On offenses led by right-handed quarterbacks a coach usually will put his most talented offensive lineman at left tackle to protect the quarterback’s blind side. If a team’s offensive tackles are comparable in ability and experience and one happens to be left-handed, he likely will line up at left tackle and the right-handed blocker will be at right tackle.
Kansas opened camp with the right-handed Hakeem Adeniji at left tackle and left-handed Antione Frazier at right tackle. Adeniji has a year of experience at left tackle. Frazier appeared in the season-opener and never again, so it wasn’t a tough decision. Frazier will have plenty of time in fall camp getting used to having his right hand on the ground and right foot back before the season opener, so it shouldn’t be a big deal.
Strength and conditioning coach Zac Woodfin was extremely impressed with Frazier’s pro-active attitude during camp and liked the way his body responded to a nutrition and lifting plan designed to add good weight. Frazier arrived at Kansas 250 pounds and is up to 285 and it’s not a soft 285.
Frazier’s a work in progress and had a rough time keeping defensive end Josh Ehambe from getting to the quarterback in the spring game. The coaches love his quick feet and earnest attitude.
Based on the 20-minute window open to reporters from Tuesday’s practice, it appears Frazier was working at right tackle with the first-team offensive line, Zach Hannon the second team and Charles Baldwin, wearing No. 58 for the practice instead of his normal number, 72, was with the third team.
Hannon, a graduate of Rockhurst High, spent four years on a football scholarship at Nebraksa and graduated with a degree in marketing/management. Kansas did its research on Hannon and found that he was named to the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll three times, brought a positive attitude and consistent work ethic on a daily basis, took his special-teams work seriously and did not have the same degree of athleticism/agility that those ahead of him on the depth chart at Nebraska had. In games, he strictly was used as a special-teams player.
Ideally, Baldwin will go after a starting spot with more gusto than he ever has gone after anything in his life and will land it and Frazier can continue to develop while backing up both tackle spots. But if Baldwin hasn’t done so to this point, it might be a bit unrealistic to think that he’ll transform from someone who apparently has fallen all the way to third team into Charlie Hustle Baldwin overnight.
The other four spots on the offensive line look to be pretty close to settled, with Adeniji at left tackle, Jayson Rhodes at left guard, Mesa Ribordy at center and Larry Hughes at right guard. The right tackle position is one worth watching throughout camp.
