Reps at Multiple OL Positions Have Prepared Johnny Wilson for 2018

Johnny Wilson has made it a point to be ready.

He was ready when Larry Williams suffered a season-ending injury prior to the Cowboys’ Big 12 opener against TCU. After just three appearances during his redshirt freshman season, he stepped in as the starting right guard.

He was ready three weeks later after Brad Lundblade was ruled out for Homecoming with the foot injury he’d sustained in Lubbock. Wilson was now the starting center.

Wilson saw the field in all 13 of the Cowboys’ game last season and started the final 10 in one of two spots.

And he thinks all of that real-time cross training will help him be ready to compete for the all-important starting center role this fall.

“It helped a lot,” Wilson said at practice on Wednsady. “Understanding multiple positions really helps me out. Playing center last year and then moving to guard and having Brad (Lundblade) next to me at center really helped me and made it that much easier.”

Lead snapper is probably the most important among the unsung heroes on offense, especially this upcoming season when OSU will be breaking in a brand new starting quarterback. Wilson appears to be ready for that.

And as a leader on an inexperienced, retooling offensive line, Wilson will have to not only work on his craft, but help his fellow linemen coming along as they all gel as a group.

The Cowboys are also without Marcus Keyes and Dylan Galloway for spring camp due to offseason surgeries, which gives some of these younger guys more opportunities but also makes Wilson’s role as a leader all the more important.

Fortunately, he seems set on making sure that he and his group are ready — for anything.

“I think we’re going to have really good depth on the offensive line and not have to worry about moving people around if people get injured,” Wilson said. “I think we’ll be set.”