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Young line key to A&M season

Posted July 21, 2008

New Texas A&M coach Mike Sherman has his hands full with a team trying to learn new schemes in a division as tough as the Big 12 South.

Perhaps the biggest issue facing the Aggies as they enter training camp next month is finding four new offensive linemen. The team conducted spring practices with just eight scholarship linemen, something CU coach Dan Hawkins can definitely relate to. Hawkins had just six in spring ball in 2007.

Colorado travels to College Station, Texas, to face the Aggies at Kyle Field on Nov. 1.

"I do feel like what we're asking them to do and the repetition that we have within our offense, particularly in our running game, will afford those linemen an opportunity to get good at the skill level we need them to get good at," Sherman said.

Sherman said he will not annoint Stephen McGee as the starting quarterback. He prefers to make McGee earn it, even though he is by far the most experienced signal caller on the staff and a two-year returning starter who is poised to break nearly every major passing record in school history.

McGee's primary challenger is sophomore Jerrod Johnson.

"I've been asked this many times about quarterback controversy," Sherman said. "And I've said it many times, I don't think you have a controversy when you feel like you have good talent at that position."