Emporia State quarterback Zach Rampy was asked about the offensive line last week during training camp — mostly, in reference to their improved size — and Rampy said what everyone around the program has to be thinking these days.
“Our line looks like an offensive line now,” Rampy said. “We’ve got big guys up there.”
Rampy quickly corrected himself, noting that the linemen of the past also looked like linemen; they’re just bigger now. But his original statement wasn’t far off.
Last year, Emporia State relied on freshmen and undersized upperclassmen, and a lack of size and experience had the Hornet line getting exposed. They gave up 20 sacks and were second-to-last in the MIAA in average yards per carry.
“We were just young and we didn’t understand how the defense played and other teams,” sophomore tackle Jordan Godberson said. “We just had to catch up to the game speed. After 11 games and after spring ball and the weight room, we learned we’ve got to get stronger, faster and play harder.”
The presence of new strength and conditioning coach Matt Walter has helped the linemen get bulked up, and a few new linemen have increased the average size of the line.
The two biggest additions — literally — are Ayo Ademiluyi and John Buckman, both tackles. Ademiluyi, 6-foot-6 and 320 pounds, arrived last spring from the United Kingdom. Buckman, 6-foot-8 and 328 pounds, transferred from Miami (Ohio).
“It is a change,” offensive line coach Sean Clowers said. “We are definitely bigger than we what we were last year up front. The key is making sure we’re better football players up front, but the size definitely should help us.
“... What it really means is when you’re big like that is you have the opportunity to make up for mistakes that you couldn’t if it was a smaller player.”
The Hornets are still undersized in some areas. Redshirt freshman Lance Uhles is expected to take over as the team’s starting center, and Uhles weighs only 256 pounds.
Sophomore guard Ben McKaig also calls himself undersized at 6-foot-3 and 278 pounds, but he makes up for his size in other areas.
“Ben McKaig is my best all-around football player,” Clowers said. “He can play all five spots, and he’s my smartest offensive lineman.”
Clowers moved over from coaching tight ends to linemen when former line coach Travis Fox left after last season. Clowers has emphasized the fundamentals and physical play.
“Coach Fox was more of a spacing and quickness type of guy,” McKaig said. “Coach Clowers wants us to be more physical, and really I think it’s actually helped us as a group mentality, mental toughness and physical toughness, because that’s the type of things that we’re going to have to do to be successful and to be able to run the football.
“We really struggled with it last year and even to be able to protect the quarterback, playing through the whistle instead of to the whistle. That’s the type of things that Coach Clowers really emphasizes that has helped us a lot.”
Guard Steve Underwood is the Hornets only senior on the line, but Uhles is the only freshman expected to start. McKaig and Godberson both started 11 games last season and should retain their starting roles. Buckman and Ademiluyi, both juniors, will battle for the other tackle position.
Having three experienced linemen should help the Hornet newcomers ease into the MIAA.
“That’s the biggest thing, you get the playing experience in an MIAA game,” Underwood said, “and it doesn’t matter who you play, you’re going to be good to go.”