Baylor Football's Offensive Line Battle is Starting to Take Shape

Offensive line coach Austin Woods named Baylor's starting center, along with a few other tidbits.

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There might be a lot of new faces on the Baylor Bears' football team this season, but no position has as many question marks as the offensive line does. The Bears return just one full-time starter and that's Kaden Sieracki at right tackle.

Baylor landed Memphis transfer Yakiri Walker, who was supposed to be a veteran and start at center for the Bears. But he is no longer a player on the team after his injunction was denied and he's now a coach on the team.

There was already a lot of shuffling going on, and with the Walker news, it only got tougher. However, a familiar name has emerged at the center position. According to offensive line coach Austin Woods, it's Koltin Sieracki who has repped at center and is looking to take the first snaps there when Baylor faces Auburn.

"Right now, Koltin Sieracki, he stepped up and he's been getting a lot of reps with the guys over the summer," Woods said. "Obviously, the decision with Yakiri went the other way. And so he stepped up, he's done a great job of leading and communicating and playing some really high level football right now."

Center is the preferred position

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The 6'4", 317-pound lineman was Baylor's sixth lineman last season. He started three games, playing both right guard and center. Entering fall camp, he was expected to play guard this season, but once Walker was officially out of the picture, he has shifted his mindset to center.

And according to Sieracki, he prefers to play that position.

"So I actually prefer center," Sieracki said. "I think it's more of a natural position for me. I just feel like it's a space that I fit in, to be honest. I really like hitting the double teams and getting on a hip and riding it out with my guys. Nate [Kibble] and Asher [Hale] and all the guys that have been playing next year have been doing a great job, setting it up for me and getting us right."

Where Cole Rhett and Asher Hale fit

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It's possible that Sieracki gave us a little inside info regarding how the offensive line might look. He stated that Texas transfer Nate Kibble and South Alabama transfer Asher Hale have been playing next to him at the guard position.

UAB transfer Logan Moore noted on Thursday that he has been playing left tackle. Where does that leave Toledo transfer Cole Rhett, who we thought would play left tackle this year? According to Woods, Rhett is moving all over the place, gaining valuable reps. That could mean he's battling for a starting role, or he could take on Sieracki's old role as the sixth lineman.

"Yeah, really doing a great job," Woods said of Rhett and Hale. "Cole's playing kind of all over the place. We're kind of getting him some reps and working him into different spots. And then Asher's done a really good job of being more consistent coming out of spring and into fall camp. And so they're both doing a good job and getting a lot of reps and just continue to get better every day."