Nine days away from the season opener, Colorado is getting close to figuring out its offensive line, but it remains a work in progress.
“I mean, we’ve been mixing and matching guys, just trying to find the right combinations,” offensive line coach Phil Loadholt said. “I feel really good about the rotation that I got set right now in my mind, but we’ve been working on it. We’re gonna get there definitely before next Thursday, for sure.”
CU opens its season at Folsom Field against North Dakota State on Aug. 29 (6 p.m., ESPN).
Throughout preseason camp, the Buffs have utilized many of the same starters, particularly on the left side of the line. Jordan Seaton (left tackle), Justin Mayers (left guard) and Hank Zilinskas (center) appear to be set on the first unit.
Tyler Brown has also been a fixture on the starting line, but he’s moved around. He began camp at right guard, but has been playing right tackle the last couple of weeks.
At right guard, Kahlil Benson has been with the top unit recently. He began camp at right tackle. Benson missed some with an injury, though, allowing others, including Tyler Johnson and Kareem Harden, to work with the starters.
Veterans such as Phillip Houston and Yakiri Walker have been fixtures with the second unit.
“That’s where we’re at right now, just trying to find depth, build the depth up in the room,” Loadholt said. “Coach Prime gave me some situations to think about moving forward, and that’s where we’re at right now. I feel good about six, seven, maybe eight right now, and trying to get that to 10 – closer to 10 – and then we’ll be at a good spot.”
Loadholt added that it’s been a bonus to have senior quarterback Shedeur Sanders behind the line. His talent and experience has helped the line.
“When you got him back there, he makes us right a lot,” Loadholt said. “He’ll check things and put us in the right spot, get where we need to be. He understands protections, he understands the entire offense, so having him back there is good. And those guys know that if he tells you something, you do it, and they can lean on what he’s telling them.”
Seaton is playing a key role at left tackle and the five-star true freshman has made some progress as his first college season approaches. (He has also worked a bit at right tackle.)
“Mentally, he’s improved a lot,” Loadholt said. “Just his communication at the tackle position, whether he’s at right or left, being able to communicate to the backs, being able to communicate with the guys next to him. He’s picked up in that a lot.
“Obviously, I want to see him improve on just the toughness of college football. It’s a grind every day. There’s not many times you can take a play off, so just knowing that every snap he goes, he’s got to give it everything. So his toughness is the main part.”
Loadholt added that Brown has been a locker room leader and Zilinskas, a true sophomore entering his first full season as a starter, has done well in preparing for the season.
“Hank’s been great,” Loadholt said. “He’s a guy who always communicates, gets everybody in the right spot. He’s starting to learn his leverage and angles a lot better, which being a center at his size (6-foot-3, 285 pounds), that’s what he has to do to be successful. So he’s been great since I got here, and he continues to improve.”
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