Houston’s offensive line has been getting attention this preseason, especially the new additions on the interior. But Drew Terrill, the new starting right tackle, will also have an immediate impact on the offense.

Going into last season’s opener against Stephen F. Austin, none of the right tackle hopefuls had played any college snaps at the position. McKenzie Agnello logged 905 snaps there at New Mexico, but he was moving to an interior role at UH. The contenders – Dalton Merryman, Alvin Ebosele, or David Nduwke – had never played a snap on the right side.

I spoke to offensive line coach Eman Naghavi after Saturday’s practice, and he mentioned that switching from one tackle spot to the other is not seamless. As a staff, UH projects which tackle, based on his ability and athleticism, can do it. They made it work with Merryman last season.

This season, they brought in Drew Terrill from Miami (Ohio) from the transfer portal. Terrill has proven to be a good RT, earning All-MAC Second Team last season. PFF recently recognized him as one of the better offensive linemen in the Big 12.

Terrill started 12 games last season, playing 734 snaps. He graded out at 81.1 overall and a 79.8 run blocking grade, higher than UH tackles last season. He also protected the passer well, with a grade of 72.0, allowing a sack in each of the first two games, but none after. He’ll bring balance and experience to solidify the right side.

I asked Naghavi if it mattered having a player with experience this season, and he chuckled.

“Of course.”

He went on to say that when evaluating players in the portal, he was more concerned with a player’s performance and experience than what school he was coming from. That sentiment rings true when you look at Terrill, Shadre Hurst, and Anthony Boswell. None from a Power Four conference, but each was an all-conference performer last season.

Offensive Line Depth So Far

The starting group has been as expected. Ebosele, Hurst, Boswell, Agnello, and Terrill have taken all of the reps with the first-team offense. This is the group that will be protecting Conner Weigman on September 5 and throughout the season, if health allows.

The second team has seen a consistent grouping as well. RJ Lee has been at left tackle, with a similar frame and body type to Ebosele (but a few inches taller). Next to him has been veteran Larry Crawford at left guard. Crawford is the most experienced offensive lineman among the backups.

Second-team center has been freshman Aaron Wolford, with freshman Noah Abebe next to him at right guard. Notably, Abebe has been taking a lot of snaps as third-team center as well. Right tackle for the second team has been Snacks McClain. McClain is in his third season in the program and, after numerous injuries, finally looks physically ready.

The third team OL has consistently been, left to right: Rhett Gray, Troy Pless, Abebe, Hingano Hautau, and Hayden Wright. Wright did get some reps with the second team Saturday at right guard, which is a situation to monitor. The coaches emphasize cross-training positions on the line to strengthen depth and flexibility, but switching from tackle to guard is rare.

“Standouts”

Before camp, I would’ve predicted that Crawford would be the first guy off the bench on the offensive line, due to experience. I think McClain would compete for that at the moment as well. I could see the staff using him at any position besides center if they needed to give someone a break or even fill in more long-term.

But the guy that has consistently caught the eye of his coaches and teammates is Noah Abebe. Defensive end Khalil Laufau mentioned him recently as a young player who stood out. Both Naghavi and Shawn Bell said that while Abebe has a lot to learn after only playing one season of offensive line, he has made significant strides. Naghavi credited his “football IQ” as part of the reason he is finding success early.

The UH staff feels confident in the starting lineup, and some questions about depth and who fits where are being answered. Young players earning reps with the second team can be looked at as good or bad. If your goal in recruiting is to bring in better players than you have, seeing freshmen and sophomores making up a super-majority of the second and third teams is a great sign. These young guys should be ready early and prevent the program from having to reload the offensive line in the portal season after season.