A closer look: Iowa State offensive line

THE DEPTH CHART

FIRST UNIT: LT - Jaypee Philbert Jr., jr., 6-4, 310; LG - Nick Fett, sr., 6-7, 310; C - Brian Bobek, sr., 6-2, 290; RG - Patrick Scoggins, sr., 6-1, 295; RT - Julian Good-Jones, Rfr., 6-5, 295

SECOND UNIT: LT - Breion Creer, sr., 6-3, 280; LG - Karson Green, jr., 6-4, 290; C - Good-Jones or Bryce Meeker, Rfr., 6-5, 305; RG - Bryan Larson, jr., 6-4, 285; RT - Shawn Curtis, jr., 6-5, 295

UPPERCLASSMEN: Brian Seda, sr., 6-6, 295

UNDERCLASSMEN: Kory Kodanko, so., 6-5, 305; Oge Udeogu, jr., 6-3, 325, Will Windham, so., 6-3, 305

TRUE FRESHMEN: Sean Foster, fr., 6-8, 290

NEXT MAN IN: Brian Bobek

Sixth-year senior Brian Bobek won't have to wait his turn to play at Iowa State, but he knows all about waiting for his turn while battling injuries.

Bobek started his career at Ohio State, playing in two games as a true freshman before transferring to Minnesota. He sat out with the Golden Gophers per transfer rules and missed the entire 2013 season because of a medical illness. Bobek played in eight games over the next two years, but could never stay healthy through the year.

He hopes all of that can stay in the past.

'What it really does is it just teaches you how to handle adversity,” Bobek said. 'I think going forward that's a huge advantage. In any football season there are going to be issues, there is going to be adversity. That's something that's going to happen as an individual and as a team and it's something that's going to be for the rest of your life, too.”

Bobek has been called the strongest man on the team, particularly in the bench press. The 6-foot-2, 290-pounder can bench roughly 455 pounds at his current condition, but said he's maxed out at 470. The Big 12 defensive lines he'll see as the center will put those arms and core strength to the test.

Either some players are really good one day or really not very good the next day,” said Iowa State coach Matt Campbell. 'Some guys are consistently getting better. Brian's been the guy for us that's kind of been our saving grace really from the beginning of fall camp because he's been the steady force for us. I'm really proud of what he's done.”

ETC.

Offensive coordinator and line coach Tom Manning was tasked with replacing five seniors on his offensive line last season at Toledo, but got results. The Rockets o-line helped the team average 207.9 rushing yards per game with 26 touchdowns on the ground and Manning was named the 2015 FootballScoop Offensive Line Coach of the Year.

Those philosophies of teaching the position group as one unit and not individualizing each position has helped the Cyclones deal with the loss of junior Jake Campos more naturally.

'He's broken it down since day one when he got here,” said Julian Good-Jones. 'He broke it down from the basics from our stance to our steps and everything. Really he's a great teacher and great coach.”

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