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SALT LAKE CITY — Utah fans know what it is like to not have an offensive line/left tackle. Take, for example, 2012.
For the entire fall camp the offensive line was a mess. There were injuries and players were getting moved around and not stepping up. Even through the first few weeks of the season the line was still getting shifted around.
The 2012 season mirrored what the offensive line did - it was incredibly inconsistent.
For the Utes to be successful in 2013, it all starts in the trenches.
Jeremiah Poutasi
It seems at every single football event, whether before the games or after, every coach, analyst, or player talks about the importance of the offensive line and in particular the left tackle.
Yes, the left tackle, the blind side of the quarterback, the toughest position on the offensive line - the place where every coach wants to make sure is solid.
Yes, we know.
The Utes 2013 spring camp started and ended much differently than what we saw in 2012, with all five starters playing the entire camp together. They all knew their positions and there was some genuine chemistry and that starts and ends with stability at the left tackle.
Poutasi is a player with NFL size and talent. To have a player like that at one of the most important positions on the team, next to Jeremiah Toefaeono, the left side of the line could be great.
A coach has to feel very good when his most stable position groups is the offensive line.
Vyncent Jones
One could argue that the quarterback is the most important position, not just on a football team, but across all sports. In order for a quarterback to be successful, it is vitally important to have a strong, cohesive offensive line.
But did you know that there's also a quarterback on the offensive line - one that barks out reads, adjustments and schemes to his fellow teammates in the trenches?
For the Utes in 2013, that responsibility will fall on the shoulders of center Vyncent Jones.
Jones, a 6-foot-3 305-pound senior from Jordan High School, played guard in his first three seasons with the Utes, but will shift over to starting center with Tevita Stevens graduating.
With the Utes moving towards a hurry up, no huddle spread offense, Jones will have the added responsibility of making sure the correct blocking schemes are in place before each snap.
In 2012, Jones led the Utes with 12 pancake blocks and nine cuts, and was tied for second on the team in knockdowns with 18.
