My biggest concern going into last season was Jeff Brohm’s offense’s history when it came to running the ball. He didn’t have many seasons at Purdue and that caused some problems in close games and made the offense one-dimensional. That concern didn’t arise last season and was mostly due to the strong play of the offensive line.
A mix of returning and transfer players formed a very solid offensive line for the Cards and they will look to do so again this year. UofL will replace the conference’s best lineman, Bryan Hudson, and add new tackles for the second year in a row. The team has once again made an effort to add talent and depth and they have done so well.
Hudson will be replaced by Northern Illinois’ Pete Nygra. Nygra is an all-conference player and should have no problem sliding right into the starting lineup, as he’s rated as one of the best centers in the country in PFF’s ratings. He’ll likely be joined by Victor Cutler, who played as a backup center at Ohio State last year. Also, keep an eye out for Madden Sanker here.
Michael Gonzalez returns at left guard and I expect him to have a very good year. Gonzalez has played over 2,100 snaps over the last three years and has only allowed 4 sacks, including none last season. I think he could form a strong duo-blocking tandem with Nygra.
I expect the guard positions to be a three-man lineup, with Austin Collins or Renato Brown at swing guard backing up the starters. Brown is coming back from a season-ending injury, but he looked ready to fully participate in fall training camp. Brown also has experience as a tackle and could be used as a Swiss Army knife if needed. Collins has been impressive every time he’s been in the lineup, and it’s been nice to see him grow and develop. He could also be used as a center, as he’s spent some time there as well.
The tackle positions are very well-staffed despite the loss of Lance Robinson to a knee injury. Robinson was battling with Rasheed Miller for the right tackle position, but the Cards also have Jonathan Mendoza, who is literally the greatest football player I have ever seen in person. Miller came in as a player who would likely be a backup, but he skated with the first team at practice earlier in the fall. Mendoza was limited by injury, but this appears to be a battle for the starting position.
I don’t think Monroe Mills has any real competition at left tackle, which makes me feel good about the blind side. He’s another highly rated transfer according to PFF numbers after being a two-year starter at Texas Tech. In my opinion, he’s a real addition to the line and could turn this offense into a “left-handed” line like we saw in 2019 when Mekhi Becton and Caleb Chandler were here.
Tyrone Sylvester is likely the backup here after playing as a backup a few times last season. Sylvester is pretty skinny at 280 pounds, but was used as an extra blocker last year and caught a touchdown against Miami. The Cards also have some young players in depth that could get some playing time as backups. This group is strong overall and if they can have the same success as last year’s group, losing some talented players might not matter as much. This group can give guys room to operate.
