How Austin Blaske’s Versatility Strengthens North Carolina’s Offensive Line

On this episode of the Tar Heels Insider Podcast, beat writer Grant Chachere discusses the return of offensive lineman Austin Blaske, his versatility to play all three offensive line positions, and how the unit may come together as more players get healthy.

To watch the podcast, check out the video below!

Bill Belichick On O-Line’s ability to adapt to injuries and status of Austin Blaske …

UNC — Bill Belichick | Jackson McCurdy, North Carolina Tar Heels On SI

We'll just have to see how well that plays out. I think ultimately, the conversation comes down to getting your five best players on the field, but also playing the best combination: the five players who in combination play the most effectively. It's kind of like in baseball; it's hard to have two catchers. They might be your two best players. So we have to kind of balance out what's our best line versus trying to get our best players on the field.

And with Blaske, he's awesome because he can really play every position. He's played center, guard, both tackle spots. He gives us a lot of flexibility. And I think it will help us find the rest of the line and the consistency with it. [Jakai] Moore and [Daniel] King have done a pretty solid job on the right side. We'll just kind of work through the rest of it here, but having Austin back has been a big lift for us.

Obviously, he hasn't played in several weeks, and the Central Florida game was a quick turnaround for him, but I thought he handled himself pretty well. He looked better last week. I'm sure he'll get better as he gets more reps out there and we'll start to figure out what the best combination is. But glad we have him back.

Quotes From Austin Blaske

UNC — North Carolina offensive lineman Austin Blaske | Jackson McCurdy, North Carolina Tar Heels On SI

“I’d say Moses and trainers did a good job getting me back to where I am right now. Those two weeks I was off, making sure I’m staying in shape. Staying in football shape, which is different than just running. I think they did a really good job of keeping me ready to go whenever my number was called…

“I would just say it’s as simple as just getting to know the guy next to you. We’ve tried to start doing some O-line dinners and stuff to get to know everybody better and get to gel together. Because it is important on the field, but it’s also as important off the field, too, to know why a guy next to you is playing and have him know why you’re doing it, vice versa, just because it makes you play that much harder.”

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