:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/35606600/20131108_kkt_bk3_872.0.jpg)
Goodness me, Syracuse.com can't stop talking about what's going on with the Syracuse Orange offensive line. We best catch up...
We start with the new guy. Not one of the players but the coach. Joe Adam is in charge of the unit for the first time after coming over from Elmhurst College. How's he settling in?
"I always tell our players that if they can't teach me the concept, then they don't know the concept," Adam said. "And if they can't teach me the concept, then I'm not doing my job."
On the current fight for a place in the starting lineup, Adam says, "It's going to be a hellacious battle here because everybody wants to play." So if everyone's coming and hell's coming with them, how does it look like things might shake out? Let's go spot by spot...
Center: Junior college transfer John Miller latched on to the starting center spot in spring ball and hasn't let go since. According to Adam, he's also stepped-up to fill the leadership void left by Macky.
"He's really taken quite a leadership role up front," Adam said on Thursday. "He's just a steady guy. He found his groove here. He found his rhythm. He just continues to improve."
Right Guard: Nick Robinson is back from the injury that kept him out of spring practice and he's ready to go. Given his experience, it would be a huge bonus for the Orange if he can be ready to go come end of August.
"His movement and flexibility seem to be coming back to form, from what I've seen as far as previous years on film," Adam said.
Left Guard: Rob Trudo is back in his normal spot after covering RG duties for Robinson during the spring. The possibility remains open that he could slide back to center if Miller falters.
Left Tackle: Sean Hickey. Yeah, we're all set, thanks.
Right Tackle: The most interesting position battle on the line. Heading into camp, it was Ivan Foy's spot to lose. And he may have done just that. Junior ahem Michael Lasker heads into camp with "an early edge" on the starting spot. Of course he had a bit of an advantage given that Foy was suspended in the spring over academics.
That said, the fight is far from over and Foy seems to be appreciating the challenge as well as the challenger.
Foy is down about 30 pounds from the 320 he played at last year when he started all 13 games, and new summer rules allowing him to study film with first-year position coach Joe Adam could help accelerate the learning curve he missed in the spring.
"Even though Lasker is in front of me, I still encourage and I still help him and we work together," Foy said. "Just hopefully I'm the better man when it comes down to it."
So if the Villanova game were tomorrow, the starters would by Lasker, Robinson, Miller, Trudo and Hickey. But...there's a lot of football left before that's official.
