Norvell happy with O-line improvement
The differences might have seemed subtle to the casual observer, but not to the men who make up Memphis’ offensive line.
When Ryan Silverfield took over as offensive line coach last spring, he taught his players new techniques and asked them to master new schemes, a stark difference from the brawling style of play preached by outgoing position coach Vance Vice. Mike Norvell’s system also demanded that they assume more responsibility in pass protection. The result: An often-sloppy 2016 season in which the offensive line got better over time, but still left plenty of room for improvement.
This spring, however, those new techniques are no longer new, and those once-unfamiliar schemes feel more familiar. And, at least so far, Norvell has seen theimprovement that he had hoped to see.
“I think, to be honest with you, probably one of the more improved things so far out of six practices is the offensive line play,” he said Tuesday. “I think that the guys are taking coaching, they’re working on pad level, they’re working on being more physical. That’s something we have to continue to embrace and get better at. But I think guys know there’s competition — there’s competition here, and there’s competition coming.”
Norvell said senior guard Lio Lafaele has had “a great, great spring ball,” while junior Harneet Gill and sophomore Scottie Dill have both taken strides at left tackle. Gill, a junior-college player who enrolled at Missouri out of high school, has taken the majority of first-team repetitions at that spot thus far. Junior Trevon Tate, who started at left tackle last year, has been working at right tackle this spring.
Left guard Dustin Woodard, who started 11 games as a true freshman last season, said the unit enters 2017 with more experience, both in Silverfield’s system and as a group.
“The o-line is just coming together,” Woodard said. “We were just new last year, with a new o-line coach. We’re just coming to work together, we’re bonding every day and I believe we can get a lot better.”
Three possible impact players still have yet to arrive on campus. Juniorcollege transfer Tanis Joseph, threestar recruit Mikahil Hill and four-star tackle Obinna Eze, one of the highestrated prospects ever to sign with Memphis out of high school, are all set to join the team this summer. All three could immediately compete for starting jobs.
As for the players already on the roster, they’ve simply benefited from working together, and with Silverfield, for a full calendar year.
“Coach Silverfield has done a great job bringing them all together,” defensive lineman Ernest Suttles said. “I’m not sure what he’s doing, but it’s working.”