Colorado senior center Tim Lynott is the most experienced offensive lineman that Colorado has on roster. When he starts against Stanford this weekend, it'll be the 45th career game he's played in a CU uniform.
Lynott played and started all 13 games for Colorado as a freshman in 2016, including the Alamo Bowl, and since then, has been a familiar face on the Buffs' o-line, usually at right guard.
In 2017, he played four games at center and this year, Chris Kapilovic moved him there permanently, where he's had to step out of his comfort zone in terms of being a vocal leader and contributor for Colorado. In his own eyes and those of Kapilovic, Lynott has more than risen to the occasion.
Kapilovic has been pleased with Lynott this year, as the senior from Parker, Co. has played 635 snaps this season, second to only Will Sherman's 638.
Lynott trails Sherman by just one in perfect plays on passing touchdowns with 14 and has recorded 62 knockdown blocks, again just shy of the team lead, as he trails Kary Kutsch in that regard by one.
“He’s improved weekly, which for a senior doesn’t happen often," Kapilovic said. "He graded out at 91% with 11 knockdowns vs. UCLA, which was his best performance (of 2019). He has improved. His communication has gotten better so it’s just good to see that he keeps fighting, clawing and getting better. He’s been a steady force here lately.”
In terms of communication, something no doubt a prerequisite for success for centers, Lynott had to take it upon himself to become more vocal this season. After all, the job demanded it.
"I'm not really a big communicator, I was kind of a quiet guy when I first came in here, so that's changed a lot for me," he said. "That's a good thing for me, I can definitely communicate with the guys, tell them what to do and tell them what the fronts are and if there's pressure, come and help them out...it's important to me and it can help the team."
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That constant communication stems from his responsibility to check opposing defenses and get the o-line in the best position to handle it.
“He’s now responsible for the whole group," Kapilovic said. "If you’re a guard, you’re responsible for ‘what’s my call on my side?’ He’s got to make sure that both sides are on the same page. When you get your basic, generic (defensive) looks, it’s pretty simple but when we’re getting some of the odd stuff we’re getting, and some of the movement — when (teams) go from a four-down too an odd front and their whole scheme changes, he’s got to make sure the left side and right side are on the same page — it starts and stops with him."
"In some of our pass protections, he’s got to ID (line)backers, some of the time he’s got to tell if we’re pushing or not, so there’s a lot that goes into it. He has to understand the whole scheme, not just what he does.”
From an audible standpoint, at times Lynott can play a pivotal role in helping Steven Montez diagnose defensive packages.
"I just look for certain fronts — four-down, odds, bears, I look for pressures, I look for anything we've seen the week before in for alignments that (teams) have that can show certain pressures or plays," Lynott said.
"Those are definitely things I have to look for and I make sure I communicate to both sides to make sure we're all on the same page."
At the end of the day, although it certainly isn't Lynott's main focus, the position change and his ability to adapt to the challenges it presents will be good for the future and a boost in the eyes of NFL scouts.
"It's not a main thought but I hear it's a great thing — it's really good to have (multi-position experience), especially when it comes to 53-man rosters. (NFL teams) want someone that's versatile and who can play anywhere on the line," Lynott said.
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