I know we love smashmouth, but one concern about Bostad

(I posted this in another thread, but it was a bit off topic, so I put it here so it would be easier to find.)

We would all love to have a Hokie football team that is built around a Bob Bostad offensive line. Big, physical, grinding opponents down with the style of running attack that the Hokies have not delivered consistently since switching to a more zone based approach in 2003. But, as beautiful and sensible as the pick may seem, it may not be the best idea.

The Badgers run mostly man blocking, with lots of down blocking and pulling back side linemen to overload the point of attack. It is a system that creates a designed hole and the back tends to run to that location. It is more similar to VT's offense in the 90's (although VT used much more speed option.)

Here is video on Monte Ball's huge season in 2011. You will note, a vast majority of the running plays (especially after the first minute) are plays where the Badgers down block and pull someone through the hole.

Now, this is great, and Bostad is a great coach. They are mashing. But, the Hokies offense last season fully committed to zone blocking principles this season, and his group of linemen really adapted to it well (the backs struggled to get accustomed to the fluid reads of cutting off zone blocks, as the same play could end up with the back running inside or bouncing outside.) The Hokies only used down blocking and pulling guards on the inverted veer. More critically, Grimes was recruiting offensive linemen to fit a zone-stretch blocking scheme, as we discussed during the summer recruiting season.
http://www.thekeyplay.com/content/2013/july/1/grimes-recruiting-blueprint

This Grimes, zone-stretch archetype is reflected in this class. Our recruits are long, athletic, with good feet who can stay engaged on blocks and stretch guys to the sideline. I am not sure any besides Pettit are guys you watch on film and think they are going to be elite I formation drive blockers like a Jake Grove.

Bostad is a GREAT offensive line coach. I haven't even researched his recruiting record, but he has developed guys who were not necessarily elite recruits. They have had terrific running games, and currently seven of his offensive linemen play in the NFL including Joe Thomas (a seven time Pro Bowler) who was ranked the 18th best tackle in the country coming out of high school. His paycheck on draft day showed how much he improved. My only worry is can the Hokies take the personnel that in theory was supposed to fit a zone-stretch/spread multiple offense, and turn it back into the smash mouth approach, and if not, can Bostad adjust to Loeffler's style.

*I think Searles is the guy based on all the connections between Brown and Beamer, BUT, Marshawn Williams and Shai McKenzie look much more like a Wisconsin back than the kind of backs that succeed in the running game we saw last year.