Dylan Utter is an undersized, FCS-at-best talent. The simple fact that he hasn't been beaten out by anyone else on the offensive line can be directly correlated to the lack of ready-to-play talent that is available at the position. I'm not going to comment on talent since the guy has started for 2 years in a row, but 295 is undersized for a FBS offensive lineman?
That's news to me.
I'm not sure if you know this, but more often than not linemen don't come in from high school ready to play. Those guys normally have to be developed.
Given that the average D1 O-lineman in 2014 was around 6'3, 305, then yea, that's undersized.
And I'm not sure you know this, but your second comment just proves mine; if we have a guy in the program that was ready to play at center, then Utter wouldn't be starting. So thanks for that.
10 lbs. lighter.....OK then...... <rolls eyes>
If Cav would give some snaps to some other guys, maybe the high 3*/4* Thurston would still be here.
Or, as much as some of you hate this, maybe the white walkon from Nebraska was just better.
If you don't think that 3 inches short and 10 pounds lighter doesn't make a difference, you don't know much about interior line play.
How big was Aaron Graham? How about Raiola? Or Russ Hochstein? Or Aaron Taylor?
Oh, those guys from the 90s and early 00s aren't reflective of today's game?
Then, how about the AP 1st team all american center last year? He was 6'1, 294 at the Combine.
Reality is, Utter is only about 2 inches shorter and about 5 pound slighter than the average OL. Considering the number of tall and heavy OTs out there, it means he's probably heavier than a bunch of OL in general and definitely in line with other interior linemen.
Ok, so what would you contribute his consistent poor play to then?