photo by: Nick Krug

Kansas offensive lineman Mesa Ribordy moves to block a defender during practice on Friday, Aug. 11, 2017 at the practice fields west of Hoglund Ballpark.

Big 12 offensive linemen who start for four years in the Big 12, rare though they are, do exist. They tend to leave high school weighing 300 pounds with four or five stars next to their names and a special place on a wall of fame at perennial Texas high school football powerhouse.

They tend not to come as walk-ons from Kansas 4-A schools with a 3-6 record. The story of Kansas starting center Mesa Ribordy, a 245-pound tight end as a senior in high school, is as atypical as it is inspiring.

If he can stay healthy for the rest of his career — always a consideration for any college football player — he will leave Kansas as a four-year starter and as a model of the importance of building a strong walk-on program. He earned a scholarship after his redshirt season.

Gene Wier, the football program’s director of high school relations, identified Ribordy as a player worth recruiting and Clint Bowen visited him at Louisburg High to seal the deal.

Ribordy, in his third year in the program, and left tackle Hakeem Adeniji, are not only KU’s most talented offensive linemen and have three seasons of eligibility remaining, they also happen to be coaches’ dreams.

“Hakeem wants to be the best O-linemen and he lives his life like that,” offensive line coach Zach Yenser said. “But it doesn’t take away from what he does on academics either. I have a couple of guys like that. Mesa’s the same way. Mesa’s a bright kid. Mesa’s changed his body. This is Mesa’s third year of ever playing offensive line in his whole life. I think he has an opportunity to be a really good one, too.”

Ribordy was listed at 270 during his redshirt season, at 290 last season, and at 305 this season.

More than just added muscle mass fuels Ribordy’s confidence.

“The biggest move that I think (strength) coach (Zac) Woodfin has brought is that he really focuses a lot more on our flexibility,” Ribordy said. “I think that’s going to help me a lot with my speed and flexibitly on the field and what I can do with my body as far as in space and making those key blocks on secondary players.”

Third-year sophomore Hunter Saulsbury, who spent his first two seasons as a walk-on before earning a scholarship, and Jacob Bragg, a fourth-year junior, provide depth at the position.

“I learned my lesson at Cal, only having two centers, having both of them go down and having to train guys to snap,” KU offensive line coach Zach Yenser said.