2010 Countdown: #24 Mark Huyge

2010 Countdown: #24 Mark Huyge


August 10, 2010

Name: Mark Huyge
Height: 6’6″
Weight: 306 lbs.
High school: Catholic Central High School in Wyoming, MI
Positon: Offensive tackle
Class: Redshirt junior
Jersey number: #72
Last year: I ranked Huyge #22 and said he’d be the starting right tackle. He began the season as the starter at right tackle, but moved inside to guard once David Moosman bumped to center. He started 4 games at tackle and 5 games at guard.

Huyge battled Perry Dorrestein for the right tackle job in 2009, finally winning the job in fall camp. He started the season there, but with the injury to center David Molk and the subsequent David Moosman move from guard to center, Huyge was deemed a decent fit at right guard. However, his starting role was eventually eliminated, as then-redshirt freshman Patrick Omameh beat him out at guard and Dorrestein had entrenched himself at right tackle. Huyge watched the last couple games from the bench, aside from some special teams duty.

With the graduation of two senior offensive linemen (Moosman and left tackle Mark Ortmann), the opportunity for Huyge to become a starter is there for the taking once again. Omameh will almost surely start at guard once again, but it’s a four-way battle for the tackle positions between Huyge, Dorrestein, Taylor Lewan, and Michael Schofield. Huyge’s most significant challenge will most likely come from Schofield, but the chances Schofield beats out the redshirt junior are very slim. Until or unless an injury occurs, Huyge is your starting right tackle in 2010. He’s not a great blocker in either phase of the game, but Rodriguez is probably in a make-or-break year, and he probably can’t entrust the tackle positions to redshirt freshmen.

Prediction for 2010: Starting right tackle

2 comments

  1. Comments: 21397
    jbibiza
    Aug 10, 2010 at 3:53 PM

    I agree that he is "not a great blocker in either phase of the game" so I expect to see Dorrestein at Right Tackle and Lewan at Left Tackle with Huyge as first back up for both. Also likely that Schofield will pass him on the depth chart by mid season.

  2. Comments: 21397
    Aug 10, 2010 at 4:18 PM

    @ jbibiza

    You could be right, although I've noticed that the coaches like to have a specifically defined "left tackle" and "right tackle." If the starting right tackle gets hurt, they won't put in the next best tackle overall – they'll insert the #2 right tackle. They could transition Dorrestein back to the right side if he loses the LT battle, but I think they'll want to keep the competition ongoing throughout the season.

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