Texas A&M's offensive line struggled during the first half of Saturday's 50-0 shutout win over Missouri State, but improved in the second half, much to starting quarterback Marcel Reed's liking, as third-year coach Mike Elko and OL coach Adam Cushing made the necessary adjustments, leading to better communication at the LOS while paying close attention to their assignments.
At left tackle, LSU transfer Tyree Adams earned the third-highest Pro Football Focus grade (79.3) and was highly impressive in pass protection and run blocking, which is very important heading into Saturday's home matchup vs. Arizona State, while junior left guard Blake Ivy should retain his starting job, as his first-half struggles disappeared after halftime.
These blocking
issues, after watching the tape a second time, stemmed from missed assignments, which was expected in the first game of the season after replacing four starters from the 2025 unit. Depth-wise, Elko could have certainly made drastic changes, but chose to stick with most of his original starting rotation, including South Carolina transfer right guard Trovon Baugh, who also struggled.
After the game, Marcel Reed discussed his close relationship with all his offensive linemen, including right tackle Wilkin Formby, Tyree Adams, and Blake Ivy, whose bond should help this revamped group protect their quarterback and play much better football for the rest of the season.
"I remember running out, and Wilkin Formby just said, 'I love you, brother.' I said, 'I love you, too.' Tyree Adams was checking in on me. I saw Blake Ivy maul somebody and get hype. They're going to protect me."
Mentality is everything as an offensive lineman, knowing that your central job is to keep the quarterback clean and open up holes in the running game. It's up to Adam Cushing to do his job and fix these remaining issues, which could lead to a change in the lineup, but right now, the second-half improvement shows this group is poised to improve.
"They said more to me. They tried to lift me up. Respect those guys a lot and the care they have for their quarterbacks. Those guys want to protect. I know they will get it done each Saturday."
Texas A&M will host Arizona State on Saturday, Sept. 6, which will air on ABC at 11 a.m.
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: 'They're going to protect me': Texas A&M QB Marcel Reed praises O-line
