Iowa State offensive line improving ‘drastically’ under Ryan Clanton's watchful eyes

AMES — Iowa State’s offensive linemen entered winter conditioning under the supervision of two new coaches.

They emerged this spring bigger, stronger and smarter than ever before — and that serves as a testament to the synergy first-year offensive line coach Ryan Clanton and new strength and conditioning coach Reid Kagy have forged in a relatively short time.

“Those two guys working together, man, it’s been a really, really good offseason,” said oft-injured, but talented Cyclone offensive lineman Jake Remsburg.

Clanton’s brought an intense, all-encompassing approach to teaching the position and the game of football in general. The former Northern Iowa assistant who molded Spencer Brown and Trevor Penning into NFL-caliber linemen doesn’t simply talk about paying attention to details. He’s utterly devoted to dwelling within them, then finding new niches to explore and master.

It never stops. He never stops. There’s always something to learn — including new run-blocking schemes — all of which spurs growth in a variety of ways.

“I think it’s all about how you teach it,” said Clanton, who played guard and tackle for Chip Kelly at Oregon and graduated with a degree in applied economics, business, and society (AEBS) in 2013. “If you make it too complicated, then everyone’s gonna trip over each other and it’s gonna be a complete failure. So you really have to be mindful about how you teach it and that’s something I feel that we’ve done really well; really presenting it to the players in a new form and fashion.”

That means taking a wider view. Playing well on the offensive line hinges on executing one’s own assignments crisply and effectively, but understanding the game as a whole, with all its intricacies and moving parts, leads to mastery of the craft.

“Here’s the deal,” Clanton said. “A lot of offensive linemen, they think about their box and this is what I do on this play versus this defense specifically. I’m trying to give them the overview and teach defense, and truly understand why are we running this play with this technique, and what are they defending, and what aren’t they defending?

“And not just to our defense, but to the defenses we’re gonna be seeing. I think they’re starting to truly understand football as a whole and that creates confidence that lets you play faster, and that allows you to come off the ball and be more violent. That’s the key, I believe, in truly playing fast.”

Erratic offensive line play has slowed the Cyclones at times during head coach Matt Campbell’s six-plus season tenure and the combination of Kagy’s fresh approach to nutrition and fitness as well as Clanton’s methods for improvement spur optimism for the 2023 season and beyond.

Clanton’s plan for growth resonates deeply with Remsburg, who has seen each of his seasons cut short or severely altered because of major injuries.

“We’ve spent a lot of time looking at weaknesses and strengths from previous years,” Remsburg said. “He’s really good at picking up little things that you may not think (are) a big deal, but you can change your whole trajectory as a player. Using those things, getting with him, talking with him over those things, it’s really cool. You can see it on the field, too. Up and down our offensive line unit, guys are drastically getting better every day, which is fun to watch.”

Fun to experience, too. Remsburg’s played tackle almost exclusively when healthy. Now Clanton’s ensuring he and his fellow frontmen know how to play every position across the line — and can be plugged in anywhere, at any time.

“Moving people around and trying to find the best fit for the team, that creates competition and it also sparks interest,” Clanton said. “I know specifically for me as a player, when I was moved to multiple positions, because I really had to play all five spots, it was like every time I learned a new position, it was like I was restarting and I was learning. It really helped me understand football as a whole and I think that’s the most important part for offensive linemen.”

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