Spanos’ impact on the field for the Trojans has been limited. He was a reserve lineman as a freshman, then missed the following season after being declared academically ineligible. Spanos was in line to start as a junior, but was again academically ineligible. He was finally eligible this season, but a torn bicep delayed his start to the season. He took over during the third game at center when Kris O’Dowd was hurt and had a solid season from that point on.
Spanos brings a lot of versatility to the offensive line. He has spent most of his time at tackle and guard, but is now playing center for the Trojans. He has solid size, good enough to play any spot up front. He also shows the mobility to move well laterally in a short area, and the nastiness to finish blocks off.
Clearly, the issue of experience has to be mentioned with Spanos. He has yet to play an entire year on the field, and has sat out two seasons due to academics. He needs to show that he has the desire to get on to the field, and prove he has the talent to play on Sundays. Durability has also been a problem for Spanos. In the two seasons he has actually played, he has missed time due to injury.
Matt Spanos may be one of the top sleepers in the draft. Many people do not know much about him because of his time off the field, but he has the talent to play at the next level. He has pressing questions, but he is worth a late round selection to see if he can put it together