Last year, Utah’s offensive line could be described as a work in progress. It took the better part of the season for them to trim down the penalties, start to work together, and make life miserable for opposing defenses. When you take into account that the team only returned one starter while also having to learn a new offense, it’s understandable that there were some struggles to gel and find success.
This year, it’s a different story. The Utes return four starters on the line, and have several promising options to choose from when it comes to filling the lone vacancy, left by Salesi Uhatafe. However, despite the returning experience, the offensive line is somewhat of a patchwork unit during spring camp. Two of the more experienced players, Darrin Paulo and Johnny Capra, are sitting out while they recover from injuries.
The good news, other than giving those two adequate time to get healthy, is that their absence allows younger players to get needed reps with the first team. One such player is an imposing figure on the right end of the offensive line, redshirt freshman Nick Ford.
Ford entered the program as a defensive tackle with obvious potential, due to his size and athleticism. Even though he ended up redshirting, sources close to the program have said that he made so much progress during the season that it became more and more difficult not to play him. Now that his redshirt year is over, Ford is focused on doing everything he can to get on the field as soon as possible.
“I want to play into the starting lineup, you know, who wouldn’t want to start?” Ford said. “Whatever happens, happens. Wherever the coaches need to put me, whether it be left tackle, center, right guard, right tackle, it doesn’t matter. Whatever they need, I’ll do it.”
Utah football is unique in many ways, but perhaps that which stands out the most is how the players and coaches treat each other like family. The bond between teammates is evident. Upperclassmen take responsibility for their younger counterparts, they help the new guys to fit in and become better players. For Ford, senior tackle Jackson Barton has been a friend and a mentor. The two of them have worked together and pushed each other to become better. Although Ford deserves plenty of credit for the progress he‘s made, having an experienced guy like Barton at his side has also helped him immensely.
“I was just working, and I guess, that’s why it was hard for them to make the choice to redshirt me or not, last year,” explained Ford. “Just taking the extra time to go with Jackson Barton, go watch some film with him, and go get some extra workouts with him afterwards while everyone else leaves. It’s the little things that you don’t see on the field that really affect everything in the end.”
A fun aspect of spring ball is watching for young or under the radar players who begin to step up, and despite having most of their starting lineup already set, the offensive line is no exception. Although it has been plain to see that some linemen have been performing better than others, when asked to name some standouts among his group, Ford chose instead to sing the praises of all of his brothers in the trenches
“To be honest, I’d say everyone, overall,” Ford said. “We’re all buying in, really well. All the way from the individual to the whole unit when we’re going against the defense. You can see that everyone on the offensive line has really stepped up, especially since last year. It’s a close call for every position, and everyone’s battling for everything right now.”
Utah’s offensive line had some serious growing pains last year with adapting to a new system, new starters, and a new quarterback. However, they made progress throughout the season, and now that they’re in year two, Ford believes that the unit is much more comfortable and that the mistakes will be fewer and further between.
“I think, overall, we’re more comfortable, to be honest,” said Ford. “A change is never easy, but with everyone buying in and watching film and really studying and taking an interest in this offense, it’s going well. Last year, the (ineligible man downfield) penalties got less and less as we went on throughout the season. I feel like it’s going to be the same way, and we’re going to perfect the offense, hopefully.”
If his unit can “perfect the offense” as Ford believes they can, the offense could become a well-oiled machine and cause all sorts of problems for opposing teams. There were flashes of what was possible when the offense got into a rhythm last season, and the Utes hope that those flashes will turn into consistent success this year.
Whether or not Ford will nail down a starting job is still unknown, but if he can, it will give the coaches a head start and one less thing to worry about, as the season approaches. It would certainly bode well for the offensive line’s future, but regardless of whether he starts this year or not, fans can almost certainly look forward to several years of Nick Ford plowing the road up front.
