Fourth in a series breaking down the Bears by position.

THE OFFENSIVE LINE

CONWAY, Ark. _  The University of Central Arkansas' offensive line room has gotten bigger and bulkier in recent years, in a good way, according to Bears' head coach Nathan Brown.

UCA returns eight linemen with starting experience from last year's squad, with an expected starting five that will average right around 6-foot-4 and 310 pounds. That combination of size and experience should bode well for the Bears, according to their head coach.

"These are some large boys, and that's what your offensive line room has to look like," said Brown. "And what is probably the most fun to watch and neat to see is that room is probably the most cohesive room in our building. They love spending time with each other, they have a great tight-knit bond. Coach (Gunnar) Boykin and Coach (Corbin) Boler do a great job with that group. There is a ton of talent in that room and I think they are going to keep getting better and better. "

Brown said two of the key returnees are at the all-important tackle position.

"I think it starts with our two tackles, Justin Lairy and Frazier Rose," said Brown, entering his sixth season as the Bears' head coach. "Those two guys are solid, they have a lot of starts under their belts. They are both super kids with great leadership qualities. And a ton of ability. Justin is on some preseason All-Conference lists, while Frazier is flying a little bit under the radar. 

"But if you can protect at the tackle position, and allow your quarterbacks to step up in the pocket and make the throws, then usually you're going to have success getting the ball down the field. And those guys can do that. That tackle position is crucial and it starts with those two."

Lairy and Rose both fit the trend of bigger linemen. Lairy is a 6-foot-3, 295-pound junior from Madison, Miss. Rose is a 6-6, 305-pound sophomore from Greenwood, Miss. Both came to UCA directly out of the high school ranks.

But the size does not end with that duo. Of the 17 offensive linemen listed on the UCA roster, none are under 6-2 and all weigh at least 290 pounds. Six stand at least 6-5 and a dozen top 300 pounds.

"That's a big, physical room and that's been a point of emphasis in recruiting," said Brown. "You bring in Zach Cochnauer and Chaylin Peine last year, a Will Diggins. I mean, those are massive freshman that are going into their second year. Then you look at our freshmen class this year, Braden Stafford is a big kid, Caleb Shirron is a big kid, C.J. Rayborn. You can go down the list. These are kids you can grow into big dudes. 

Brown mentioned several returnees, along with some new faces, that have impressed so far. 

"(Junior) Jamal Mull and (sophomore) William Mayo are two of those guys," he said. "Mayo is going to shift out to tackle after being an inside guy for us the last couple of years. He seems a little more comfortable out there. Those are some big, beefy guys, guys with some length. They are getting as much work as anybody in the country every single day blocking (All-American defensive ends) David Walker and Logan Jessup, so they're getting some really good competition."

Sophomore Will Diggins (6-4, 325) from Bryant (Ark.) High School was named the ASUN Conference Freshman of the Year last season.

"You get a guy like Will Diggins back, the freshman of the year in the ASUN," said Brown. "From an offensive line position, that's unheard of. He came in as a really mature kid out of Bryant and burst on the scene right away. And now he's a year quicker, a year more athletic, he maintained his weight. We feel great about him at the left guard spot. 

"And (senior) Josh George inside, he's played a lot of football for us out of Benton (Ark.). (Senior) Jacob Cox started games for us at center last year and he's back. (Junior) BK Collier from West Helena (Ark.) moved inside to right guard. He's played a lot of games for us. He's kind of like Justin Lairy, he's been a Swiss army knife."

Peine, a 6-5, 300-pound sophomore from Garnett, Kan., and Cochnauer, a 6-5, 310-pounder from Farmington, Minn., both have a year under their belt and figure to be key backups at the guard spots. Luke Stringer (6-2, 290) is a redshirt freshman from Mobile, Ala., who should be in the mix as well.

The newcomers who could be expected to provide quality depth include: Zane Hayman (6-4, 295) from La Porte, Texas; C.J. Rayborn (6-4, 290) from Southaven, Miss.; Caleb Shirron (6-5, 300) from Cabot, Ark.; Joey Dickson (6-3, 300) from McKinney, Texas; Braden Stafford (6-3, 295) from Town Creek, Ala., and Nicholas Hazeslip (6-4, 300) from Cabot, Ark.