“This season I definitely have to prove myself as a player,” Kevin says.

But even in the position that Michael Lewis glorified in The Blind Side, Kevin recognizes that, like Osborne, his talent only represents one piece of the puzzle.

“It’s not so much making myself better as it is forming a cohesive group with the other linemen that I’m working with,” Kevin says of his offseason focus. “[I’m] trying my hardest and making sure everyone else tries their hardest.”

The only question, then, is who everyone else will be. Osborne and Murphy could represent enough All-Ivy talent to be the foundation of a solid line, but injuries and inconsistency have left the rest of the group in flux.

Coach Murphy credited senior center Chris Leroy, who will also fill All-Ivy shoes with the departure of Alex Spisak ’10, as the last true fixture among the front five. Seniors Matt Bush and Kyle Harasimowicz currently have the edge to fill out the left guard and right tackle spots, respectively, but as the squad prepares for Holy Cross tomorrow, the final two starters must prove that they can keep pace. If so, the offensive line that has generated so many question marks may leave a few defenses questioning themselves.

“[The linemen] are one of the hardest-working groups on the team, and you see that every day,” says senior running back Gino Gordon. “So I have the utmost confidence in what they’re doing. We’re going to have a lot of fun this year playing behind them...I don’t think our run game will skip a beat.”

—Staff writer Max N. Brondfield can be reached at mbrondf@fas.harvard.edu.