Latest news with #OffensiveLine
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Notre Dame guard Billy Schrauth named to the 2025 Lombardi Award preseason Watch List
If Notre Dame is going to return to the College Football Playoff, strong offensive line play figures to be one key driving force. Recognized as one of the strongest units in the country, the O-Line is anchored by guard Billy Schrauth, who was named to the 2025 Lombardi Award preseason Watch List. Schrauth and the Fighting Irish offensive line have the luxury of facing one of the better defensive lines in the country every day in practice, so it comes as no surprise that this O-Line is prepared for the nation's best week in and week out. The Lombardi Award Committee's preseason list features 90 of the nation's top linemen and linebackers based on previous performances and potential for the coming season. This season's honorees include 18 defensive tackles, 17 defensive ends, 19 linebackers, 18 offensive tackles, 10 offensive guards (including Schrauth), 6 centers and 2 tight ends. Established in 1970 in memory of the legendary Vince Lombardi, the award is presented to outstanding linemen who best epitomize their values of leadership, courage, performance, and discipline on and off the field. Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes and opinions. Follow Dave on X: Miller_Dave This article originally appeared on Fighting Irish Wire: Notre Dame's Schrauth on 2025 Lombardi Award preseason Watch List
Yahoo
31-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Indiana football position preview: Hoosiers figuring out pieces on talented offensive line
BLOOMINGTON — Indiana football opens fall camp on July 30 as Curt Cignetti and crew look to build on the foundation they laid with an historic run to the College Football Playoffs. The Hoosiers were once again active participants in the transfer portal, but they also retained many of the key faces behind last year's success. We're taking a position-by-position look at their roster this week that continues with a breakdown of the team's offensive line. More: 'We are really playing for postseason opportunities': Indiana football's recent scheduling moves explained Meet Indiana football's offensive line Returning: Carter Smith (R-Jr), Drew Evans (R-Jr), Bray Lynch (R-Jr), Adedamola Ajani (R-Fr), Austin Leibfried (R-Fr), Evan Lawrence (R-Fr), Mitch Verstegen (R-Fr) Transfers: Kahlil Benson (R-Sr), Pat Coogan (R-Sr), Zen Michalski (R-Sr) Early enrollees: Matt Marek, Baylor Wilkin Fall enrollees: Evan Parker More: Indiana football: New turf installed at Memorial Stadium, Mellencamp Pavilion gets a makeover Can Indiana football returning starter Drew Evans avoid a setback? Cignetti told reporters at Big Ten Media Days that Evans was cleared for fall camp from the Achilles injury he suffered at the end of last season. The coaching staff will monitor his workload as he returns to practice after missing spring camp. Will IU look to have Evans back in the starting lineup at left guard for Week 1 against Old Dominion? Or will the Hoosiers give him additional time to work back into form for the Big Ten opener against Illinois a few weeks later? Adedamola Ajani, who spent spring camp with the first-team offense, would benefit from the game reps while taking the pressure off Evans who is coming back from an injury that can take up to 12 months to fully recover from. More: 'Phenomenal': Indiana football's season ticket sales for 2025 reach historic levels Will Indiana football have a moment of Zen this fall? Zen Michalski stands out among IU's transfer class, but not because he's a former top rated-prospect — the Floyd Central grad was the No. 2 ranked recruit from Indiana in the 2021 signing class — or because he played for the national champs last season. Michalski's lack of experience as a fifth-year senior makes him an outlier. He has one career start under his belt and played just 260 snaps with all those reps coming at left tackle. He gave up four quarterback pressures (two sacks) in that lone career start against Nebraska last season. Will a change of scenery and change of position to right tackle help Michalski unlock the potential he showed as a preps player? Indiana offensive line coach Bob Bostad has drawn rave reviews from Cignetti, but the success he's had with transfers has mostly come from players he previously coached (Evans and Trey Wedig). Where does Kahlil Benson fit into Indiana football's plans? Benson is the most experienced of Indiana's offensive lineman having played in 33 career games and 