Offensive line may be the hardest place in faculty soccer to earn a beginning job as a real freshman.
Ben Gula isn’t anxious about historical past, although. He’s coming to Colorado subsequent month with confidence.
“I positively assume 12 months one, I’ll be a contributor,” stated Gula, who signed with CU final week. He’s set to graduate from Cypress Bay (Florida) Excessive Faculty and enroll at CU in January.
Since freshmen turned eligible in 1972, solely 16 have made begins at CU on the offensive line. Solely three of these have been facilities, however all three of these have been latest. Van Wells was the primary true freshman to start out video games at middle for CU, in 2022 (six begins), whereas Hank Zilinskas made two begins in 2023 and Money Cleveland made 4 begins in 2024.
Gula is hoping to affix that group, and he is aware of there’s a spot open with this 12 months’s beginning middle, Zarian McGill, graduating. He additionally is aware of it gained’t be simple to win the job.
“If it’s not in it for me, which I consider it’s, I nonetheless wish to contribute to the man in entrance of me, the man behind me,” he stated. “I simply wish to make all people higher as a result of on the finish of the day, I’m a soccer participant on the College of Colorado, not simply a person.”
The 6-foot-5, 285-pound Gula was a four-year starter at Cypress Bay, beginning 41 video games general and permitting only one sack in over 1,500 move safety snaps. Primarily a left deal with, Gula has performed everywhere in the line and stated CU tasks him as a middle.
“(I’ve been engaged on) footwork, pad degree, simply all the pieces I can to prepared myself,” he stated. “I’m going to have some nice teaching this spring right here. … I’ve positively accomplished my greatest to be as explosive and prepared as I can.”
A basketball participant by means of a lot of his youth, Gula realized throughout his freshman 12 months of highschool that soccer might present a greater path to the longer term. Gula earned a begin on varsity within the second recreation of his freshman 12 months and took off from there.
“(Coaches) simply type of instructed me if I put some weight on, I’d be an actual pressure to be reckoned with,” he stated. “Ever since then, I’ve simply accomplished all the pieces I can to be one of the best participant I can.”
Gula recorded greater than 250 pancake blocks throughout his prep profession, and his smile beamed when requested what he likes about being a lineman.
“It’s superb. I like it,” he stated. “Having the ability to present that I can go on the market and have a 20- or 25-pancake recreation and simply utterly dominate the individuals in entrance of me, it’s superb. You understand, what else can you actually ask for? I loved each single second of it and can proceed to take pleasure in each single second of it as a result of that’s what I wish to discover ways to do towards some legit competitors.”
Gula powered by means of some out-matched opponents in highschool, however stated he’s trying ahead to going towards his CU teammates within the spring.
“I’m very excited to see the place I can stack out towards these individuals,” he stated. “I’m going to get dominated generally. Perhaps I’ll dominate them. However I simply wish to have that fierceness and aggression by means of all the pieces I’ve. I do know I’m going to fail. I do know I’ll have a number of success. However simply with the ability to go on the market day by day and do what I can is basically what I aspire to do.”
Gula stated he has studied the sport fairly a bit and appears ahead to studying extra concerning the recreation when he will get to CU.
“It’s strategic and blocking will not be 100% all the time going to be flat-out by means of the roof, you’re going to attempt to run your face by means of this man and blow him over,” he stated. “It’s much more technical than lots of people give credit score to it. However I’m very excited.”
Gula had 21 scholarship gives, however he stated CU stood out due to the general atmosphere, and the teaching he’ll get within the offensive line room.
“I believe if extra youngsters actually realized how nice Colorado actually might be, particularly the offensive line room, a number of youngsters would commit right here and a number of different youngsters could be right here,” he stated. “However, you understand, they’ll see finally.”