Kent State Offensive Line Finding Its Voice Under Morell’s Leadership

KENT, Ohio – As Kent State prepares for the 2025 season, the Golden Flashes' offensive line is transforming in personnel and culture, with preseason All-MAC selection Dustyn Morell emerging as the unit's vocal leader.

Morell Steps Into Leadership Role

The 6-4, 280-pound junior from Lapeer, Michigan, has embraced the responsibility that comes with his preseason honors recognition. According to offensive line coach Angel Matute, Morell has become "the voice for the offensive line room" and taken significant strides in his vocal leadership.

"He's done a job with it, verbal leadership. He's taken a huge step," Matute said. "He leads by doing. He's a great guy who doesn't make mistakes off the field and even on the field. He's a guy who leads the right way, does what he's supposed to do, takes care of his business, and then brings others with him."

Morell's development as a communicator has been particularly impressive to the coaching staff, with Matute noting that his vocal leadership "has been improving" and "he keeps growing."

Veteran Core Provides Foundation

Alongside Morell, returning starter Garrett Masterson has consistently improved throughout the offseason. The 6-6, 315-pound junior from Lapeer, Michigan, has impressed coaches with his intentional approach to development.

"He's been getting better every day. He's very intentional about his work," Matute explained. "He comes with the right mindset every day. He knows what he needs to fix and is very intentional every day at practice. He focuses on one or two things to improve, and it shows up on tape."

The veteran leadership trio of Morell, Matt Pajuste, and Ashton Rivera has been instrumental in shaping the room's culture, particularly in detail, physicality, and communication.

"The veteran leadership between Matt Pajuste, Ashton Rivera, and Dustyn Morell, those three guys leading the charges with Dustyn," Matute said. "With the details, the physicality of the room, the communication of the room, it's been getting better and better ever since summertime. Where we're at now, it's been night and day."

New Additions Making Impact

The Golden Flashes have added significant depth through both transfers and incoming players. Transfers Matt Pajuste, Ashton Rivera, and Hudson Chasko have made immediate impacts, bringing "great personalities, great energy" while playing "the game the way it's meant to be played."

Spring additions Jamarcus Hill and Junior Diallo have continued their development, with Matute praising their work in "mastering the offense" while acknowledging they're "still learning every day and getting better."

Among the younger players, Tyler Meadows, Boston Crowell, Max Gembus, and Nate Cross have all drawn positive reviews for their contributions to the room's atmosphere and work ethic.

Physical Development Shows Results

The offseason strength and conditioning program under Coach Friday has yielded impressive results across the unit. Matute highlighted "tremendous growth" in traditional strength metrics and movement ability.

"From a strength standpoint, even lateral movement and movement ability, those guys have greatly improved this summer," he said.

Several players have stood out in their physical development, including Masterson and Cecil Wilson among returning players. At the same time, Morell has continued to add size and strength to his already impressive frame.

Building Chemistry Through Togetherness

Building cohesion has been a priority with multiple new faces in the room. Matute has fostered this by hosting players at his home multiple times during the summer, while the group regularly spends time together, including post-practice meals.

"The way they've come together has been pretty good," Matute noted. "The guys who have been here have done a great job of welcoming them, and then the new additions have done a great job of fitting in with the group, gelling together. They're always together."

Technical Focus Areas

As fall camp progresses, the coaching staff emphasizes fundamental offensive line principles. The primary areas of focus remain consistent with core position requirements: eye discipline, pad level, and hand usage.

"Always correcting those things, always focusing on those things," Matute said of these technical elements that he considers "offensive line issues, football issues."

Measuring Success

For Matute, a successful fall camp comes down to two key components: mastering the offensive system's details and staying healthy. Both areas have shown improvement throughout the summer, providing optimism as the season approaches.

"The mastery of the details of what we do offensively, mastering those details. And then, of course, staying healthy," he said. "Those are two key things that we need to do, and continue building on. It's been improving daily, and we have to keep growing."

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