Senior offensive lineman Ryan Gudaitis has found a new home at center this season after previously starting at right guard and left tackle. (Photo by GoRedbirds.com)
By Barry Bottino
No matter where Ryan Gudaitis plays on the Illinois State offensive line, it’s never a new experience.
“The joke is that I’m the Swiss Army knife guy,” he said. “I’ve played literally every position in a game since I’ve been in college.”
This fall, as the No. 16 Redbirds (7-3 overall, 4-2 Missouri Valley Football Conference) aim for a playoff berth for the first time since 2019, Gudaitis is starting at center for the first time in his career. He will be there again Saturday, Nov. 16 when ISU plays at Indiana State (4-6, 3-3) at noon. (ESPN-Plus)
“Ryan’s a good athlete. He does a lot of good things for us,” Illinois State head coach Brock Spack said. “He’s a tough guy. He finishes on blocks.”
The 6-foot-4, 295-pound Gudaitis, who played prep football at Hersey High School in Arlington Heights, started six games in 2022, mostly at left tackle. Last season, he moved to right guard, where he started 10 games.
This season at center, where he has started every game, has been his most rewarding season yet.
“I’ve played my best ball here at center,” he said. “I profile well size-wise as a center. I think I have the brain for it. I understand what we want to do offensively. It’s a good fit for me.”
Center wasn’t totally new for Gudaitis, who said he started working there as an eighth grader and spent time at the position in high school as well. As a sophomore at ISU, he also got plenty of repetitions.
“They had me go to center-quarterback (drills) every day to get reps,” he said. “That was good now, in hindsight, because that played out well. It wasn’t completely foreign to me (this season).”
Spack and Gudaitis said centers need a varying set of skills, including leadership, communication to call out blocking assignments each play and accuracy as a snapper, which is key for a shotgun offense such as Illinois State.
“Snapping is no joke,” Gudaitis said. “It looks easy. Snapping with a nose guard breathing down your neck is not always the most fun thing.”
An errant snap can completely throw off the timing of the offense.
Spack said communication at the line of scrimmage “is the most important thing. Your center has to call out who we’re working to in our blocking schemes. That guy has to be smart. I’ve not been around a center who’s not very smart. They have to make a lot of calls and know what’s going on.”
Gudaitis has fit well in his role while battling a back issue that will make this his final season in an ISU uniform, despite having one year of eligibility remaining.
“The back issues have really been plaguing me since I started playing at Illinois State,” he said. “I got hurt the summer going into my sophomore year. I slipped three discs in my back. It’s very painful. For anyone who has the same issues, they know it’s not easy to deal with.
“I can’t physically do it like this for much longer.”
Each week, Gudaitis has specific routines to take care of his back. That includes regularly visiting a chiropractor and dry needling, a pain management technique akin to acupuncture.
“It’s not always the most pleasant feeling, but it does alleviate a little bit of the pain,” said Gudaitis, who praised the Redbirds’ training and strength and conditioning staffs for their care. “They come up with a lot of great stuff.”
Gudaitis does supplemental lifts to maintain his strength while avoiding certain lifts that can cause problems.
“I don’t put any bars on my back anymore,” he said. “That’s just not something I can do.”
Through all the extra steps Gudaitis takes to be on the field, Spack has been impressed by his center’s dedication.
“He’s been a warrior,” Spack said. “He fights through it. He does a lot of rehab and supplemental lifts. A lot of guys wouldn’t do this. He’s done a great job and I’ve been really proud of him. I appreciate what he’s done for our team.”
Gudaitis said he hopes to avoid surgery after his career ends.
“Chiropractic has helped me a lot,” he said. “Once I’m done playing football, I don’t plan on being this big anymore. Hopefully, losing some weight will help me out.”
With the Redbirds fighting for a potential playoff berth, Gudaitis is savoring his final opportunities to be on the field.
“It was not an easy decision,” he said. “I love playing football. I love my teammates. I love everything that goes into it. At some point, you just have to look out for your health in the long run.”
This week’s opponent
Indiana State redshirt freshman quarterback Elijah Owens has shown off his dynamic athletic abilities this season. He is completing nearly 69% of his passes, has thrown nine touchdowns and also is the team’s leading rusher (461 yards, five TDs). … Senior linebacker Geoffrey Brown leads the MVFC with 10.22 tackles per game and 92 total tackles. Brown ranks sixth in the nation in tackles per game. He has started 38 games in his Indiana State career. … The offensive line does not have a single senior starter. Redshirt junior center Griffin Comer (16 career starts) has the most experience. …. Rutgers transfer Rashad Rochelle, who hails from Springfield, Ill., leads the Sycamores’ receivers with 45 catches and three touchdowns. … Indiana State’s four home wins this season are the Sycamores’ most since the 2010 season.
Kickoff: Noon; TV: ESPN-Plus; Radio: WJBC.com
Key matchup to watch
Illinois State defense vs. Indiana State QB Elijah Owens: The 6-foot-2, 225-pound Owens is a unique running and passing threat. A native of Jacksonville, Ill., Owents has rushed for 474 and five touchdowns while completing nearly 69% of his passes for nine TDs. His completion percentage ranks 11th nationally. Owens can put stress on a defense by running with the football, throwing on the run and as an accurate deep ball thrower. “He’s got a big arm. It’s a little concerning from that point. He can throw it over our head,” Spack said. “You’ve got to be really disciplined in your rush lanes, because this guy can really move.”
What’s at stake?
An eighth win this season will move the Redbirds one step closer to their first FCS playoff berth since 2019.
Quick hits
A year after getting only 32 carries in 11 games, junior running back Wenkers Wright has been more than capable filling in this fall for injured starter Mason King. Wright, a junior, leads the MVFC with 164 carries in 10 games. He has rushed for 853 yards, which is third-best in the league, and seven touchdowns. … One day after Illinois State beat Northern Iowa last weekend in Cedar Falls, 24-year UNI head coach Mark Farley announced his retirement. Spack, who is in his 16th year at ISU, said he will miss going against Farley’s teams. “It’s kind of sad. I like him a lot. He’s had a Hall of Fame career. He’s got a lot to be proud of.” This week, Farley said the transfer portal and growth of name, image and likeness in college sports has taken away the purity of the game. “I totally get it,” Spack said. … Junior wide receiver Daniel Sobkowicz had nine receptions in the season’s first three games while getting back up to speed after an injury. He has 43 catches and five touchdowns over the past seven games. He ranks third in the MVFC in receptions (52), fourth in receiving yards (683) and fourth in receiving TDs (six). … Saturday will be the 75th meeting between the two schools. Illinois State has a 40-32-2 series lead. Spack is 10-4 against the Sycamores and 3-3 at Memorial Stadium in Terre Haute.
Barry Bottino is a co-founder of Prairie State Pigskin and a 19-year veteran of three Illinois newspapers. He has covered college athletics since 1995.
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