When Bronco Mendenhall arrived at Virginia, he identified an immediate need to restock and reorganize the offensive line. That meant heavily recruiting the position and bringing in additional upperclassmen if possible through the graduate transfer route.

As Mendenhall entered his second season at UVA, a group of five true freshmen were part of 17 players listed as offensive linemen. Tyler Fannin, Chris Glaser, Ryan Nelson, Ryan Swoboda, and Gerrik Vollmer made up the 2017 recruits that represented the first full OL class for this coaching staff. That group included several players competing for playing time and starting job this fall. Nelson is the likely starter at left tackle, while Glaser is the likely starter at left guard. Fannin is in competition and center, while Swoboda is in the mix at right tackle.

The “50 Virginia Football Thoughts Before Kickoff” series returns for a closer look at one of those players.

30 – Glaser Focused

Co-Defensive Coordinator Kelly Poppinga noted recently that members of the 2017 recruiting class were the first true believers in the coaching staff’s vision to rebuild the Virginia football program. They had to commit to the program before the roots were established and they had to stay committed through a 2-10 debut season. When it came to the critical task of restocking the offensive line, the quintet of Fannin, Glaser, Nelson, Swoboda, and Vollmer were the first to buy in and jump on board.

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