The offensive line is the backbone of a functioning attack.

WIth a poor line, an offense needs otherworldly support from quarterbacks and wide receivers to succeed and be effective.

Everything on the offensive side of the ball is made easier with a strong offensive line as an anchor. Recently, Iowa State has not had strong offensive line play.

Since Matt Campbell arrived in Ames in December 2015, the Cyclones have undergone a near-total makeover in the trenches. The only player to be on the Iowa State roster at the time of Campbell’s arrival is redshirt senior guard Oge Udeogu, who has had an injury-plagued career.

Junior tackle Josh Knipfel said that the offensive line room is very happy to have the now-healthy Udeogu competing for a spot during fall camp.

“He’s bringing good effort,” Knipfel said. “We’re all excited to have him back.”

The man behind the Cyclones’ offensive line was offensive coordinator/offensive line coach for Campbell’s first two years, Tom Manning, but Manning left in February to be the Indianapolis Colts’ new tight ends coach. Graduate assistant Jeff Myers was promoted to Manning’s offensive line position, and the Cyclones haven’t missed a beat.

There are up to eight players in position to win a starting spot on Sept. 1 against South Dakota State, with only two spots really up for grabs (Julian Good-Jones, Josh Knipfel and Bryce Meeker have most likely locked up starting spots).

Good-Jones and Meeker, both juniors, have been starters since their freshman seasons. Campbell said during his Media Day press conference that the two have a chance to make a big mark on Iowa State by the time they leave, and that he sometimes can get on them in unique ways.

What are some of those “unique” ways?

“I think Coach Campbell’s a world-class motivator,” Good-Jones said. “If I make a mistake in practice, and you yell at me, that’s going to get me going.”

Meeker said that Campbell pushes the duo to a level that “we don’t think we can get to,” and that he is able to do so because he knows the offensive line inside and out.

Knipfel said that the intense competition the line is having this fall is bringing the group closer together.

“Even though we’re really competitive, we’re also still helping each other out,” Knipfel said.

Myers is happy with the intensity the Cyclones are showing in practice so far to prepare for what he calls “the next step” for Iowa State in the trenches.

“These guys have worked really hard this summer as a collective group,” Myers said. “Ultimately, everybody is competing for playing time.”

“Our guys are really hungry,” Myers added.

The added competition has made an impression on the defensive line as well.

Junior defensive end JaQuan Bailey said that he’s noticed practices have a higher energy than they did even last season.

“Those dudes challenge us every play, every series,” Bailey said. “It’s great to see.”

Added to the intensity of the practices is the shuffling around of linemen to different spots. Good-Jones, who has played at right tackle, both guard spots and center during his Iowa State career, started the first day of fall camp at left tackle.

Myers wants to get the offensive line as flexible as possible to make sure the Cyclones can have the top five linemen on the field as much as possible.

The flexibility and depth of the line has been an impressive change from the first two years of Campbell’s tenure.

The battle for playing time will likely continue until at least the end of fall camp, but the Cyclones, by all accounts, are taking the uncertainty in stride.

“No one feels safe,” Myers said. “When they think in that mentality, we’re getting more out of them day-to-day.”