As tough as it was to watch UConn’s offensive line early in the 2014 season, one constant always remained the middle of the front five, center Alex Mateas.
Mateas held down the trenches and started every game at center in his junior and senior season.
The Ottawa native became the CFL Draft’s first overall selection earlier this month and he will be reunited with his hometown team, the Ottawa REDBLACKS (but this time as a player).
Mateas is the seventh Husky to be drafted by the CFL since 2002.
I’m very excited to be part of the @REDBLACKS Organization, & to play in front of my friends & family. #GoRedblacks
— Alex Mateas (@AlexMateas) May 16, 2015
This was his second tweet since entering the world of Twitter.
Replacing him on the offensive line will be a tough task for anybody, but it seems that Ryan Crozier has claimed the starting center job after playing as the Blue team’s starting center in the spring Blue and White game and by making a cameo appearance on ESPN’s NFL Live.
Crozier, who has more familiarity with the guard position and hasn’t actually played a down as the team’s center, has already been named to a spring watch list for centers.
Crozier was one of the 52 centers named to the Rimington Trophy spring watch list.
It doesn’t quite make sense that a player who has not snapped the ball in a football game before makes a preseason list of the top group of centers in college football.
But don’t tell Crozier that I said that. The motivation is there for the youngster who will be a crucial part to UConn’s offensive line for years to come.
Trey Rutherford, another sophomore who will contribute on the offensive line, got game action in 10 games last season and will make up the future of the offensive line alongside Crozier.
In fact, Rutherford, who is a native Canadian himself, could find himself in Mateas’ footsteps.
Other AAC centers who made the list include Mempis’ Gabe Kuhn, Cinci’s Dayshawn Bond, SMU’s Taylor Lasecki and Temple’s Kyle Friend. Crozier is the youngest of them all.
The UConn offensive line will be in good hands for the next few seasons with a few of the key positions set with young talent, even after sending the first overall pick in the CFL Draft back to his home town.
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