Did some quick reserach to see why we're still so young on the OL and DL. It seems like we've been "young" since about 2014. It's interesting to see who we recruited going back to 2013, 2014 and 2015. I didn't include 2016 and 2017 because those players are legitimately young seeing as how this is only their first or second season with the team.
We really had some bad luck with guys that we picked up in 2013 and 2014 especially. Those would be our red shirt seniors, seniors and red shirt juniors. Of the 13 players we brought in along the OL and DL, only 4 are still with the team and playing (counting Nelson as injured even though he's played this year. Obviously he's not 100%. You could make the argument Wright could fall in this category as well.)
Looking at this I can see how we're "young." While the players we've brought in in 2016 and 2017 are good and the future looks promising, we didn't really pick up 5* players who can come in right away and start on the OL or DL against B1G competition. And that's fine, those type of players are rare and it takes time to bulk up and acclimate to the college game. But visualizing it like this makes me see how we are in fact young on the OL and DL.
2013
OL
Brandan Mahon - Starting
Andrew Nelson - Injured
Tanner Hartman - Gone
DL
Garrett Sickels - Gone
Curtis Cothran - Starter
Parker Cothren - Starter
Torrence Brown - Injured
2014
OL
Chasz Wright - Starter
Chance Sorrell - Retired, injury
Brandan Brosnan - Retired, injury
Noah Beh - Transfer
DL
Antoine White - Transfer
Tarow Barney (JUCO) - Gone
2015
OL
Ryan bates - starter
Steven Gonzalez - starter
Sterling Jenkins - Buried on depth chart
Paris Palmer (JUCO) - Gone
DL
Ryan Buchholz - Injured
Robert Windsor - Depth
Shareef Miller - Starter?
We really had some bad luck with guys that we picked up in 2013 and 2014 especially. Those would be our red shirt seniors, seniors and red shirt juniors. Of the 13 players we brought in along the OL and DL, only 4 are still with the team and playing (counting Nelson as injured even though he's played this year. Obviously he's not 100%. You could make the argument Wright could fall in this category as well.)
Looking at this I can see how we're "young." While the players we've brought in in 2016 and 2017 are good and the future looks promising, we didn't really pick up 5* players who can come in right away and start on the OL or DL against B1G competition. And that's fine, those type of players are rare and it takes time to bulk up and acclimate to the college game. But visualizing it like this makes me see how we are in fact young on the OL and DL.
2013
OL
Brandan Mahon - Starting
Andrew Nelson - Injured
Tanner Hartman - Gone
DL
Garrett Sickels - Gone
Curtis Cothran - Starter
Parker Cothren - Starter
Torrence Brown - Injured
2014
OL
Chasz Wright - Starter
Chance Sorrell - Retired, injury
Brandan Brosnan - Retired, injury
Noah Beh - Transfer
DL
Antoine White - Transfer
Tarow Barney (JUCO) - Gone
2015
OL
Ryan bates - starter
Steven Gonzalez - starter
Sterling Jenkins - Buried on depth chart
Paris Palmer (JUCO) - Gone
DL
Ryan Buchholz - Injured
Robert Windsor - Depth
Shareef Miller - Starter?
