Stallion wrote:you know I thought Baylor's offensive line would be the difference all the time but you do realize that they have a different philosophy than Phil who doesn't want them as Big as Baylor's boys. SMU had Lineman 6-4 to 6-6 which at Baylor would probably be expected to weigh in at the 320 range. I thought the SMU interior defense actually played much better than expected esp the first 2 1/2 Quarters-and I know I was pretty [deleted] them because they hadn't proven anything yet at this level. The problem is that we are now in Phil's 4th year and we just have not been able to sign the quality and numbers of players we need to excel in the lines and I really don't think they are on campus yet. Too many people are fixated with size and weight and not enough are look at whether our guys are athletic and quick. I guess Darrin Johnson is an exception. At Baylor he's be 325.
That'd be true before Guy, but Guy is playing with Steele's players and that's why you are seeing the HUGE guys. Guy's plan is to take TEs and grow them into OL. He values the ability to move more than size.
Jason Smith, the TE that caught the 30+ yard pass tonight, is the perfect example. Came to Baylor as a 6'5" 235 TE; after a RS year he's 270, and next year he'll probably move to tackle as a 6'5" 295 OT that can move like a TE. Apparently he went from being a 4.6 guy to being a 4.7 guy, after putting on the extra 35 pounds. The coaches think he'll still be running in the 4.7s aat 290-295, but even if he slips into the 4.8s, that's dang fast for a lineman that big.
We recruited three or four TEs this year, and only one of them is slated to stay at the position. The rest are going to be bulked up and moved inside. By 2006 the line will reflect what Guy wants. Until then, we'll make do with guys like McDonald that is 6'5" 340. He's a great runblocker, but just can't have the feet he needs for pass protection at that weight. And he dropped 25 pounds this offseason!