YOUNGSTOWN — In 2025, Youngstown State quarterback Beau Brungard set all kinds of offensive program records en route to winning the FCS’ Walter Payton Award.
But Brungard would be the first person to say that none of his or the Penguins’ offensive numbers last year would have been possible without the steady, consistent play of YSU’s offensive line.
“I think he’s being very humble when he says that. I don’t think we’re bad by any means, but I just love getting out there and hitting people,” senior lineman Shane Keenan said. “I feel like that’s a big thing, and I love doing it. I don’t need the extra gratification. I got five brothers out there who we love. We get fired up with each other all the time. We don’t need the headlines, the stats. But hearing guys with names like that, Beau Brungard, telling you that you guys help him a lot, I think that’s pretty cool. But I think he could do it with anybody out there.”
Fresh off their success last season, the Penguins are returning more depth and experience along the offensive line than they have in several years.
“Obviously, it’s good to have experience back. It’s good to have guys that have done it before, so you have a little bit of trust. There’s a trust factor there, so you feel good about a starting point,” offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich said. “We can start there, but at the same time, there’s plenty of improvement to be made.”
Coming into spring practice, YSU’s returning offensive linemen have more than 115 combined starts under their belt, which includes four returning starters from last year in seniors Desmeal Leigh, Shane Keenan, Van Keen and Isaac Perkins.
Left guard Joe Sferra was also expected to return, which would have meant bringing back every starter, but he decided to medically retire from football due to injuries.
The Penguins are hoping that returning experience translates down to the younger players as they work to earn reps during spring.
“It’s a newer [offensive] system, so everybody was kind of on the same page last year,” Keenan said. “But now we have guys who have a year in the system, which really helps the young guys understand it better because I feel like you learn the most from players than you do coaches in college, and I think it’s going to be a big weapon for us, having those younger guys ready.”
But even with everything that unit has coming back, Yurcich’s expectations for the O-line and the offense as a whole don’t change.
They’re still high, and he expects them to meet those expectations on a daily basis.
“When you have guys come back, it doesn’t change anything really. You still gotta coach like it’s brand new to them,” Yurcich said. “You still have to coach and start from the base and build up and challenge the guys, find ways to make it difficult for them in practice. Make sure that they know it’s going to be very hard to be successful in practice.”
Thus far this spring, the first-team offense has had Leigh at left tackle, Keen at left guard and Keenan at right guard, with juniors Matthew Keeley and Nick Nielsen at center and right tackle, respectively. Both Keeley and Nielsen also started games for the Penguins last season.
Meanwhile, Perkins has rotated into a couple of different positions along the line on an as-needed basis, as guys have gotten banged up during practice. For example, he was playing tackle during Thursday’s practice, even though his natural position, according to Yurcich, is at guard.
“We’re just trying to see who gels together and what offensive line brings the most chemistry,” Keen said. “Because you need all five to do their job, or else you don’t get the job done. So just experimenting, putting different pieces into places and seeing which five of us gels best is a good experience.”
The chemistry that the linemen have built together on the field starts off the field, particularly when they find themselves on the golf course.
“That’s actually how we bring our chemistry up to the next level,” Keen said. “It’s everybody. It’s not just certain groups hanging out. Everybody in that O-line room is together.”
Both Keen and Keenan agree that redshirt freshman Max Patterson, who Keenan calls a 2- or 3-handicap, is the best golfer among them. And while the competition on the course amongst the group is fierce, there’s still plenty of laughs and friendly banter.
“My life’s on the line whenever I’m competing, no matter what. I could be versus my mom in something, and I want to win. It don’t matter to me who I’m going against,” Keenan said. “It’s just that winning attitude, and we all share it. I think that’s why we’re all pretty good. We’re all pretty similar.
“We congratulate each other on our nice shots, but we make sure to get in each other’s ear when we can about the tough ones. It’s a blast laughing at your best friends. There’s nothing more fun than competing with your buddies and talking trash.”
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