Spring 2021 Breakdown: The Offensive Line
March 30, 2021 | Football
Throughout the spring, BGSUFalcons.com will breakdown each position for the 2021 BGSU football program. Today, we dive into the offensive line.
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Part 1 - Tight Ends
Bowling Green, Ohio – When fall camp starts in 2021, BGSU's offensive line will have a projected 17 student-athletes in the unit. Fifteen of those 17 players will have freshman eligibility and none are seniors. With so much talented youth abounding, the group will look towards the veteran presence of redshirt junior Sam Neverov. Neverov is entering his fifth season with the program, and offensive line coach Chris Hedden will lean on that experience to mold a young group in the trenches, many of whom got invaluable experience during a shortened 2020 campaign.
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Neverov played in all 12 games in 2018, eight in 2019, and all five in 2020. He started five games in 2019 at left guard as well as starting two games at left guard in 2020. Neverov ended 2020 as the starting right guard, shifting over for the final three games of the season.
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The blindside will be anchored by Jeremiah Banks-Wall, a former three-star recruit who chose BGSU over Syracuse and Arkansas State, among others. Banks-Wall is a second-year freshman who garnered invaluable experience last season, playing in all five games. Banks-Wall made his first career start at Akron.
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Brian Kilbane, another second-year freshman, could be in line to start at left guard. A former three-star recruit who chose BGSU over offers from Cincinnati, Colorado State, Marshall, Indiana, Rutgers, Akron, Ball State, Buffalo, Eastern Michigan, Kent State, Ohio, Toledo, and Western Michigan, among others, Kilbane comes from a powerhouse Lakewood St. Edward program in the Cleveland area.
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Jalen Grant is a second-year freshman who is currently taking snaps at center. Originally from Chicago, the 6-3, 290-pound force played in all five games as a true freshman in 2020, starting the final three games at left guard after Neverov slid over to right guard.
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Alex Wollschlaeger is a towering 6-7, 280-pounder who is being looked upon at right tackle for the Falcons. The second-year freshman appeared in three games during the shortened 2020 season.
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Fourth-year redshirt sophomore John O'Brian (six games), and third-year redshirt freshman Joey Carroll (eight games) will be able to provide proven in-game experience. Luke Harmon, Matt Fortner, Gabriel Brown, Ja'Von Lyons, Kellen Adler and Malone VanGorder are also contenders to break into the two-deep on the offensive line. The team signed a number of offensive lineman this winter who will also compete for playing time in the fall, including Rocco Hicks, Dawson Hildebrand, Alex Padgett and Cade Zimmerly.
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With so much youth (no seniors in the unit and only Neverov and O'Brian being listed beyond their freshman seasons), certainly this group will have some ups-and-downs. But under Hedden's tutelage, this unit shows promise as the Falcons continue to develop as a team.
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Part 1 - Tight Ends
Bowling Green, Ohio – When fall camp starts in 2021, BGSU's offensive line will have a projected 17 student-athletes in the unit. Fifteen of those 17 players will have freshman eligibility and none are seniors. With so much talented youth abounding, the group will look towards the veteran presence of redshirt junior Sam Neverov. Neverov is entering his fifth season with the program, and offensive line coach Chris Hedden will lean on that experience to mold a young group in the trenches, many of whom got invaluable experience during a shortened 2020 campaign.
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Neverov played in all 12 games in 2018, eight in 2019, and all five in 2020. He started five games in 2019 at left guard as well as starting two games at left guard in 2020. Neverov ended 2020 as the starting right guard, shifting over for the final three games of the season.
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The blindside will be anchored by Jeremiah Banks-Wall, a former three-star recruit who chose BGSU over Syracuse and Arkansas State, among others. Banks-Wall is a second-year freshman who garnered invaluable experience last season, playing in all five games. Banks-Wall made his first career start at Akron.
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Brian Kilbane, another second-year freshman, could be in line to start at left guard. A former three-star recruit who chose BGSU over offers from Cincinnati, Colorado State, Marshall, Indiana, Rutgers, Akron, Ball State, Buffalo, Eastern Michigan, Kent State, Ohio, Toledo, and Western Michigan, among others, Kilbane comes from a powerhouse Lakewood St. Edward program in the Cleveland area.
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Jalen Grant is a second-year freshman who is currently taking snaps at center. Originally from Chicago, the 6-3, 290-pound force played in all five games as a true freshman in 2020, starting the final three games at left guard after Neverov slid over to right guard.
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Alex Wollschlaeger is a towering 6-7, 280-pounder who is being looked upon at right tackle for the Falcons. The second-year freshman appeared in three games during the shortened 2020 season.
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Fourth-year redshirt sophomore John O'Brian (six games), and third-year redshirt freshman Joey Carroll (eight games) will be able to provide proven in-game experience. Luke Harmon, Matt Fortner, Gabriel Brown, Ja'Von Lyons, Kellen Adler and Malone VanGorder are also contenders to break into the two-deep on the offensive line. The team signed a number of offensive lineman this winter who will also compete for playing time in the fall, including Rocco Hicks, Dawson Hildebrand, Alex Padgett and Cade Zimmerly.
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With so much youth (no seniors in the unit and only Neverov and O'Brian being listed beyond their freshman seasons), certainly this group will have some ups-and-downs. But under Hedden's tutelage, this unit shows promise as the Falcons continue to develop as a team.
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Players Mentioned
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