Grimes said OL could still change

Offensive line coach Jeff Grimes said he was pleased with the progress he saw against the high-caliber LSU defensive line. While no decisions on lineup changes will be made until after Thursday’s practice, he expects the same group that played against LSU to start again. However, he did leave the door open for future changes.

“Guys like to feel like they have everything solidified by Game 4 or Game 6,” Grimes said. “Several times in my career I’ve found we can still get better by making lineup changes even later into the season…I wouldn’t be surprised if there was another change.”

The biggest lineup change so far was freshman Patrick Miller beating out Avery Young for the right tackle spot and earning his first start against LSU. Grimes said Miller played well for his first start, especially with it being against a top-tier opponent. He said it is still up in the air if Young and Miller will rotate.

“Patrick won the job much more than Avery lost it,” Grimes said. “Avery was more ready at the beginning of the year but when we gave (Miller) reps with the first group he proved to us he was one of the best five.”

Grimes said it was good to see how Young, a young player, responded to losing his starting job.

“I think it just depends on the kid,” Grimes said. “Some kids go in the tank and don’t recover. Some guys really step up and compete. I’ve seen a little bit of both from (Young). Today was actually the best practice he’s had in a few days so I feel like he’s moving in the right direction.”