Spring Practice #5- Offensive Line

3/7/2019 2:18:00 PM | Football

By: By Wake Forest Athletic Communications (@WakeFB)

Perhaps no other position group has shown more improvement over the last five years than Wake Forest's offensive line. A young group in head coach Dave Clawson's first year in 2014, the Demon Deacons were only able to muster 39.9 yards rushing and 216 yards of total offense per game. By 2017, the Deacons were setting school records with over 6,000 yards of total offense. Last fall, the offensive line opened holes paving the way for nearly 214 yards rushing per game, the highest average by a Demon Deacon team since 2002.

Offensive line coach Nick Tabacca will need to do some re-tooling this spring and during preseason camp to get his linemen ready for the 2019 campaign. Tabacca's first task is finding replacements for graduated seniors Phil Haynes (left guard), Ryan Anderson (center) and Patrick Osterhage (right guard).

At center, rising redshirt sophomore Zach Tom will look to replace Anderson. In fact, Tom did last fall in his first career start against Towson when an injury kept Osterhage sidelined and Anderson moved to right guard. Tom played in 12 games as a redshirt freshman and gained plenty of experience as he was on the field for 326 snaps. Michael Jurgens got his feet wet last fall, appearing in two games while continuing to maintain his redshirt status.

Sean Maginn, who played as a true freshman in 2017, was held to two games last year, thus re-earning his redshirt. The rising redshirt sophomore will compete at both center and guard as the Deacons prefer linemen with the ability to play multiple positions.

At guard, redshirt senior Nate Gilliam is expected to move back inside after spending most of 2018 at tackle. When Justin Herron went down with an injury in the season-opener at Tulane, Tabacca had a major reshuffling project on his hands. Jake Benzinger, the 2018 projected starter at right tackle, was forced to move to left tackle. Gilliam, who was to compete with Osterhage at right guard, became the full-time starting right tackle for the final 12 games of the season.

Primary competition with Gilliam will come from Je'Vionte' Nash and Loic Ngassam Nya. Nash played in all 13 contests in 2018, primarily on special teams while Nya was active for seven contests and in the game for 58 snaps.

The return of Herron at left tackle should be an unexpected blessing for the Deacon offensive line. Considered one of the top blockers in the ACC, Herron should be fully healed and in top form come the Aug. 30 season-opener at BB&T Field with Utah State. Herron was an all-ACC pick in 2017 as well as an ACC All-Academic selection and his return will be a blessing for Tabacca.

If all goes as scheduled, Benzinger will return to right tackle. The rising redshirt senior played well at left tackle last fall, starting all 13 games and finishing second on the team with 1,116 offensive snaps. A starter in two straight bowl games, Benzinger brings 27 career starts to the table, second on the offense behind Herron's 38. Gilliam will continue to cross-train at both guard and tackle in order to provide quality depth.

Looking to make inroads at tackle will be Spencer Clapp and Michael Edwards. Clapp will start his third year in the program but has yet to see the field as a pair of injuries have kept him in rehab for his entire stint at Wake Forest. He is fully cleared for spring practice and is taking reps with the top units. Edwards was a four-star recruit coming out of Hope Mills, NC and a first team all-state pick. His year of experience will prove a great benefit in 2019.

Other contenders for time on the offensive line include redshirt junior Taleni Suhren and Tyler Watson, redshirt sophomore Allan Rappleyea and Goran Jovanovic, and redshirt freshmen Orlando Heggs and Trey Turner along with January enrollee DeVonte Gordon.