Loadholt Likes Progress Of Buffs O-Line
August 20, 2024 | Football, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — When Colorado opens the season at home against North Dakota State on Aug. 29 (6 p.m., ESPN), all eyes will be on the Buffaloes' offensive line.
That's no secret. After giving up 56 quarterback sacks a year ago, Deion "Coach Prime" Sanders and his staff made the O-line a top priority in the offseason. They hired a new line coach, Phil Loadholt. They brought in a host of transfers and recruits.
Now, with the result being a line that will quite likely have five new starters, the question will finally be answered: can the Buffs give quarterback Shedeur Sanders some solid, consistent protection?
If so, CU's offense — loaded at the skill positions — should be ready to put plenty of points on the board.
Loadholt, in his first year as a full-time position coach, knows what is expected of his group. He has spent the last six months mixing and matching combinations up front, trying to find the best group possible to protect QB Sanders and also add some punch to an anemic run game that only added to the pressure on Sanders last season.
With the clock now rapidly ticking down to the opener, Loadholt likes the progress his group has made.
"It's been good," Loadholt told the media after Tuesday's practice. "It's been good being able to get the pads on and see how guys can move people off the ball with pads and move their feet with pads. It's been great. We've had a lot of time to evaluate these guys, and so far, it's been pretty good."
Fans and media got a first-hand look at the group in a public practice last Friday in Denver. The takeaway by most observers was that the line has definitely improved from a year ago, but there was still more pressure on Sanders than coaches wanted to see.
That leaves the Buffs with roughly a week to iron out the kinks.
While the Buffs haven't named a starting group yet — Coach Prime said a final depth chart probably won't be settled until right before game day — CU followers still have a fairly good idea of who that group will likely include.
The list starts with highly touted true freshman Jordan Seaton at left tackle. Transfer Justin Mayers has been getting most of the work at left guard, sophomore Hank Zilinskas has been at center, Kahlil Benson has been working at right guard (although he sat out last Friday's practice) and Tyler Brown — who was with the team last year but was deemed ineligible by the NCAA — has been the mainstay at right tackle.
Loadholt said Seaton has made big strides in the mental part of the game.
"He's improved a lot," Loadholt said. "Whether he's at right or left, being able to communicate to the backs, being able to communicate with the guys next to him, he's picked up on that a lot."
But Loadholt said the one area in which Seaton is still adapting is the physical nature of the college game. While he was able to physically dominate the competition in high school, the college game — where everyone is big and strong — is a different story.
"I want to see him improve on just the toughness of college football," Loadholt said. "It's a grind every day. There's not many times you can take a play off. Just knowing that every snap you get, every snap he goes, he's got to give it everything. So his toughness is the main part."
One of the more competitive spots up front was the center position, where Zilinskas emerged as the leader over transfer Yakiri Walker. Zilinskas, who played in 11 games last season with two starts, has become a dependable, steady force inside.
"Hank's been great," Loadholt said. "He's a guy who always communicates, gets everybody in the right spot. He's starting to learn his leverage and angles a lot better, which being a center his size (6-3, 285), is what he has to do to be successful. So he's been great. Since I got here, he continues to improve."
Brown, meanwhile, has proven to be one of the more versatile players up front, showing an ability to play guard or tackle. Also one of the strongest players on the team, he is anxious to get back into a game after sitting out last season.
"'Rock' has been great," Loadholt said. "Obviously, everyone knows how strong he is physically and then just mentally, he's always there. You can count on him. No matter what position you go, in any position, he'll adapt and adjust. And he's a true leader in the room. He's a guy you don't have to worry about anything."
But along with deciding on a starting unit, Loadholt is also concentrating on developing depth — a key piece of the offensive line puzzle. The Buffs will no doubt need fresh legs in games and must also have players ready to step in when injuries occur.
"That's where we're at right now, just trying to find depth, build depth up in the room," Loadholt said. "Coach Prime gave me some situations to think about moving forward, and that's where we're at right now. I feel good about six, seven, maybe eight right now, and trying to get that to 10, closer to 10, and then we'll be at a good spot."
