Much has been written about the changes afoot at Virginia since Bronco Mendenhall trekked across the country to try to revive the program. Changes in attitude. Changes in expectations. Changes in conditioning.

And changes in scheme. Some of the biggest shifts with Mendenhall in charge will come in the X&O department. He’s running the defense, a base 3-4 with a lot of flexibility to morph and change based on the personnel. Robert Anae, the BYU Offensive Coordinator the past three seasons, followed the path to Charlottesville where he same system is in the works. It’s a high-tempo concept that blends elements of the Air Raid, read option, and spread offenses into a varied attack.

It’s all led to some big changes for one position group in particular: the offensive line. They’ll need to be in great condition to sustain the offensive tempo for as many as 90 plays. Maybe more. They’ll need to have a great mental attitude to be able to identify blocks in the limited seconds before a snap.

Those players also have been asked to transform their bodies into lean and agile prototypes. Eric Smith, the veteran of the group with 32 straight starts that date back to his true freshman year, said he’s checked in at 17% body fat for example.

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