The BC offense will go as the offensive line goes, it’s been that way for a long time now at O-Line U.

Unfortunately, one of the best students of O-Line U was missing last year and the void he left was impossible to fill.

Now, Christian Mahogany is healthy and ready to lead the group in 2023. Mahogany isn’t a “full go” just yet, but did participate in the first spring practice on Friday morning. The All-ACC lineman is ready to show the ACC and NFL scouts how dominant he can be this season.

“Excited to be back,” Mahogany said following Day 1. “A lot of (individual), a lot of off-to-the-side team stuff. We’re holding back for now. I’m just trying to get better technique wise with Applebaum, Chud, Shimko, They’re all doing really well, teaching us a lot of things. Some new things, old techniques, just polishing up after the ACL. I feel really good right now, but we’ve just got to see and keep progressing.”

The return of coach Applebaum has been heavily scrutinized, but it was guys like Mahogany that actually had a lot to do with him returning, maybe even more so than head coach Jeff Hafley.

“I was just wondering, when we got told (Dave DeGuglielmo) was done, we were like, ‘yeah, Applebaum seems like the right fit,” he explained. “We’ve worked with him, I’ve had a good career, so it’s like I never really changed coaches in a way. I’ve had Applebaum pretty much my whole playing career with Applebaum and hopefully this last year we just learn more. He spent a year in Miami, so that can definitely help us more than we know. Now with (Chudzinski) and (Shimko) that’s three big minds. I’m excited to learn more stuff under (Applebaum) and see where we go from there.”

Mahogany talked about the injury, how it happened and his recovery process.

“My numbers are really good right now. My numbers say I’m about 100%, I think it’s just more about the cautious side. I haven’t really hit anybody in a long time, since like Wake Forest two years ago. Maybe spring ball a year ago,” he said. “We’re just trying…movement wise and stuff I’m back. It’s just getting ready to hit somebody I think to where we’re just easing myself into that.

“When I was home (last year) I jumped and landed weird. It happened so quick, I didn’t know…I’ve never been seriously injured like that. I didn’t really know what happened. I stood up and thought maybe I just hyperextended my knee and then I started walking and it didn’t feel right. I got an MRI and next day he told me immediately, ‘yeah it’s your ACL,’ so started pre-hab and rehab. I give a lot of credit to my doctors back home, my doctors here, they’ve helped me a lot. The early months were very hard, I’ve never been through an injury. I wondered if I could do it, that’s really where I was at mentally. I’ve got a good support staff, coach and all my coaches, Hafley especially. Now, where we’re at nine months was a couple days ago, the 27th of February, so nine-months post app I feel really good. I’m back to playing football. Just got to get back and September 3rd I’ll be ready.”

On the bright side, Mahogany used the injury to develop his leadership skills off the field.

“It was tough, I hate missing football games,: he acknowledged. “I mean, my last, high school four, and then four years here, five years now, the last nine years have been all football. I just wanted to play at the highest level and be able to perform and learn under everybody. I learned a lot from Guge, how he worded things and how he taught. I tried to help the guys off the field, tried to be a leader to the defense, the offense when we played games. It was tough, I wish I was out there, but we’re here now and that’s where we’re at. Glad to be back.”

Mahogany watched as the young guys took their lumps last year, something he believes should be beneficial for the 2023 season.

"Last year was hard. Losing myself, Finn (Dirstine), Kevin Cline, it’s hard to work under those circumstances. It’s not easy when everybody’s beating up on you (outside of the program), it’s definitely a challenge they overcame. We played well in a lot of games and we have to remember a lot of those guys had never played big time football like this before. We tried to ease them into it without any outside distractions. Now, they’ve got a year under their belt. We’ve got a lot of new guys, a lot of competition coming back. I’m excited and we’re going to be ready. We’re going to run the ball this year.”

As far as Mahogany’s decision to return, it was never really in doubt, even if the video he posted put a scare into some people.

“The NFL was more of the side I was on, I was never going to transfer,” he said. “My mom received phone calls, I never got any personal calls. My mom, my high school coaches, but I didn’t have my degree. I’m finishing this year, so that was a consideration of coming back…the NFL we got some feedback back after the injury, some stuff I didn’t want to hear, so I came back to school. I just want to finish what I started. I just love BC, also. The coaches have pretty much been here my whole playing career, so might as well finish it and enjoy the ride as long as I can. There was never a question of going to another school. That was it for me.

“The video, we knew Zay did something like it last year, that was obviously NFL stuff. I knew some people were saying I was leaving or transferring, we just wanted to mess with people a little bit. It was funny and hopefully we got a laugh out of it.”