Isaac Bunyun faced a familiar experience when he ran through SECU Stadium’s turtle-shaped tunnel and rubbed Testudo’s nose before Maryland football’s season-opener against UConn on Aug. 31. The redshirt senior’s first snap was not as familiar.
Bunyun spent the previous four seasons on the defensive line. This time, he took the field on the other side of the ball as an offensive guard. He shed a tear of joy on the sidelines, his atypical path to full-time starter finally complete.
“It was a surreal moment for me taking that first snap,” Bunyun said.
Seven of the Terps’ eight leaders in offensive line snaps from last season left the program, creating a massive hole in the front five. Coach Michael Locksley’s fix was an entirely new starting unit.
Three transfers and redshirt sophomore Andre Roye Jr. took four spots. There wasn’t a clear answer at left guard.
Locksley met with Bunyun toward the end of Maryland’s winter training program. The coach hinted at a position change: switching from attacking an offense to defending one.
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Bunyun initially thought Locksley was joking. But he later settled on the idea.
“It was like, ‘Hey, this guy knows what he’s talking about so why not at least try it,’” Bunyun said.
Bunyun changed his summer routine this offseason. His knowledge of the defensive line previously allowed him to balance a summer internship with small package additions to the scheme. This time, he decided to go back to the basics.
“I definitely tailored my offseason to be all directed toward football and offensive line stuff,” Bunyun said. “I’m learning a whole new position, a whole new playbook. I felt like a rookie.”
Locksley’s belief in Bunyun stemmed from his IQ and ability to play at a low pad level. The coach also said Bunyun excels at short-area quickness and creating movement at the line of scrimmage. He believes Bunyun has a chance to play in the NFL as an offensive lineman.
Bunyun played all five spots along the offensive line in high school. He played both sides of the ball during his final three seasons at High Point High School.
Re-learning offensive line technique was a challenge for Bunyun. He initially attempted to play as he would on the defensive line, where you’re taught to extend your arms toward the ball. That’s a non-starter on the offensive line.
The transition, while difficult, paled in comparison to the one he made when he moved from Ghana to the United States, he said. He feels that situation prepared him for this more minor one.
[Frustrating home defeats have been a trend for Maryland football in recent years]
Bunyun’s move to Beltsville in 2015 taught him to be observant and absorb as much information as possible. That’s exactly the way he attacked the transition to the offensive line.
He worked with the offensive linemen on the roster to hone his craft over the offseason. One of his go-to guys in the spring was former Terp lineman Conor Fagan, whose experience playing on the left side of the line benefitted Bunyun.
The rest of the offensive line room welcomed Bunyun with open arms. While everyone knew they were battling for spots, it’s a close-knit group that understood the end goal of winning.
Before practice, every offensive lineman writes down their goals for the day. They add specific details of what they want to focus on. The players watch film after practice to see if they met those goals, the idea being those small objectives will stack onto each other.
“There’s still a lot more improvement to go, especially technique-wise,” Bunyun said. “Week-by-week I just tell myself, ‘Just get better, just get better’… progression is key.”
Bunyun has allowed one sack and three pressures through two starts. But Locksley’s confidence hasn’t wavered.
“I still feel he has a chance to help us tremendously this year, especially at that left guard position,” Locksley said.
UConn gave Bunyun an opportunity to play offensive line out of high school — the Huskies were his first offer on that side of the ball. Bunyun elected to remain in-state and walk on to Maryland. Four years later, he made his first collegiate start at the position against them.
“I wouldn’t have imagined it this way,” Bunyun said. “But it’s a great way for things to just play out.”
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Publish date : 2024-09-12 18:51:00
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