Colorado State University Athletics
Photo by: Mike Brohard
In Position: Offensive front puts in the hands-on work
7/9/2019 12:00:00 PM | Football
Johnson set hand placement at the top of his summer to-do list
FORT COLLINS, Colo. – In high school, a lack of technique can be hidden. Strength and size can cover the deficiencies, but in college, T.J. Storment knows it will no longer fly.
"In high school, you can rely on your strength. You're kinda the big guy out there and you can push people around without having much technique," he said. "But you get somewhere like here, in the Mountain West conference, pretty much every defensive end is going to be an elite player, so that's when hand placement comes into play. You've got to be able to counter everything they're bringing at you."
The emphasis has been ongoing since the start of spring camp, with offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Dave Johnson expecting the details to be fine-tuned in the summer months. Actually, it's one of many things he has on his list for his group to show improvement before the start of fall camp, but the hands are at the top.
Done correctly, it will synch for an offensive lineman from top to bottom, and it becomes especially key in pass protection, though the necessity is far from overlooked in the run game.
"The hands are important, the timing of it," Johnson said. "You don't want guys in on your chest, so it allows you to pick up stunts and different things the defense is doing. That's something that's very, very important.
"The timing of their hands, the placement of their hands, the violence of the hands. That was one thing we talked about coming out of fall that we needed to really improve."
The Rams' offensive front will remain relatively inexperienced in 2019. The group has 71 games played among them, but only 25 starts, and all of those come from guard Jeff Taylor (13) and Barry Wesley (12).
Scott Brooks, a junior who moved to the top of the depth chart at center in the spring, notes the work comes in many forms. Lifts can be linked, as are hand-fighting sessions. They mimic the motions against air and dummies in individual drills, and in limited contact sessions against the defense.
Simply put, Brooks says hand placement is everything, and none of the work can be ignored.
"It helps a lot to go against the defense. It's better if we had pads, because we can work it better," he said. "But it is helpful here to work against the defense to get faster motion. When we go against ourselves, you can't emulate game speed in individual. It's good in individual to get the basics down, and know what works and what doesn't work."
Storment, a junior college transfer, made an impression himself in the spring at tackle, with his size (6-foot-7, 320 pounds), strength and athleticism all proving to be assets. Even still, CSU is a new home, Johnson is a new coach and he's found there's much to the task with what he has been taught to this point.
In particular, there are two moves with his hands he's been focused on with Johnson, both designed to keep defenders at bay and set up blocks. He's also found in being right up top, his base is generally in line, so he's been working boxing drills four days a week.
"Hand fighting helps a lot, but it's also footwork," he said. "As an offensive lineman, your feet are the most important thing on the field, working through different techniques and the different steps as far as boxing, it really correlates to the field."
Gains made there are necessary for the offense to regain the balance head coach Mike Bobo desires. In 2018, the rushing attack averaged just 3.2 yards per carry and 105.6 yards per game. It led to a school-record 502 passes being thrown.
Those aren't the numbers Bobo wants to build his offense around, and the line is out to set a firm base for the future.
"It all comes from a foundation, and a lot of it is your hands and your feet," Brooks said. "That's something we work a lot, because if those two things are messed up, it's almost impossible to block someone."
"In high school, you can rely on your strength. You're kinda the big guy out there and you can push people around without having much technique," he said. "But you get somewhere like here, in the Mountain West conference, pretty much every defensive end is going to be an elite player, so that's when hand placement comes into play. You've got to be able to counter everything they're bringing at you."
The emphasis has been ongoing since the start of spring camp, with offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Dave Johnson expecting the details to be fine-tuned in the summer months. Actually, it's one of many things he has on his list for his group to show improvement before the start of fall camp, but the hands are at the top.
Done correctly, it will synch for an offensive lineman from top to bottom, and it becomes especially key in pass protection, though the necessity is far from overlooked in the run game.
"The hands are important, the timing of it," Johnson said. "You don't want guys in on your chest, so it allows you to pick up stunts and different things the defense is doing. That's something that's very, very important.
"The timing of their hands, the placement of their hands, the violence of the hands. That was one thing we talked about coming out of fall that we needed to really improve."
The Rams' offensive front will remain relatively inexperienced in 2019. The group has 71 games played among them, but only 25 starts, and all of those come from guard Jeff Taylor (13) and Barry Wesley (12).
Scott Brooks, a junior who moved to the top of the depth chart at center in the spring, notes the work comes in many forms. Lifts can be linked, as are hand-fighting sessions. They mimic the motions against air and dummies in individual drills, and in limited contact sessions against the defense.
Simply put, Brooks says hand placement is everything, and none of the work can be ignored.
"It helps a lot to go against the defense. It's better if we had pads, because we can work it better," he said. "But it is helpful here to work against the defense to get faster motion. When we go against ourselves, you can't emulate game speed in individual. It's good in individual to get the basics down, and know what works and what doesn't work."
Storment, a junior college transfer, made an impression himself in the spring at tackle, with his size (6-foot-7, 320 pounds), strength and athleticism all proving to be assets. Even still, CSU is a new home, Johnson is a new coach and he's found there's much to the task with what he has been taught to this point.
In particular, there are two moves with his hands he's been focused on with Johnson, both designed to keep defenders at bay and set up blocks. He's also found in being right up top, his base is generally in line, so he's been working boxing drills four days a week.
"Hand fighting helps a lot, but it's also footwork," he said. "As an offensive lineman, your feet are the most important thing on the field, working through different techniques and the different steps as far as boxing, it really correlates to the field."
Gains made there are necessary for the offense to regain the balance head coach Mike Bobo desires. In 2018, the rushing attack averaged just 3.2 yards per carry and 105.6 yards per game. It led to a school-record 502 passes being thrown.
Those aren't the numbers Bobo wants to build his offense around, and the line is out to set a firm base for the future.
"It all comes from a foundation, and a lot of it is your hands and your feet," Brooks said. "That's something we work a lot, because if those two things are messed up, it's almost impossible to block someone."
Players Mentioned
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