Welcome to the fourth part of the Cajuns position preview series! This week, we finish up the offensive side of the ball and break down the offensive line.
Who Left After Last Season?
There were a few notable departures after last season, the most impactful was Mykhael Quave. Quave suffered an injury during his senior year and that would end his solid college career. Octravian Anderson and Donovan Williams also left the team after the completion of the 2016 season due to eligibility costing the Cajuns in one of the most important positions on offense.
Who’s Returning In 2016?
While the Cajuns lost some big time players from last season, there are some good guys coming back that could improve the line. The biggest benefit is having Eddie Gordon come back. Gordon was the center from last season for all but one game in 2015 and is the frontrunner to keep the spot he has this season. That is a big positive because the center needs to be a good leader. Look at some of the better O-Lines in the past for the Ragin Cajuns and you will see a common theme that experience and leadership at that position can pay off dividends. But that wasn’t the only player that had experience from last season. Grant Horst has been used like a swiss army knife playing almost every position on the line last year. Expect these two to help some of these younger players to develop. Speaking of which, you’ve got players like Adrian Goodacre, D’Aquin Withrow, and Jesse Freeman who saw the field as a freshman and will be seeing some playing time after losing three experienced linemen.
The Other Guys
There’s quite a few incoming freshmen at the offensive line position that could see some playing time if some of the more experienced players on the line suffer injuries. Guys like Kevin Dotson and Robert Hunt, who are both hosses, could be one of those freshmen that could show up and help this team out.
Conclusion
The Ragin Cajuns have an offensive line that has a ton of potential with an experienced center who could help give this team a good anchor. It doesn’t hurt to have other guys with experience to give the young guns a chance to learn the system.
-Clint Domingue
Ragin Cajun Position Preview: Quarterback
Ragin Cajun Position Preview: Running Back
Ragin Cajun Position Preview: Wide Receivers
Ragin Cajun Position Preview: Tight Ends