Offensive line coach Jeff Grimes has a pretty rough idea sketched in his head of where he’ll fit the pieces together on the Auburn front-five this season.

As for the future, that’s a bit more dicey.

The past two years of recruiting classes have resulted in just two offensive line signees, which leaves the Tigers with just 12 heading into the 2009 season. That’s enough to get by, Grimes said, but he’d prefer to have more.

The next few recruiting classes will be vital for Grimes and are hoped to be chock-full of tough linemen.

“We don’t have enough number-wise, and, yes, it’s an urgent priority,” Grimes said. “We would have liked to have signed more last year. It just didn’t work out that way.”

Grimes will have two regular starters, two part-time starters, a whole bunch of guys who have seen little-to-no playing time and two fresh faces when camp opens in the fall.

Grimes said Ryan Pugh will move back to center and Lee Ziemba should hold down his spot at left guard. Mike Berry and Byron Isom, each of whom played at right guard this season, would be likely candidates for the guard positions.

That leaves one spot open at right tackle, which Grimes said could be inherited by senior Andrew McCain, sophomore A.J. Greene or someone else who separates himself in spring and fall practice.

“Some of those guys may be unproven on game days, but may show us in spring ball that they’re just as deserving as starting as somebody else,” Grimes said. “Those guys will have the opportunity to do that.”

Grimes said he’s big on versatility, so a number of the linemen will be exposed to new positions in the coming month.

“You learn better that way if you’re not just locked in on one position,” Grimes said. “As you’re moving around, you’re learning the offense a lot quicker, you understand what your buddy’s doing next to you a lot better.”

That offense, of course, is currently being learned by Grimes.

Grimes has coached for a number of quirky offensive minds over his career, and he’ll certainly be under one of the more unique minds in Gus Malzahn.

Malzahn’s offense is built around speed and the ability to get a play off less than 15 seconds after the referee sets down the ball. In most formations, the guards and centers will line up in traditional three-point stances while the tackles stand upright in two-point stances.

Last year, Tony Franklin had the linemen do the same thing. After his firing, a number of linemen said they strongly preferred the three-point stances, which were brought back late in the season.

“To me, that’s not a big difference,” Grimes said. “The biggest question is your mindset. Whether you’re going to be willing to play as hard as you possibly can until the whistle blows.

“The way I’m going to coach this deal is that we’re going to be physical on every stinkin’ play.”

To be physical on every play, especially in Malzahn’s offense, will require the linemen to be able to handle the amped-up speed.

“They have to get used to playing fast, recovering quickly,” Malzahn said. “We try to get our guys into basketball shape. I don’t mean that as a soft word. Our guys are going to recover quickly. They’re going to mentally and physically recover. Our offensive line will run more than any offensive line in the country.”

Grimes talked like a wrestling coach when he discussed the shape of some of his linemen. Some need to drop a few pounds, others need to gain 10 or so before spring practice, which kicks off March 24.

“My belief on it is the bigger and more physical you can be, the better off you’re going to be able to move people and stop someone’s charge,” Grimes said. “But you can’t do that in such a way you compromise your ability to bend, move quickly and change directions. To me, that’s an individual thing.”

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