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Spring is a time of new beginnings, a cleaning of sorts. In homes all across America moms are waking their kids up at 6:00 am on a Saturday with sounds of non-stop vacuuming and blaring their old people music (for my mom it was Aerosmith) and marching their kids out of bed to do labor camp-style house work. It’s no different in college football. The mom is the coach, the house is the team and the athletes are slightly bigger children.
But no matter how successful or disappointing a team’s season was, all the colleges around the country are gearing up for spring practices with new players and in some cases new coaches to “clean up” any messes from last year.
In Texas State’s case that mess was the offensive line.
Spring practice begins for Texas State on the 22nd and as the roster has been set the depth chart battles will begin for the Bobcats. So here are the linemen going into 2017:
2017 Texas State Offensive Line Roster
| Centers | Height | Weight | Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| Centers | Height | Weight | Class |
| Aaron Brewer | 6'3" | 270 | So. |
| Jacob Fryrear | 6'2" | 285 | Fr. |
| Guards | Height | Weight | Class |
| Colton Williams | 6'5" | 290 | Fr. |
| Jacob Rowland | 6'5" | 290 | So. |
| Jaquel Pierce | 6'2" | 285 | Fr. |
| Kregg Lemons | 6'4" | 285 | So. |
| Charlie Vatterott | 6'4" | 290 | So. |
| Tackles | Height | Weight | Class |
| Josiah Washington | 6'6" | 305 | So. |
| Cedric Gambrell | 6'6" | 290 | Jr. |
| Tryston Mizerak | 6'6" | 305 | Jr. |
Player Notes
- Aaron Brewer will be the undisputed veteran of a very inexperienced and young offensive line. He started seven games at guard and four at center in 2016 and will be the anchor of a line that lost three starters in the trenches. He has kept his weight around 270 which may mean the coaching staff will utilize his quickness and speed to go with his experience.
- Jaquel Pierce went from 255 Lbs. to 285 Lbs as did Charlie Vatterott who went from 265 to 290 Lbs which is the kind of handcuff-all-the-linemen-to-the-buffet mentality the ‘Cats need to build a bigger line than the undersized linemen of last year.
- Jacob Rowland started five games at guard and Tryston Mizerak, the 6’6” 305 Lbs. junior started the first nine games of 2016 at tackle.
- Texas State boasts five guards and three tackles which will prove to be an interesting battle in spring practice for a previous line who only mustered 3.3 yards a carry last year (last in the nation).
Conclusion
With the loss of linemen Giulano Cattaneo, Ryan Melton and Felix Romero to graduation and Will Copa to concussion issues the Bobcats will be working with an even more inexperienced line than last year. My guesses for the starters would be Brewer at center, Vatterott and the surprise freshman Colton Williams at the guards and Josiah Washington and Mizerak at the tackle positions. The future looks bright for these guys but like the whole of the team they have a little ways to go.