Nick Gargiulo talks offensive line
As a first-year college football player from New York, Nick Gargiulo arrived at Yale as a 262 pound youngster.
After graduating from the Ivy League program and making his way to Shane Beamer’s Gamecocks football program, Gargiulo is now a 325-pound man.
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When Beamer, Greg Adkins, and Lonnie Teasley saw Gargiulo’s entrance into the NCAA transfer portal, it was a move that made sense for all involved parties. Gargiulo wanted to play big-time football. The USC staff wanted another player with proven experience and positional versatility.
It was an easy match.
“The first three-and-a-half, four years, I played left tackle. My last season there, I played center,” Gargiulo recalled during an appearance on the Garnet Trust Hour on 107.5 The Game. “Obviously, down here, I’ve playing a mix of guard and center.”
The senior finished his Yale career at 300 pounds, meaning he’s packed on an additional 25 since joining Luke Day’s strength and conditioning programs with the Gamecocks.
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“A lot of people were a little concerned that I was gonna weigh enough to play SEC ball because they were looking at my 270 pound recruiting profile from when I was in high school” Gargiulo laughed. “I think I got enough weight to get it done in here. That was about 60 pounds ago.”
During spring ball, Gargiulo spent time both at guard and center with the Gamecocks, working alongside returning veteran Vershon Lee.
After spending time at every position on the offensive line during his career, what does Gargiulo think of the different spots?
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“Tackle is the hardest position on the offensive line,” he stated. “Center, you know, it gets a rep because you have to make some calls and you’ve got to snap the ball but it’s definitely easier than tackle. At tackle, you’re on an island almost always. Maybe you’ll get some help when you’re
running gap scheme but if you’re in pass protection or most run plays you’re one-on-one.”
His time at Yale did not feature any time at guard, so it was a new position when he began to play it in Columbia during spring ball.
So far, so good.
“I think guard is the easiest spot to play because you’ve got help on both sides. You don’t have to make any calls you could just go off and play fast, play physical,” Gargiulo explained. “I’ve been
enjoying it thus far. Obviously, position versatility is something that’s valuable in the o-line room so I’ve been embracing it for sure.”
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