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Experienced BYU offensive line a strength this season

(Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune) Brigham Young University offensive lineman Thomas Shoaf, Wednesday, August 2, 2017 during BYU's annual football photo day in the Indoor Practice Facility (IPF) on campus.

Provo • Junior offensive lineman Austin Hoyt packed a Dutch oven for the BYU football team’s campout last weekend and made his famous peach cobbler for the guys. The dessert took a while to bake, but teammates and coaches reported it was worth the wait.

The same probably can be said about the offensive line that the 6-foot-8, 305-pound Hoyt is projected to start for this season. Patience seemingly has paid off. The ingredients are there for the unit to become one of the strongest on the team.

“We look like we are ready to roll,” senior right guard Tuni Kanuch said. “We have a ton of guys ready to play. Everyone is being gritty. … Everyone is trying to get a piece of that field, trying to make the travel [squad].”

There were some growing pains last year. Mike Empey returned to the program to coach the offensive line in the place of Garett Tujague, who departed for Virginia with coach Bronco Mendenhall. The cupboard wasn’t bare, but it wasn’t loaded with the right stuff to handle a rugged September schedule, either, and the Cougars dropped three games by a total of seven points and won two games by a total of four.

Empey didn’t inherit a lot of depth, but the group improved throughout the season and dominated Michigan State in October, rushing for 260 yards, and eventually enabled Jamaal Williams to become the leading rusher in school history.

BYU’S OFFENSIVE LINE PROJECTED STARTERS <br>Position • Player • Year • Ht/Wt • Comment <br>Left tackle • Thomas Shoaf • Sophomore • 6-5/275 • Started in nine games, named a Freshman All-American in 2016 <br>Left guard • Keyan Norman • Senior • 6-3/305 • Started in 13 games last year as a graduate transfer from SUU <br>Center • Tejan Koroma • Senior • 6-0/290 • Team captain has started in all but one game of his BYU career <br>Right guard • Tuni Kanuch • Senior • 6-3/320 • Started in seven games as a sophomore and nine as a junior <br>Right tackle • Austin Hoyt • Junior • 6-8/305 • Beat out talented freshman Kieffer Longson for starting job

Four starters are back and on paper, it looks like one of the best offensive lines in recent memory at BYU. But Empey, a former BYU offensive lineman himself, isn’t about to start beating his chest and predicting big things from the group in 2017.

“If I said, ‘Hey, I think we are ready to lead the team and be the anchor and do all this kind of stuff, and we are the strong point,’ that would be just setting up false expectations,” Empey said. “I think we have worked really hard and tried to do things right, and I think we are on the right path. I also think it is time to play somebody different than BYU. See some different looks.”

Thomas Shoaf, who is a bit undersized, filled in admirably at right tackle when Ului Lapuaho went down last year. The Freshman All-American has moved to left tackle to protect Tanner Mangum’s blind side. Hoyt edged out promising redshirt freshman Kieffer Longson for the starting spot at right tackle.

“There is no magic secret about the O line,” Empey said. “If you have returning starters, they are going to play.”

The depth took a ding when backup center Jacob Jiminez suffered a season-ending knee injury at a practice in St. George last spring, so Keyan Norman is getting some reps there in case he’s needed to slide over a spot.

“We are really excited about our depth,” Shoaf said. “Obviously having four starters coming back helps a lot. But we’ve also got some great young guys who are stepping up and are going to do some great things for us.”

Along with Longson, freshmen Chandon Herring (left tackle) and Austin Chambers (left guard) redshirted last season after church missions and will be among the 10 to 12 offensive linemen who travel. Redshirt sophomore Addison Pulsipher will back up Kanuch at right guard, while Leroy Sitake-Tanoai and part-time tight end JJ Nwigwe should see some playing time as well.

The hope is to redshirt former Utah signee James Empey, the coach’s son. Versatile junior college transfer Taipe Vaka, who can play on either side of the line, also probably will redshirt, coach Empey said.