Texas A&M football players who will battle for their starting spot in spring: C Bryce Foster
After a freshman season in which he was all the rage, Foster, like many players on the offensive line, has not exactly had a banner two-year stretch. There are flashes where you can see the high-level talent; he is hands-down one of the strongest guys on the team, after all. But far too often, he struggles—which, again, has been the story with many guys up front under Addazio.
So why do I choose Foster over any other guy on the line? The main reason is that he will, once more, be competing in Track and Field this spring, which means he will receive far less in the way of coaching from new Aggie OL coach Adam Cushing.
In his stead, presumably, will be Mark Nabou. Nabou has logged some snaps at center over the past year and a half, and he has shown that he, too, can play the position at a high level. Obviously, he plays better at guard, but you basically have four guys for three spots at the moment: the aforementioned Nabou and Foster, Kam Dewberry, and Chase Bisontis, who projects to slide over from tackle.
Can Foster's natural gifts carry him here? I wouldn't necessarily doubt that. He is, after all, immensely talented, and he has locked down the starting C spot each of the past three years despite throwing shotput every spring. Much like with Chappell, though, the competition could be a bit stiffer in years past, thanks to increased positional flexibility. That factor, as well as reduced time with a new coaching staff, could prove problematic.