Kansas Jayhawk Football Roster Breakdown: Interior Offensive Line

The interior of the Jayhawk offensive line will feature a pair of seniors and a player to be named later. Just as the rest of the offense has experienced growing pains in recent years, so to has this group. But in terms of known commodities this group does feel like it could be one of the more stable areas for 2012.

• Duane Zlatnik - Zlatnik moved from defensive end to defensive tackle and then to offensive guard. Since then he's developed into a valuable piece on the Kansas offensive line and like Tanner Hawkinson he could find his way toward a spot on a Sunday roster if he can push things to the next level in 2012. Zlatnik will help anchor the left side of the line along with Hawkinson and the duo will be expected to provide the Kansas offense with the necessary push and protection up front.
  

• Trevor Marrongelli - The thing that has stood out about Marrongelli from the beginning is his mean streak. He's a physical player and he looks to punish with his blocking. That initial recklessness has subsided a bit with maturity and he's developed into a very versatile contributor taking over at center for 2012. He'll look to fill the shoes of Jeremiah Hatch who has manned the position for two seasons and Marrongelli will be the bridge between an experienced left side and a older but less experienced right side of the line.
  
• Gavin Howard - If Riley Spencer returns at tackle it would appear that Howard will slide back to the interior where he started the year as the 1st team right guard. The competition at this spot is probably as intense as any so it will be interesting to see where a player like Howard ultimately ends up on the two deep.
• Randall Dent - For now Dent looks to be the first man off the bench at guard. There is a duo on the left side that could work there way in there but for now Dent is making the most of his second chance. It would be great to see Dent finally put it together, find a home and make a contribution to the team in some capacity. The constant shuffling certainly presents some challenges so hopefully now he has some better direction.
  
• Luke Luhrsen - It seems like the last staff significantly inflated Luhrsen's measurables. He's listed now at 6'2.5" and 292 pounds. That is definitely a guard and Luhrsen has certainly done some things that have put him in a position to compete for this job next year. For now he's a backup with some really incredible athleticism for a guy his size and he'll be great competition at the position for the next four years.
  
• Damon Martin - Martin has really been impressive in transforming his body during his time at Kansas so far. Everyone was a little worried about a player weighing in at around 260 in high school but he's nearly tipping the 300 mark and he's garnered a lot of praise from multiple sources. Luhrsen and Martin look like a solid guard duo in the future.
• Dylan Admire - Admire is a smart player who is putting in the work necessary to be a starter in the future. He'll sit behind Marrongelli this year but keep in mind that Marrongelli has experienced a season ending injury in the past. Admire is just 277 so he'll need to continue to work toward putting on good weight but he could combine with Martin and Lurhsen down the line to create a solid offensive interior.
• Brian Beckmann - Beckmann is 6'6" 300 pounds as a freshman and he has worked on the interior at guard early on. He has a size advantage over most of the other underclassman working at the position and some time under Holsopple could really transform his body and give Tim Grunhard the pieces to create a very solid competitor in the future.
  

Looking at this spot it does feel like a position that is well prepared for this year and the future based on the players in tow. Now obviously we haven't seen any of the underclassman so all we have to go off of is crimson and blue colored reviews. That said, we know what we're getting with Marrongelli and Zlatnik and for this year that is a good thing.