NC State offensive line coach Garett Tujague recently spoke on the Wolfpack Weekly Radio Show, where he discussed the offensive line, previewed the Virginia game, and much more!
Fans will figure out some new wrinkles to the offensive line group this year. We'll talk about the left side in particular. But broadly speaking, before we name names, how has the group been for you?
Yeah, there have been some places I've been where I've had three guys who could start. Now I feel like I have seven or eight. So there's been a lot of competition. Pieces of the puzzle have been moved around. Guys are playing in positions they normally wouldn't have come here for, but they're the best five or six. And so they're going to play. And so it's been very rewarding for me going into my fourth season here and having a room of guys that can contribute at that level. And so, again, it helps for competition purposes. It also helps for depth, like rest, like in a game, whatever. You got guys; you can take 15 plays off a kid. Every game is better.
You know, one of the guys that you will have at center this year, I think it was the natural position for him to play. He got some snaps at guard last year. He got some snaps at center. What is it about Spike Sowells Jr. that makes him a good center? And what are the characteristics that you look for in a center?
First of all, command presence, right? You've got to have command presence. He sets the table for everything we do as a young player. It's been impressive how much he's grown in that, coming in with a lot of questions, obviously. And then now he's he's kind of running the show. And it's been really fun for him and his development. He has a unique skill set when it comes to twitch and getting places. One of the things we worked on a lot was, man, you made a lot of great blocks last year that you probably didn't have to make because you were in a bad position to begin with. So he has this innate trait to recover really well, which is obviously fun as a coach. I said, let's not get in those bad positions. And he's really worked on that in this fall camp and has done a really good job.
Spike Sowells Jr. has great pace. It's like more of a baseball thing. I feel like stereotypically guys get in the box. You try to control time with pitchers, but Spike strolls up to the ball. It's real casual. It's like he's got you said command presence. And that's what came to mind. He's so calm. It's almost nonchalant.
Yeah, it's pretty neat. It's awesome. And that's what you want in your center. Basically, you want that guy to be an extension of you as a coach, putting us in the right combinations and the right protections. And again, if you're up there and you're kind of panicking about it, then guess what? The other four are going to panic, too. And then the big guy in the back is going to panic. So he's done a really good job of working on that command presence.
So we talked a little bit last year about the left tackle spot. Of course, this year, it's Jimarion McCrimmon. Yes, he's a transfer. He's a big boy. We've admired the reach, the wingspan of Jimarion. Some offensive linemen have different attributes. It's going to be really hard for a defensive end to reach where they need to go when Jamarion puts his hands up.
Yeah, it was awesome today. He had the opportunity to lead our jacks. And so I saw him point like that, and I was like, oh, my gosh, I got you. Sometimes I take it for granted. But yeah, he's a prototypical left tackle, athletic, long, strong man. And again, I think Coach Doeren said this earlier, like you go the whole fall camp and nobody says his name. That's a great thing, right? So he's done a really good job of holding down that spot. And I think it's been really nice for him to have Yusuf playing next to him or Rico playing next to him, like, again, guys with experience in our offense. But he's done a really good job. No M.A.’s ever since he's been here. I mean, he's done a really good job of getting in his playbook. And so it’ll be like Christmas Day to kind of see how this all unfolds in the ACC. And I feel like he's going to do a good job. It is such a critical position.
If you don't have a left tackle, you've got trouble the whole year long. You have to feel pretty confident and comfortable with him at your left.
Absolutely. I mean, he's done a great job. He walked in day one, won the position through his work ethic and no one's even come close to taking it from him. So he's done a really good job.
So you mentioned that sometimes you've got three guys you can start with. Yeah, sometimes you need five.
Yeah, yeah.
Some years you got six, seven, eight. Well, whatever it might be. I think we know at least six of them because they're familiar names, maybe seven because of at least the origins of where players transferred from. But you're feeling good even deeper down.
Yeah. So, yeah, again, if you start looking at guys that are going to contribute this year, man, you got to start with Daniel Cruz. He's done an amazing job. He held down the center spot all spring. Valuable reps getting to understand our system. He came from a very good system in ours, and it matched well. Then obviously you're talking about Rico Jackson. He's going to play. He'll have just as many snaps as everybody.
And then, man, I think Trent Mitchell has done an amazing job coming back from his injury. He's done a really good job of taking care of his body, contributing, and playing multiple positions for us. And so it's been a lot of fun. And again, just being able to use those pieces to kind of like create competition. And, you know, the guy's sitting over there and he's like, wait a minute. That guy's playing his tail off. I better pick it up. Right. So, again, it's been a lot of fun, especially with those three guys.
