likely would have been thrown in the mix immediately had he arrived in either of Orgeron's first two seasons, but, barring several injuries, the Rebels should have the luxury to bring him along slowly. The same goes for Bradley Sowell, who's undergone a physical transformation from over 350 pounds when he verbally committed a year ago to around 310 pounds this summer and could surprise. Alex Washington has been on campus for the summer which should also give him a leg up when it comes to transitioning and physical conditioning.
That group will augment and compete for playing time against a solid group of reserves.
Harris can play either guard or tackle which offers some options in event of injuries and Thomas Eckers can play any position on the line including center, where he's slated to back up Actis. Actis and Eckers were neck and neck in the center competition last summer until Orgeron named Actis as the starter the day before the Memphis game despite Eckers appearing to lead the competition for most of the camp. That situation should make things more comfortable for Kehoe in the event Actis can't go.
Marcus Cohen has never lived up to his billing as a coveted recruit coming out of Clarksdale, but should add experience and depth if his name is called.
Orgeron has made it clear in interviews and at alumni gatherings that the offensive line is a strength, and he intends to use the massive offensive line to the advantage of the team this fall.
"I saw Chris Spencer and Marcus Johnson when I first got here," Orgeron said. "I knew we had to go out and get that type of lineman and we're doing that."
The unit should also be improved on pass blocking this fall. Offensive coordinator Dan Werner intends to use a short passing game and the short drops by the Rebel quarterback should be easy for the unit to protect.
Rebels fans would likely have to go back to the Johnny Vaught era to find a team with two All-Americans on the offensive line, but in Oher and Jerry, that could happen, if not this year, then certainly next year.
Some football experts may not be familiar with the Rebel line, but it's a given that the NFL scouts are.
Football experts tend to look for reasons to keep Ole Miss at or near the bottom of Southeastern Conference teams, but if they were to look for a reason for the Rebels to start winning in 2007, look no further than the offensive line.
Dave Childers
Micahel Oher is receiving All-American attention
In a short year and a half under veteran line coach Art Kehoe, the offensive line has gone from one big question mark to a unit that is among the top of all SEC teams.
A makeshift line emerged last season to pave the way for BenJarvus Green-Ellis to become only the third Rebel ever to gain 1,000 yards in a single season and the line figures to be much improved this season both in terms of experience and depth.
Head coach Ed Orgeron made Michael Oher a top recruiting priority when he took over late in 2004 and the prep standout hasn't disappointed. He made freshman All-American at right guard in 2005 after starting 10 games and was the coaches' selection for second team All-Conference last season as a true sophomore. He's receiving some consideration for All-American honors this season.
With the 6-foot-5, 325 pound Oher on board, Orgeron continued to build a line that was left brittle by the departed David Cutcliffe. He signed four-star right guard John Jerry, a phenomenal 6-foot-6, 340 pound athlete who won a starting position shortly after arriving in fall camp last summer and added Corey Actis, a junior college transfer who won the starting center position at the eleventh hour last season and ended up starting all 12 games.
The right tackle position last year was by committee after Daryl Harris won the job, then was injured. Several players were tried, including starting left guard Andrew Wicker, before Maurice Miller emerged at the position.
Wicker is the Rebels only loss from last season, and while the coaches loved his style of play, Reid Neely (6-foot-6, 310 pounds) emerged in spring practice to take over on Actis' left side.
Coaches were thrilled with Neely's improvement where he blossomed from borderline prospect to a student athlete with the skills that could move the sophomore into the NFL if he continues to improve. Neely appeared in 10 games last season.
Actis may be the least talented on the line in terms of raw ability, but has the intelligence and leadership to pull the line together.
While the front line starters are attention-getters in terms of size and experience, the biggest improvement could be in terms of depth.
Returning Starters: Michael Oher, John Jerry, Corey Actis, Maurice Miller
Other Key Returnees: Reid Neely, Darryl Harris, Thomas Eckers, Marcus Cohen
Signees: Mark Jean-Louis, Rishaw Johnson, Bradley Sowell, Alex Washington
Key Losses: Andrew Wicker
The Depth Chart
The Rebels lost only Wicker, but signed four prospects in the 2007 signing class.
Leading the way is junior college transfer Mark Jean-Louis, who enrolled in January and saw action during spring practice. Due to that experience, Jean-Lewis might be the first on the list of new faces to play, but four-star signee Rishaw Johnson likely isn't far behind. Johnson likely would have been thrown in the mix immediately had he arrived in either of Orgeron's first two seasons, but, barring several injuries, the Rebels should have the luxury to bring him along slowly. The same goes for Bradley Sowell, who's undergone a physical transformation from over 350 pounds when he verbally committed a year ago to around 310 pounds this summer and could surprise. Alex Washington has been on campus for the summer which should also give him a leg up when it comes to transitioning and physical conditioning.
That group will augment and compete for playing time against a solid group of reserves.
Harris can play either guard or tackle which offers some options in event of injuries and Thomas Eckers can play any position on the line including center, where he's slated to back up Actis. Actis and Eckers were neck and neck in the center competition last summer until Orgeron named Actis as the starter the day before the Memphis game despite Eckers appearing to lead the competition for most of the camp. That situation should make things more comfortable for Kehoe in the event Actis can't go.
Marcus Cohen has never lived up to his billing as a coveted recruit coming out of Clarksdale, but should add experience and depth if his name is called.
Orgeron has made it clear in interviews and at alumni gatherings that the offensive line is a strength, and he intends to use the massive offensive line to the advantage of the team this fall.
"I saw Chris Spencer and Marcus Johnson when I first got here," Orgeron said. "I knew we had to go out and get that type of lineman and we're doing that."
The unit should also be improved on pass blocking this fall. Offensive coordinator Dan Werner intends to use a short passing game and the short drops by the Rebel quarterback should be easy for the unit to protect.
Rebels fans would likely have to go back to the Johnny Vaught era to find a team with two All-Americans on the offensive line, but in Oher and Jerry, that could happen, if not this year, then certainly next year.
Some football experts may not be familiar with the Rebel line, but it's a given that the NFL scouts are.