Noah Smith has started the last two games at LT, and their previous starter, Elijah Zollicoffer- who did not play the last two games, is now listed as the backup at RT on this weeks game notes.

Worth noting because the new configuration has played very well the last two weeks and as they go, so goes A-State's offense, and because their Defense has been playing winning ball for several games, so goes their team.

OL Depth Chart for USA:
LT 65 Noah Smith 6-7 311 rSo.
78 Hamilton Hall 6-5 311 rSr.
LG 71 Mehki Butler 6-3 330 rJr.
55 Aleric Watson 6-4 302 rFr.
C 73 Jacob Bayer 6-3 315 Jr.
58 Cameron Ambrose 6-4 293 rFr.
RG 51 Jalen Cunningham 6-5 350 rSr.
50 Austin Woods 6-5 300 rSo.
RT 77 Makilan Thomas 6-3 302 rSo.
74 Elijah Zollicoffer 6-5 330 So

Their OL struggled a little against South Alabama, but sill a lot better than the last few years.

My only prediction for their young team for 2023 was they would grow into a team other SBC coaches did not look forward to playing. If they are not there they are certainly close.

The Portal makes it impossible to speculate about 2024 for any team, even for A-State which wants to build its program by developing HS players. But because the young players on their roster are as a group by far their most talented players, even if Butch cobbles their 2024 depth chart only from the returning players on their roster this year, they will be noticeably more talented next year, and while still overall young, not as young.

That new OL configuration seems to be working out better than the old one, which was working better than any of their recent OL combinations, and the OL has been the weak-link in their chain the last few years.

Like every position group on offense, or team for that matter, they are really young overall, but not lacking talent, so that bodes well for their offense next year.