Once a weakness, ODU's offensive line could be strength in 2012

It’s time to start looking toward the 2012 season and what Old Dominion’s Monarchs have in store for the upcoming college football season.

Over the next few weeks, I will take a long, hard look at ODU’s seven areas of emphasis – offensive line, receivers, backfield, defensive line, linebackers, defensive backs, and special teams performers.

We start today with the offensive line and what it could look like next season.

The Monarchs must replace two graduating linemen, center Jeremy Hensley and left tackle Ryan Jensen. And while they leave big shoes to fill, there are plenty of candidates looking to try those shoes on for size.

ODU has three starters back on the front line, rising senior and right guard Robbie Duncan (6-4, 285), rising junior and right tackle Jack Lowney (6-4, 285) and rising junior and left guard David Born (6-8, 340).

The expectation is that those three will again start, but not necessarily at the positions they played this past season. Duncan and Lowney will very likely get looks at the very important left tackle position, the spot that protects a right-handed quarterback’s so-called blind side.

(And let’s not forget that rising sophomore QB Taylor Heinicke is right-handed).

Born is probably going to remain at left guard. And rising sophomore Josh Mann (6-4, 300) will get first shot at replacing Hensley at center.

That essentially leaves one more starting spot up for grabs. Three big, burly candidates are expected to fight it out: redshirt sophomore Michael Justice (6-7, 280), redshirt junior D.J. Morrell (6-5, 300), and redshirt freshman Connor Mewbourne.

You won’t find Morrell on ODU’s current roster. He transferred from Dean College last January, but ran into a snag with his transcript. Forced to sit a year, he will have two years of eligibility remaining.

Walking around campus, Morrell is beastly. He looks like Hagrid from the Harry Potter movies. In other words he’s a giant. And on Jan. 9, he becomes a full-fledged member of the Monarchs.

“D.J. is a physical freak,” Duncan said. “He’s got 19 percent body fat, which is crazy for a lineman. I’m looking forward to playing with him and well aware that our strongest aspect as a unit this coming season will be our depth.”

With rising seniors Brandon Carr (6-2, 295) and Bryan Morrison (6-2, 290) also back and rising redshirt sophomore Wes Moulton (6-3, 270) also in the mix, the Monarchs should have 10 offensive linemen who either have the experience or the potential to start.

In all, the Monarchs are expected to have 13 offensive linemen in camp, with redshirt junior Perry Owens (6-3, 275) and committed incoming freshmen Troy Butler (6-3, 290, Hickory High, Chesapeake) and Andrew Maddox (6-5, 270, Woodbridge, Va., High) rounding out the unit.

It’s a long way from the 2010 season when the Monarchs were struggling to put five healthy linemen on the field.

“The optimum number for this program is 10 at that offensive line positions,” ODU coach Bobby Wilder said. “And we’re going to have 10 guys we feel we can put on the field and perform well, a real two-deep depth chart.”

With Duncan, Carr and Morrison the only senior linemen in the upcoming class, the offensive line looks as if it will be solid for two to three years.

“The future looks bright and I’d like to think we are set up for at least the next two years,” Wilder said. “We do, however, have to find out who is going to be the heart and soul of this line. It’s been Hensley. Now we have to replace that.”

Duncan concurred.

“Usually a center is an unintentional leader who leads by example,” Duncan said. “And Jeremy was that type of guy. But he was also very smart, the smartest football player I’ve ever met. When the coaching staff asked him questions about what to do, he usually had great answers, answers that would make our coaches pause and think.”

ODU’s offense is known as a spread offense that throws the ball well, but doesn’t necessarily run it that well. To this reporter, the pass blocking was excellent during ODU’s recently completed 10-3 season, but the run blocking was mediocre, an assessment Wilder took exception with.

“We finished third in the CAA in rushing with 168 yards per game,” Wilder said. “The only teams ahead of us were Towson and James Madison and they were run-oriented teams. Do I think we can get better at it? Absolutely.”

One thing coach and reporter agreed upon: The Monarchs will look imposing coming out of the tunnel next year. In fact, they will resemble a FBS squad when the offensive linemen run onto the field.

“In two years we’ve gone from one extreme to the other,” Wilder said. “This will be the most depth we’ve ever had, by far, at the offensive line positions. We’ll work through the right fits and combinations through spring ball.”

And the Monarchs should be set along the line by fall.