1,828 career snaps, with the bulk of those coming in Bloomington. He was one of two former Hoosiers (Louis Moore) who transferred back to the program after spending a year away. Cignetti envisioned Benson competing at right tackle since that's where he played for Bostad in 2023, but that's not set in stone. Will his experience give him an edge over Michalski? Or will IU shake things up and have Benson compete for playing time at guard? The uncertainty surrounding Benson's spot on the two-deep given his experience is one of the bigger storylines of fall camp. More: Indiana football coach Curt Cignetti: Opposing team offered Hoosiers player $1.5 million to transfer Predicted depth chart for Indiana's offensive line First team: Carter Smith (LT), Drew Evans (LG), Pat Coogan (C), Bray Lynch (RG), Kahlil Benson (RT) Second team: Evan Lawrence (LT), Adedamola Ajani (LG), Matt Marek (C), Austin Leibfried (RG), Zen Michalski (RT) More: 'I've watched it countless times': Indiana football not done learning from CFP loss to Notre Dame Indiana football position preview roundup Wide receivers Tight ends Running backs Secondary Defensive line Michael Niziolek is the Indiana beat reporter for The Bloomington Herald-Times. You can follow him on X @michaelniziolek and read all his coverage by clicking here. This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Indiana football 2025 position preview: Offensive line
Yahoo
26-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Colon: Steelers aiming to win Super Bowl is 'the standard' 'GMFB'
Super Bowl XLIII Champion and former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman Willie Colon takes inventory of the Steelers' ability to make a Super Bowl run in the 2025 NFL season.
Yahoo
25-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Colon: Steelers aiming to win Super Bowl is 'the standard' 'GMFB'
Super Bowl XLIII Champion and former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman Willie Colon takes inventory of the Steelers' ability to make a Super Bowl run in the 2025 NFL season.
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cowboys' Offensive Line 'Full Of Question Marks' Entering 2025
Cowboys' Offensive Line 'Full Of Question Marks' Entering 2025 originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Dallas Cowboys' offensive line has undergone a mini makeover, if you will, over the past two seasons, with Tyler Guyton, Cooper Beebe, and now Tyler Booker coming in to replace Tyron Smith and Zack Martin. Advertisement To go with those three first-round picks are Tyler Smith and Terence Steele to make up Dak Prescott's protection. With Klayton Adams and Conor Riley both having resumes that are good in developing offensive linemen and producing top-run games, there is an air of expectation for the group. Guyton will be in his second season and looks to have turned a corner (yes, it's preseason, we know), and Beebe was a solid center in his rookie season, so expect him to improve. As for Booker, everything points towards him settling in nicely in 2025. But Pro Football Focus thinks otherwise, ranking Dallas' offensive line 23rd in the NFL. Advertisement "Considered a team strength not long ago, the Cowboys' offensive line is full of question marks," Pro Football Focus writes. "Left tackle Tyler Guyton's rookie season yielded just a 49.4 PFF overall grade, which ranked 73rd at the position. "In addition to Guyton, Dallas will play two other starters who are either early in their NFL careers: center Cooper Beebe and rookie first-round pick Tyler Booker, who is expected to replace Zack Martin." Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports So the unit will have a lot to prove, especially after last season's efforts, but there is enough to suggest an uptick in performance with Smith and potentially Steele leading the way. Advertisement Yes, Adams and Riley will also play their part, but it will be up to Guyton to take a big step forward, Booker to not get overawed, and Beebe to continue on his trajectory, and this offensive line might surprise some. Granted, that is a lot of things that need to happen, and training camp will be a good indicator of what we can expect moving forward. And if they play up to their standards, we imagine that come next offseason, they'll be ranked far higher than No. 23. Related: Cowboys Controversially Predicted To Boast 'Sick' Weapons For Dak Prescott Related: Cowboys Signing Former Defensive Player of the Year Predicted by Insider This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 8, 2025, where it first appeared.
