CU Buffs position preview: Offensive line a work in progress

Quarterback Shedeur Sanders has exceptional talent and he has fast and intriguing weapons all around him.
The key for Sanders and the Colorado offense, however, is the strength of the offensive line and how that group comes together.
Ten of CU’s 14 scholarship linemen were starters in college last year, but only two of them have experience at the Power Five level. And few of them have ever played together.
In April, offensive line coach Bill O’Boyle said, “We’re a work in progress,” and that comment would still apply as the Buffs gear up for the season.
Leading up to preseason camp, BuffZone.com has previewed each position group for CU and in this final installment, we look at the offensive line.
Like every other area of the team, the Buffs’ roster of offensive linemen has gone through an overhaul. Only 10 scholarship players on the entire 2022 team remain, but two of them were starters on the offensive line: left tackle Gerad Christian-Lichtenhan and center Van Wells.
O’Boyle said in the spring he was impressed with the work ethic of the two returners and how they’ve bought into the new system. Christian-Lichtenhan and Wells will both compete for starting jobs, but they have plenty of competition.
The leaders of the group may be a couple of newcomers who know O’Boyle and offensive coordinator Sean Lewis very well. Guard Jack Bailey and tackle Savion Washington both came from Kent State, where they played for O’Boyle and Lewis and know the offensive system better than anyone else in the room.
“That’s a huge advantage,” said Bailey, who arrived at CU in late May. “I can not only use that to my advantage, but I can help out any of those other guys with any play calls, any type of scheme work that they want to go through.”
Bailey said he has loved playing in Lewis’ system, but that it does challenge the linemen.
“It’s very fast-paced,” he said. “You’ve got to be able to run a play without thinking. You’ve got to be quick with your decision making.”
Senior Landon Bebee and junior Tyler Brown will also compete for starting roles after excelling at the FCS level.
At Missouri State, Bebee earned second-team All-Missouri Valley Conference honors each of the last three years. Playing for Jackson State last year, Brown earned Associated Press third team FCS All-American honors.
Liberty transfer Reggie Young and four junior college transfers – Kareem Harden, Isaiah Jatta, Jeremiah McCrimmon and Jack Wilty – will also compete for starting roles.
Five of those 11 players didn’t get to Boulder until this summer, but Lewis was pleased with the progress that the others made during the spring.
“They’re having a better understanding of what we’re doing and how coach OB wants it done,” Lewis said. “And now they get to play with bigger eyes so that they can see everything that’s happening, so they can play with greater anticipation.”
In preseason camp, the Buffs will look to speed up that process with the newcomers and the returners. And at some point, O’Boyle and Lewis will need to settle on a starting group.
Once they get to that point, O’Boyle is excited to see the Buffs’ new-look line thrive.
“When this thing’s rolling, it’s a thing of beauty, man,” O’Boyle said. “For an offensive lineman, it’s a blast because they’re pulling, they’re running, they’re working techniques, they’re out in space. It’s a fun offense for an offensive lineman.”
Position: Offensive line
Returners: Gerad Christian-Lichtenhan, Jr.; Van Wells, So.; Carter Edwards, R-Fr.
Transfers: Landon Bebee, Sr. (Missouri State); Reggie Young, Sr. (Liberty); Jack Bailey, Jr. (Kent State); Tyler Brown, Jr. (Jackson State); Isaiah Jatta, Jr. (Snow College); Kareem Harden, Jr. (Butler C.C.); Jeremiah McCrimmon, So. (Coahoma C.C.); Savion Washington, So. (Kent State); Jack Wilty (Iowa Central C.C.); David Conner, R-Fr. (Florida).
True freshmen: Hank Zalinskas
Key losses: Tommy Brown (graduated); Frank Fillip (graduated); Austin Johnson (transferred to Purdue); Casey Roddick (transferred to Florida State); Jake Wiley (transferred to UCLA).