Teague Anderson, you're right. Tackle comes in from Utah State. I did a quick interview with him, a kind of get-to-know. And my last question was, why did you choose NC State? And this was his immediate answer. I'll read it word for word. “I chose NC State because of my offensive line coach. He's one of the best people I've ever met. Cares for me like a man instead of a player. And I feel like that's so important.” Coach, the importance of relationships and what you do. Is that what it's all about?
It has to be. It's not enough just to have it be football. It's got to be. And it's got to be football. And what does that end? And for us, it's our relationship. Tight room. Teague, I've known him for a very long time, but special, special kid. And obviously it matters when you have those relationships, because, again, in that portal world, you don't know what you're getting. And so when you've known a kid, as long as I've had the opportunity to know him through family connections and stuff, it's just been a lot of fun for me to watch his growth and development here, even from high school to Utah State to here. Again, super excited for that young man. And it means a lot. Like when a kid can talk about that relationship, that's special. And it gives me, and it gives him something more to compete for.
When a football team walks off of a bus, it's the offensive line that everybody notices. Jimarion, 6’5, 295, and Yousef t better be six, five, three, fourteen. Yousef, 6’5, 322. And there's eight to ten to twelve of these guys. Is the offensive line maybe biased, maybe asking the right guy? Does the offensive line set the tone for a football team?
I think a lot of coaches have talked about this. And again, the underwear Olympics or the seven-on-seven stuff. You get a nice T-shirt and a pat on the back. But when those guys step on the field, man, you're playing for it all. And so if those guys can't drive the culture of the program, if they can't drive the culture of our room, if they can't drive the culture of the offense, then it's not. It's going to be a rough year.
And so, again, understanding that and having them step up in situations where maybe someone's position is struggling or whatever. But again, and a lot of people have said this. We don't need anybody else to play good for us to play good. They all need us. And so, again, that's stressed every day in our room. Everybody's success around the whole field depends on us. And so, to me, embodying that, loving to be that person, loving to be that group where everything falls on our shoulders. I mean, what more could you ask for? I mean, that's what it's all about. And so, again, to be able to rise to that. Can't wait.
You're also involved as the run game coordinator. You're obviously one of the key elements of an offensive lineman. Protect. Protect your quarterback. But also it's to move people against their will. Correct. What is the MO? What are your thoughts on the physicality of the run game that you guys might have this year?
Yeah. So to me, everything starts with a vertical push. And again, every single snap we look at is my guys' feet clearing the line of scrimmage. That's a great play. Again, that to me is the most important thing. And then you want to design runs and things off of passes, play actions that look like. But to me, the most important thing is: are our feet crossing the line of scrimmage? Are we getting push? And again, putting our guys in positions to be successful based on the checkers or chess of the defensive scheme. And so to me, that's the number one thing. We're going to vertically push you off the ball. We're not going to play sideways. We're going to play vertical.
You've been to Scott Stadium before. I have. When is the last time you were in Scott Stadium?
2023.
What's it like going back to places you've worked at?
Yeah. It's kind of cool. I've had that opportunity a couple of times throughout my career, and I've absolutely loved my experience in Charlottesville. The grounds, the university did a really good job of taking care of my family and me. But that was then. And this is now. So I'm really looking forward. There's a few faces back there that I still friends with and stuff like that. But to me, it's about Raleigh. It's about NC State. It's about the red and white. And I can't wait for the opportunity to get back in there.
So you're with Coach Elliott in that first season that was there. Kind of a tough season to go through. What has led to the turnaround up there, where they go from six wins in the first two years to 11 wins last year, and then play for the ACC Championship?
I love Tony Elliott. I think he's a very good leader of men. He does a great job, and he's surrounded himself with people that believe in the mission. And so, again, there was no doubt in my mind that he would be successful just the way he runs his program. And again, like I said, I love the man and he's done a great job there. But I think the most important thing that he has done is stuck to his guns. He's not compromised. He's he knows what he wants to do and he's not going to quit till he gets it done. And that's awesome. You want to face an opponent like that.
And so the administration showed him patience as well.
Correct. And again, I think the leadership there at UVA, with Carla Williams, the athletic director, she understands the value and the importance of football. And that was a lot of fun when she came in to be a part of that, because, again, football is everything.
