Previewing the Offensive Line: 47 Days Until Kansas Football

We finish up the offensive position group previews with the backbone of that side of the ball.

© Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports

Each week, we will take a deep dive into one of the 10 main position groups, highlighting the key players to watch and giving you an idea of what to expect from the position this year for the Kansas Jayhawks. This week, we continue our series with the final group of the offense. Today, we jump into a position that returns the majority of its starters for the second straight year: the offensive line.

Other Positional Previews:

• Quarterbacks
• Running Backs
• Wide Receivers
• Tight Ends

Last Season

For the second straight season, the Jayhawks had a lot of consistency across the offensive line. There was only one backup that played more than 100 snaps, and only two of those six players missed any games. 

Player Name	Position	Games Played	Total Snaps	Pass Blocks	Run Blocks
Mike Novitsky	Center	12	843	441	402
Dominick Puni	Guard	13	848	442	406
Michael Ford Jr	Guard	13	721	367	353
Ar'maj Adams-Reed	Guard	13	182	85	97
Earl Bostick Jr.	Tackle	13	828	437	391
Bryce Cabeldue	Tackle	12	801	427	374

Once again the Jayhawks did not have an offensive lineman who graded out very highly according to Pro Football Focus, but as a whole the offensive line was better at pass blocking than run blocking. It's a little strange to see the Jayhawks rated so low, especially since they only allowed 12 sacks on the entire season.

I think the performance of the line has just as much to do with quarterback play and offensive scheming, but there is no doubt that this two-year run of offensive line play is the best that we have seen from the Jayhawks in a long time.

Cause For Concern

Earl Bostick Jr is now in the NFL, and while the Jayhawks have four of the five starters back, it's not a gimme that they are going to be able to replace his production. But the biggest concern is one of size. The Jayhawks struggled with big defensive lines, and it appears there are a few on the schedule this season.

Reasons for Optimism

Once again, the Jayhawks are returning four starters from last season. And unlike last season, the transfers that have come in are expected to be able to contribute. Logan Brown was the big name, coming in from Wisconsin. While he wasn't a starter, he did appear in all 13 games for the Badgers and totaled over 200 snaps on the season. Additionally, Spencer Lovell transferred in from Cal after missing all but the first three games due to injury.

Add in that most of the depth is returning, and the Jayhawks are set up for another year of continuity, which served them well last season. The coaching staff has shown the ability to be flexible and get the most out of the pieces they have available, so there are a lot of reasons to think they will put together another good line this year.

Projected Depth Chart

The depth chart this year really seems to be about some small shifting and then plugging in the new pieces. I don't expect this to look a lot different from last season.

LT: Dre Doiron/Logan Brown

I waffled a lot here, as Dre Doiron was the backup to Bostick by the end of last season, showing some promise. And there has been a preference for continuity from this coaching staff. But if Brown is as good as many think he might be, he will quickly take over the top spot.

Let's consider this to be my expectation for the opening day depth chart at the position, but don't be surprised if this changes pretty quickly. This will especially be the case if Brown is the better run blocker by as much as the ratings show.

LG: Dominick Puni/Spencer Lovell

Puni really developed over the course of the season, pretty much locking up his spot here in the line. And given the preference to stick with what has worked, I don't have any reason to believe that Puni won't remain here. And getting named by some publications to various second and third teams for the preseason awards means that many believe in his potential too.

Lovell is a bit of a wildcard here, much like Brown. He has enough of a pedigree that he could push for starting minutes, but it is difficult to get enough of a read to justify starting him over Puni. I would think about him backing up Ford on the right side, but both of these positions seem as locked down as possible.

C: Mike Novitsky/Joe Krause

Novitsky was one of four Jayhawks named by the media to the All-Big 12 Preseason team, so he has the respect of a lot of people. I don't see any reason for him to lose this job, and the high performance from last season should continue into this year..

Krause ended the season as Novitsky's backup. Jackson Satterwhite was the only other potential backup that might have seen the field, but he used his eligibility last season..

RG: Michael Ford Jr/Armaj Adams-Reed

Ford is the best all-around guard on the roster, with a relatively stable pass-block and run-block grade. The only concern for him was that he had 100 snaps less than the other starters on the offensive line, even though he appeared in all 13 games.

Ford and Adams-Reed split time at this position, with Adams-Reed starting the year as the primary option. His run-blocking was better than the pass blocking, and as the Jayhawks leaned more on the passing, his role declined. However, early indications are that he has taken a big step forward as well and could push for more playing time this year.

RT: Bryce Cabeldue/Kobe Baynes

I thought last year that Cabeldue was the most likely starter to be ousted, but he finished the season up strong, solidifying his spot in the depth chart. And while it is entirely possible that Doiron shifts over to take this starting spot, but I think this is a case where the side of the line matters.

Baynes is the lowest rated tackle on the roster that had minutes last season, and it's entirely possible that someone else steps in to fill this role. But the coaching staff talked really highly of Baynes when he came in, and he transferred in so late in the offseason last year that it took some time for him to get up to speed.

Depth

The Jayhawks have a bunch of young guys who will be looking to establish themselves for next season, especially with Novitsky and Puni in their redshirt senior seasons. Nolan Gorczyca is the first name that comes to mind as one that can improve his chances, as he was a transfer from Buffalo last season that didn't get as much run as I thought he would.

The rest of the depth is a large group of freshman and sophomores who have yet to get chances anywhere. But with the way that Kansas has developed their offensive lineman the last couple years, I wouldn't be shocked to see many of them either get a chance here in a year or two or transfer to find a new home where they can have an impact.

Coaching Staff

The offensive line is coached by Scott Fuchs, who is in his third season with the Jayhawks. He came to Kansas with Lance Leipold, and coached the offensive line for two seasons at Buffalo before coming to Lawrence.

While at Buffalo, he helped develop the position into a strength of the offense. He was a finalist for the FootballScoop Offensive Line Coach of the Year, and Buffalo's offensive lines were consistently recognized as among the best in the nation under his direction.

The improvement over the last two seasons across the line was evident, and the expectations couldn't be higher going into this season. And with multiple players getting early recognition for the upcoming season, there is a chance that this could be a special unit this year.

Overall Thoughts

The continuity along this offensive line has been unreal, and they have a chance to build on that this year while adding some baseline talent to supplement the players already in house. 

As with most positions for the Jayhawks, there is a small concern about the athleticism and size differences that may exist between these players and their opponents, but the coaching staff has shown that they know how to scheme around those sorts of issues. Overall, look for another successful season out of this group.

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