The Bainbridge offensive line will go into the 2023 season having grown in size and number. 

The Bearcats have four returning starters on the line this season, something Head Coach Jeff Littleton said will be important to the team’s leadership structure.

“We’ve got some veteran guys coming back on the offensive line,” Littleton said. “They’re going to have to lead the way a bit throughout the summer.”

Offensive Line Coach Justin Palmer said those starters and a growing sophomore group give the team depth that it hasn’t seen for a while.

 “I’ll have more depth going into the year and through the year that I’ve had in probably five or six years,” Palmer said. “That’s the big thing for us, … being able to have eight, nine kids that you can count on Friday. By the end of the summer, we’ll be able to have that.”

The offensive line has gotten bigger since last season. According to Palmer, the team has a handful of 300-pounders, “finally” giving the team some size. He said that the size of the line is as impactful as the depth of it. 

“Having that depth coming back that knows the offense and having the size, you know, we’re going to be able to run the football,” Palmer said. “Both are equally important.”

Palmer said he hasn’t made a set group for the starters on the offensive line. Every practice is a “job interview,” according to him.

“It’s hard to tell who’s going to be the starting five and I tell them that every day,” Palmer said. “Even those guys coming back, they’re going to get pushed and they may get surpassed. Who knows.”