Position flexibility still important to Chris Wiesehan, Owls' O-line

After returning to Temple as the Owls’ offensive line coach and run game coordinator under first-year head coach Stan Drayton, it’s clear that Chris Wiesehan still leans on the same coaching principles.

The veteran assistant, who spent the previous three seasons on Geoff Collins’ Georgia Tech staff, told reporters Friday that seven of his offensive linemen would be ready to play in the Owls’ Sept. 2 season opener at Duke, putting them in the “Above The Line” category.

In other words, being above the line and ready to play is more important than a depth chart that limits players to specific positions along the line.

Wiesehan was previously on Temple’s staff from 2014 to 2018 and coached the Owls’ offensive line in four of those five seasons. Cross-training his offensive linemen to play multiple positions was always a priority, and that hasn’t changed.

“If you look back to the lines I had 20 years ago and the way I cross-train my linemen, I’m going to put the next guy in and not necessarily the next guy on the depth chart that says you’re the right guard,” Wiesehan explained. “The right guard went down. I want to put the next-best player in and have him trained to do so.”

“There are five steaks on the table,” Wiesehan added in a nod to one of his trademark sayings. “And whoever is ready to go is gonna go. And I'm not trying to Jedi mind trick anybody here. It's just the way it's going to be. And really positionally, whether I coached the tight ends, or whether I coached the receivers, or whether I coach the running backs, that's going to be the way it's going to be. Those guys are going to be trained to play that position, and I’m going to put the next guy in that's gonna give us the best chance to win. And they know that, that competition’s king. So if you have that mindset and you're ready to go on every day, regardless if you started at right tackle and you had to go to left guard, you are going to be held accountable. If you're the best guy, I’m going to put you in.”

For example, fifth-year veteran Adam Klein, arguably the program’s best offensive lineman, has said he expects to play right tackle this season, even though he’s had experience and snaps at guard and center. In fact, Drayton has said the same thing.

When Wiesehan was asked Friday if the hope is still that Klein would settle in at right tackle, Wiesehan didn’t initially disagree.

“You’d like to have that stability on the edge,” Wiesehan said. “Communication with the quarterback right? Those two did a really good job. I'm talking about Adam and (left tackle) Isaac (Moore) as freshmen They played in a lot of games that really helped us protection-wise and they're helping our quarterback now.”

But …

“At the same time,” Wiesehan continued, “the snap’s really important, so you’d better have a guy who can do that, because he starts the play."

Earlier in the interview, when Wiesehan was asked if 6-foot-3, 305-pound redshirt sophomore Wisdom Quarshie was still leading the competition at center, Wiesehan said that position battle is still “all wide open.”

When asked who was in the mix for the starting center spot with Quarshie, Wiesehan said, “I have Wiz, I have (sophomore Bryce) Thoman, I have Klein that I could put in there. Obviously, I have (redshirt junior) Rich Rod (Rodriguez).”

“I’m going to keep that fluid,” Wiesehan said. “I’m going to have to make hard decisions.”

Wiesehan said the 6-4, 295-pound Thoman had “a really good day (Thursday)” and “did a great job.”

“He’s had a lot of days like (Thursday),” Wiesehan added. “He’s done a really good job at just situational football. I threw him in at center again. He had not been in there, and he did a really good job.”

You can listen to Wiesehan’s full interview with reporters after Friday’s practice here.

In addition to Klein, the center position, Quarshie and Thoman, Wiesehan talked about Jimto Obidegwu, Moore, Jermaine Donaldson, Luke Foster and former Temple defensive lineman Jacob Martin, who spoke to the team after Thursday’s practice a day prior to his New York Jets taking on the Eagles in a preseason game at Lincoln Financial Field.