The offensive line has been one of the few groups not hindered by injuries, and four of the starting positions are already likely set entering Saturday’s spring game. Jeff Allen and Hugh Thornton will man the strong side tackle and guard spots, with Graham Pocic at center and Jack Cornell expected to start at the other guard spot. The one spot still undecided is at weakside tackle, where redshirt freshmen Michael Heitz and Simon Cvijanovic are battling to secure the final starting spot. Saturday’s game could give an indication of who is ahead at this point, but a final decision isn’t expected before the fall.

At receiver, last season’s leading pass-catcher, A.J. Jenkins, has been sidelined throughout the spring after undergoing wrist surgery. Sophomore Darius Millines has also been out after a team doctors discovered the beginnings of a stress fracture in his foot and opted for surgery to fix it before it became a recurring problem. With those two out, sophomores Ryan Lankford and Spencer Harris have stepped up as reliable targets and, along with tight end and fellow sophomore Evan Wilson, could form a very deep receiving corps once healthy.

While the injuries at receiver were already known before spring started, unexpected injuries to running backs Jason Ford and Bud Golden have forced coaches to use some unlikely replacements in the backfield. Senior Troy Pollard has gotten some extra carries in their absence, but has been dinged up recently. Pollard wore a red no-contact jersey Wednesday and could wear one Saturday as well. However, the biggest surprise has come from redshirt freshman Ean Days. After spending his redshirt season as a defensive back, Days has spent most of the spring at running back, the position he played in high school. Sophomore Jay Prosch has also gotten some carries out of the fullback position and has shown some skills as a ballcarrier.

At quarterback, the focus has been on keeping sophomore Nathan Scheelhaase injury-free while continuing to build upon the improvements from last season. Scheelhaase may not like it, but he’ll be wearing a red jersey throughout Saturday’s scrimmage. However, backup quarterback Miles Osei could be a different story. The backup signal-caller has gone full-contact at times this spring as coaches try to continue his development. Saturday will likely be Osei’s last chance to impress the coaching staff before highly touted incoming freshman Reilly O’Toole arrives on campus this summer.