Tasked with revamping UCF OL, co-OC Herb Hand relies on veteran leadership
UCF offensive line coach Herb Hand knows what it takes to compete in the Big 12 Conference.
The recently promoted co-offensive coordinator held the same position at the University of Texas for three years in the Power Five league that the Knights are set to officially join this summer.
Hand stressed one major factor for success in the Big 12.
“We’ve got to score points,” he said.
The numbers back him up. Every Big 12 team but one — Iowa State — averaged 30 points or more last season while 8 of the 10 teams recorded more than 400 yards of total offense per contest.
“The defenses in the Big 12 are better than they give them credit for because every game is 45-40 or whatever, but there are a lot of explosive offenses in the Big 12,” Hand said. “From a purely offensive mentality, we have to go in with the mindset that we’ve got to be ready to score points.”
This is why figuring out who fits where on the offensive line is a major focus for Hand and the UCF coaching staff during the spring. And there’s plenty of work to be done.
The Knights lost multi-year starting center Matt Lee to the transfer portal while starting left guard Sam Jackson and starting right tackle Ryan Swoboda exhausted their eligibility.
To help fill those three spots, UCF added Bula Schmidt (Fresno State), Amari Kight (Alabama) and Marcellus Marshall (Kent State) from the portal ahead of the spring.
Although returner guard Lokahi Pauole began spring practice working some at center, Schmidt has recently moved there after starting 27 straight games the past two years at Fresno State in that spot.
“Bula is new to our system and our team, but he’s a veteran player,” Hand said. “He’s been a multi-year starter at a great program in Fresno and played for a great offensive line coach, Saga Tuitele, who is now at Arizona State.
“I talked to Saga before we brought Bula in and he’s everything Saga told me he would be. He’s been a great addition so far.”
While Schmidt fits in at center, Marshall opened the spring at left tackle but also is practicing at left guard, Hand said. Kight has mainly focused on right tackle.
Marshall started all 12 games at offensive tackle last season at Kent State and earned first-team All-MAC while Kight served as a backup tackle at Alabama the last few years.
“We’re really excited about those two guys,” Hand said about Marshall and Kight. “They’ve been great additions to our unit. It’s tough when you come in as a transfer, particularly if you’ve had success at the place you’ve been at. You still have to earn it. Nothing is given.
“Both of those guys have acclimated really well and we’ll just continue to develop them.”
While there are plenty of new faces on the offensive line and questions to be answered, there is a core group of leaders that help Hand daily on and off the field.
That includes veteran offensive linemen such as Pauole, Ed Collins, Paul Rubelt and Chidoziri Maghiro.
Collins and Maghiro are two of the few remaining Knights who were a part of the program’s last conference championship in 2018.
“It’s their unit,” Hand said about the four linemen. “Obviously, when you graduate and lose some of the guys that we did, it’s time for the leadership to kick in. Then, for the young and new guys, it’s their opportunity to earn a position.
“We have a great unit of guys that want to work and want to be coached. It’s been a really good spring so far working with those guys.”
Email Jason Beede at jbeede@orlandosentinel.com or follow him on Twitter at @therealBeede.
