LaQuan McGowan, 410-Pound OL, Practicing at TE, H-Back for Baylor
Ohio State won the first-ever College Football Playoff, and a number of postseason games came down to the final seconds, but Baylor's LaQuan McGowan was the real star of college football’s bowl season.
The 6’7”, 410-pound offensive lineman caught an 18-yard touchdown pass in the Cotton Bowl against Michigan State. He must have done enough to impress the coaching staff because he is now practicing at tight end and H-back, according to ESPN.com.
"We're looking at him as kind of a slot- and tight end-type of guy," head coach Art Briles told reporters Tuesday. "He can certainly help us in the run game in those situations. The way we're looking at it is we've got three games in nonconference to kind of feel it out and see what he can do and teach him what to do in live action."
McGowan is typically a guard in Baylor’s uptempo offensive attack, but he looked nimble enough to make an impact as a skill player in the Cotton Bowl. SportsCenter passed along a highlight of the memorable touchdown:
Jimmy Traina of Fox Sports shared his reaction:
The Bears narrowly missed out on the four-team College Football Playoff in 2014 when they finished No. 5 in the final rankings. Perhaps having someone like McGowan line up all over the field will help the Bears get over the hump in 2015.
One thing is for sure: Defenses are going to need all the help they can get tackling him.
