A couple of housekeeping items. First, follow me on Twitter for real-time updates on Liberty football. I promise, I won’t tweet about what I had for breakfast. (Fruity Cheerios today, if you must know.)

I’ve already previewed Liberty’s running backs, receivers and quarterbacks. Click on the links for those previews if you missed them.

Now for today’s position preview: The offensive line.

First, the personnel:

Linemen lost
Britt Stone
Mike Godsil
Zach Davis
Spencer Hodges (transfer)
Antonio Tassara (injury)

Linemen returning
Justin Vargas
Bryan Mosier
Mario Cosby
Alex Stadler
Josh Weaver
Matt Camire
Tim Hartman
Aaron Lundy
D.J. Sellman
Soeren Wendland
Toney White
Aaron Brown

Newcomers
Malcolm Boyd
Garry Brice
Matthew Brink (transfer, Bloomsburg)
Jay Weatherington

I spoke to offensive line coach Blaine McCorkle today about the “hog mollies,“ and my use of that terminology is a sure sign that I’m playing entirely too much NCAA ‘10 on the PS3. Go Herbstreit. Anyway, we’ll start with the guys who are the clear favorites to start. McCorkle on:

Left tackle Justin Vargas (6-5, 285, rJr.), who actually played more snaps last season than starter Zach Davis did at the position.

“The thing about Justin is that he missed spring ball with the shoulder surgery, so he’s really having to push to make up some ground. We’re pushing him hard, because he’s got a lot of talent and can be really good football player with two years to go. And he’s working hard. He’s making mistakes, but he’s learning. He know he has ground to make up from the spring, and he is.“

Bryan Mosier (6-2, 300, rSr.) started all 12 games last year at right guard and has moved over to the left side for his senior season.

“He’s a team captain and he’s well deserving of it,“ McCorkle said. “He’s been around here a long time. Guys like that, you just need to push them in the right direction and they know what to do. He’s pretty valuable. He can get guys in the right spots. He can make all the calls. You can’t replace a fifth-year senior that’s been around in the same system.“

Mario Cosby (6-1, 270, rSr.) takes over at center for Mike Godsil, who started all four of his years at LU.

“His attitude has been great,“ McCorkle said. “It’s almost like he’s had a little bit of a re-birth from a football standpoint. I think the time away might have been the best thing that happened to him. Sitting behind a guy like Mike Godsil for four years isn’t easy. Nobody wants to do that. But not just anybody can go beat Mike Godsil out. He’s a pretty special player. When Mario took the time away and then decided to come back, it was almost like a light switch went off. He’s had a great attitude. He hasn’t missed a rep. He’s been tough. He’s had good feet. He’s done everything we’ve asked him to do. He got down to around 235, and he came back at 275, which is the most he’s ever weighed. I couldn’t have been happier with the work habits he’s had over the summer. He’s earned everything he’s got right now, for sure.“

Alex Stadler (6-5, 310, rJr.), an Alabama transfer, filled in for Britt Stone last season when Stone broke his leg early in the year. So Stadler is used to being in a starting role. He’ll get the nod at right guard.

“He’s got the pedigree and all of the physical attributes,“ McCorkle said. “He’s big, and that’s what everybody looks at. But the thing Alex has is a lot of football IQ. He’s a really smart football player. He does not miss a question in the meeting. If something’s called wrong, he’ll catch it before a coach will. He’s really good with the younger players. He’ll answer questions for them and help them out. He’s a smart guy. He’s a tough guy. And he’s got a little bit of that nasty mindset you want your offensive linemen to have.”

Josh Weaver (6-4, 285, rSr.) is another team captain entering his fifth year in the program.

“He’s just like Mosier. He’s got a ton of experience. He’s a captain. He’s a good leader. Those guys aren’t rah-rah leaders. They’re come-to-work-every-day leaders. Just like (Mosier), he’s earned everything he’s got. If he had to play another position, he could play another position in a heartbeat. He’s tough.”

In the second group, McCorkle said he likes what he’s seen from Tim Hartman (6-4, 315, rSr.) and Soeren Wendland (6-8, 300, rJr.).

“Tim Hartman transferred in from Concord in West Virginia, and what he’s done with his body since he’s been here is phenomenal. He came in at like 370, and now he’s like 312. He’s just done fabulous things in the weight room. He’s another guy with an unbelievable IQ. He would probably be the first guy at all five spots if something happened, with a week’s time to prepare. The last three days, he’s played three different positions—both tackles and center—and not because of injury, but by design to get him prepared to go into the game wherever he needs to at any time. He’s an unbelievably valuable asset.”

“(Wendland) is still learning the game from the offensive side, having played defense for three years. Once he gets it figured out and gets a little more football savvy on offense, he can do whatever he wants to do. He can be special. Big body, he can move, he’s tough, he’s hard nosed. He’s just still learning.”

Malcom Boyd (6-4, 275, Fr.) and Jay Weatherington (6-4, 280, Fr.) both figure to work their way into the rotation early, a rarity for true frosh linemen under Rocco, who would rather see his freshmen bulk up in the weight room unless they can contribute immediately. Both have college-ready bodies, though, and both will compete for time at both guard positions.

“They’re tough. They’ve both got great feet and great work ethic,” McCorkle said. “A lot of times, the freshmen will come in, especially on the offensive line, and one of the first things you have to do is to tech the guys to work. That’s not the case with these guys. They bust their butts. You blow the whistle, and they’re 15, 20 yards downfield. They’re high energy, high motor. Obviously, they’ve got a lot of learning to do. That’s the biggest difference for linemen. In high school, you block the fat kid in front of you. Here, there’s a lot of thinking and a lot going on. Once they figure it out, they’ll be two of the best offensive linemen in this league, I think.”