Fierce battles along O-line should make position deep for fall

AMES - Tom Farniok can see the writing on the wall.

And he's going to do everything he can today and until Iowa State's season opener against Northern Iowa not to see someone else's name scrawled above his. The red-shirt freshman sits atop the depth chart at center heading into the Cyclones' spring football game at Jack Trice Stadium.

“I by no means have it locked up,” Farniok said. “I'm going to keep approaching it with that mentality until Sept. 3. I want to play. Everyone wants to play. I'm in a position to do that and I'm going to take advantage of it.”

Farniok is one of a half-dozen young Cyclone linemen fighting for playing time and positioning on the two-deep. Competition for spots has been fierce.

“At center and left guard there's a lot of people who want to play,” Farniok said. “You don't want to get demoted. You have to bring it every day.”

Returning starters Kelechi Osemele (left tackle), Hayworth Hicks (right guard) and Brayden Burris (right tackle) don't figure to give up their spots. It doesn't mean they won't need a break every now and again.

Finally, ISU has the kind of depth to allow them to do that or replace them without a huge drop-off in case of injury.

“This year I feel like if I went down or couldn't go we have a couple of guys who could back me up,” said Osemele, who was an all-Big 12 second-team pick two seasons ago and a honorable mention after last year.

Ten offensive linemen have been recruited to the program since Coach Paul Rhoads arrived before the 2009 season.

Six were a part of last year's class, including Farniok. Sophomores Ethan Tuftee and Kyle Lichtenberg are promising prospects, too. Tuftee will start at left guard today.

“I don't know that the previous two years if we've gone into any game with more than six guys we really felt if we had to put them out there that we could win with,” Rhoads said. “We'll have at least eight, if not 10 by the time fall begins.”

Osemele, a senior, sees a bright future with his position group. Some of whom look like they can play now.

“We have a lot of young guys who want to be on the field,” Osemele said. “In the past we've had some who didn't feel quite up to par. We have some athletes on the line who feel they can contribute early.”

Farniok is stepping into a spot vacated by Ben Lamaak, an NFL hopeful, and before him Reggie Stephens, who is with the Cincinnati Bengals. Lamaak helped his understudy along the way.

Another 15 or so pounds would be a big help, he said. Farniok is listed at 6-3, 270 pounds.

“You can play at this level at 290,” he said. “Right now I'm not quite heavy enough. Don't put it on sloppily and get a big old gut. That doesn't do you much good.”