Colorado State University Athletics
Brooks at Center of Offensive Line's Growth
10/23/2019 1:42:00 PM | Football
A question mark to start 2019, the group has made major gains
FORT COLLINS, Colo. – The group was considered one of the biggest question marks, so the room for growth along the offensive line was a wide space.
The positive is they've started to close the gaps between what they were and what they could become, and for Colorado State head coach Mike Bobo, the center of the improvement can be found smack dab in the middle.
"The guy that's been the resounding, the calming spirit up front, has been Scott Brooks," Bobo said. "You have to give that guy a lot of credit. He worked his tail off. He's not the best athlete in the world, but he knows what to do, and as he gets stronger and gets better, he'll be a really good player for us."
When spring ball began, the Rams had two returning starters in Jeff Taylor and Barry Wesley, and it was Wesley, who closed out the season-finale at center when Colby Meeks was injured, who was plugged into the middle.
Before spring was done, Brooks had proven he had made rapid gains in what was required to snap the ball and guide the group, leaving position coach Dave Johnson the flexibility to mix and match and find where to insert Wesley for the best unified five.
"It was just watching more film, getting in there and really understanding the minute details and getting everyone on the same page," Brooks said. "Plays go well when everybody is on the same page. It's more difficult than one may believe to get everybody ono the same page, so it was making sure to know everything there is about a play."
Behind the line, the Rams are averaging 470.1 yards per game offensively, ranking them in the top 25 nationally. They have done so with Taylor having what Bobo considers to be his most consistent season, T.J. Storment plugging in from the junior college ranks and Nouredin Nouili starting as a true freshman. Brooks' knowledge has played a key role as he's taken steps to be the next in line.
Not just to play the position, but do it well. Like Jake Bennett.
For the current group, Bennett is the gold standard, as Weston Richburg was before him. Each day, Wesley sees glimpses of Brooks gaining ground.
"If I'm being honest, I was out there at practice (Tuesday) and coach made a call and Scott was just rattling it off," Wesley said. "I was like, 'dang Scott, you're really smart, Jake Bennett smart. To me, he's starting to be like Jake Bennett with the awareness. When I first came in, Jake Bennett was the sorcerer of all things. Scott is definitely starting to be in that role, and to be a first-year starter and know those things already, that's awesome and what makes him stand out."
For Brooks, that's the greatest compliment he can receive, all the while understanding to fully reach such a level will require even more of an increase in his preparation.
Part of the group's improvement stems to the directives set prior to the season, namely to get stronger in the weight room. While seeing progress, Bobo points to the necessity of more.
Wesley was the surprise development along the line in 2018, as he started every game as a redshirt freshman who began his career as a walk-on. Bobo has seen even more improvement, but used him as a prime example of good looking to become great.
"He was still a raw football player. I think he's still a raw football player, trying to learn himself and physically grow into his body," Bobo said. "I think Barry's best football is still ahead of him, as he grows into his body and get stronger. You've seen it every year. I mean, he was like a Bambi when I first saw him in high school, and the more he's grown into his body, the better he's become."
The size for him, especially at tackle, has helped. In the meantime, his advanced knowledge of the system paired with a year as a starter has helped him recognize and react sans delay. He not only can sense calls, he can anticipate changes.
Not just for him, personally, but as a group. What they were good at was blended with what the offense performed best, and while the variable of a quarterback change has altered some thinking, the facts and processes remain the same
"It's something we know every offense has to have to be successful. It's not possible to have an average or weak O-line and have a successful offense," Brooks said. "We knew it was going to be very important to the success of our team, and it's something we've worked on every day."
They are better, and they are closer to playing as one more consistently.
The positive is they've started to close the gaps between what they were and what they could become, and for Colorado State head coach Mike Bobo, the center of the improvement can be found smack dab in the middle.
"The guy that's been the resounding, the calming spirit up front, has been Scott Brooks," Bobo said. "You have to give that guy a lot of credit. He worked his tail off. He's not the best athlete in the world, but he knows what to do, and as he gets stronger and gets better, he'll be a really good player for us."
When spring ball began, the Rams had two returning starters in Jeff Taylor and Barry Wesley, and it was Wesley, who closed out the season-finale at center when Colby Meeks was injured, who was plugged into the middle.
Before spring was done, Brooks had proven he had made rapid gains in what was required to snap the ball and guide the group, leaving position coach Dave Johnson the flexibility to mix and match and find where to insert Wesley for the best unified five.
"It was just watching more film, getting in there and really understanding the minute details and getting everyone on the same page," Brooks said. "Plays go well when everybody is on the same page. It's more difficult than one may believe to get everybody ono the same page, so it was making sure to know everything there is about a play."
Behind the line, the Rams are averaging 470.1 yards per game offensively, ranking them in the top 25 nationally. They have done so with Taylor having what Bobo considers to be his most consistent season, T.J. Storment plugging in from the junior college ranks and Nouredin Nouili starting as a true freshman. Brooks' knowledge has played a key role as he's taken steps to be the next in line.
Not just to play the position, but do it well. Like Jake Bennett.
For the current group, Bennett is the gold standard, as Weston Richburg was before him. Each day, Wesley sees glimpses of Brooks gaining ground.
"If I'm being honest, I was out there at practice (Tuesday) and coach made a call and Scott was just rattling it off," Wesley said. "I was like, 'dang Scott, you're really smart, Jake Bennett smart. To me, he's starting to be like Jake Bennett with the awareness. When I first came in, Jake Bennett was the sorcerer of all things. Scott is definitely starting to be in that role, and to be a first-year starter and know those things already, that's awesome and what makes him stand out."
For Brooks, that's the greatest compliment he can receive, all the while understanding to fully reach such a level will require even more of an increase in his preparation.
Part of the group's improvement stems to the directives set prior to the season, namely to get stronger in the weight room. While seeing progress, Bobo points to the necessity of more.
Wesley was the surprise development along the line in 2018, as he started every game as a redshirt freshman who began his career as a walk-on. Bobo has seen even more improvement, but used him as a prime example of good looking to become great.
"He was still a raw football player. I think he's still a raw football player, trying to learn himself and physically grow into his body," Bobo said. "I think Barry's best football is still ahead of him, as he grows into his body and get stronger. You've seen it every year. I mean, he was like a Bambi when I first saw him in high school, and the more he's grown into his body, the better he's become."
The size for him, especially at tackle, has helped. In the meantime, his advanced knowledge of the system paired with a year as a starter has helped him recognize and react sans delay. He not only can sense calls, he can anticipate changes.
Not just for him, personally, but as a group. What they were good at was blended with what the offense performed best, and while the variable of a quarterback change has altered some thinking, the facts and processes remain the same
"It's something we know every offense has to have to be successful. It's not possible to have an average or weak O-line and have a successful offense," Brooks said. "We knew it was going to be very important to the success of our team, and it's something we've worked on every day."
They are better, and they are closer to playing as one more consistently.
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