Storrs — Ryan Crozier will be involved in almost every play this season. Yet he likely won't ever gain a yard, score a touchdown or make drive-stopping tackle.

His fingerprints will still be all over the football for the UConn Huskies.

A 6-foot-4, 300-pound redshirt sophomore, Crozier will anchor the offensive line at center, returning after sitting out last season with a knee injury. He'll solidify an experienced front.

"Crozier is an alpha male," said offensive coordinator Frank Verducci on Wednesday following preseason practice. "We were talking today, the two most trusted positions on offense are center and quarterback. They're the two guys that handle the ball on every single play.

"And he is the quarterback of the offensive line. He makes all the calls and he makes all the adjustments. There's certain plays where he'll tell the quarterback we want to do something different. So to plug him back in there, we're looking for a jump in productivity because of that."

Crozier will join a veteran group that includes redshirt junior left guard Tommy Hopkins, redshirt senior right guard Richard Levy and redshirt senior right tackle Andreas Knappe, who each started all 13 games last season. Redshirt freshman Matt Peart has the inside track as starter at left tackle.

"A bunch of us have taken a lot of snaps in practices and games, so that helps out a lot," Crozier said.

The Huskies also are blessed with some depth at offensive line. With Crozier healthy, redshirt junior Brendan Vechery is now the back-up after doing a great job last season, according to Verducci.

The group is scoring high marks in the all-important chemistry and cohesion departments. Verducci credits offensive line coach Mike Cummings for bringing the unit along.

"Knock on wood, we've been extremely fortunate so far in that the players that we've wanted to work together have been on the field each and every day," Verducci said. "So you see that cohesion, you see that timing aspect, that unspoken communication at the line of scrimmage that's essential in any high functioning offensive line."

Come opening day against Maine on Sept. 1, Crozier will be making his first start at center. He began his UConn career as a left guard, appearing in 10 games and starting three times in 2014. He was moved to center in the spring of 2015 before his injury ended his season. He was healthy again for last spring's workouts.

Crozier took advantage of his time on the sidelines, soaking in as much knowledge as possible while attending practice.

"I was out here at practice every day," Crozier said. "I was one of the guys, just not in pads. I was telling them what to do better, so it really helped."

Offensive execution has been sharper during preseason because of the line's experience. Missed assignments hurt the Huskies at times last season, allowing opponents to blow up plays in the backfield.

The mistakes contributed to UConn's offensive struggles. The Huskies ranked 121st in the nation in scoring offense at 17.2 points per game.

"Coach Cummings has a saying that the offense looks like the offensive line," Crozier said. "If we're not doing well, then the offense isn't going to do well. If we're doing good, then the offense is going to be doing good. We like to have that accountability on our hands."

Head coach Bob Diaco has noticed an improvement during preseason. More time has been spent working on finer points.

"There's not a lot of people loose in the backfield, that's been kind of a hallmark so far," Diaco said. "Getting the play started has been a bit of problem at times for the first few seasons. As we're into practice now, we see so much less of that. Now we're just approaching another higher level. ... Some finishing style conversations as it relates to the runs and pass protection.

News and notes

• Junior Arkeel Newsome, the leading rusher last season with 792 yards, said he worked on improving his explosiveness, speed and strength during the off-season. ... Diaco said reserve defensive lineman Dallas Parker has been suspended indefinitely. ... Returning starter Bryant Shirreffs has a firm hold on the quarterback job, with Garrett Anderson listed as the back-up. "He's taken over and moving his game forward," Diaco said. "We don't have a quarterback controversy." ... Junior linebacker Vontae Diggs has had a strong camp so far and maintained a functional weight. "He practices very hard," Diaco said. "He really brings an energy to practice. ... Wednesday was preseason practice No. 15. "They're tired but energetic," Diaco said. "They're very positive and they love coming to practice, working with each other and competing against each other." ... Freshman Jasen Rose of Southington missed practice because he's not feeling well, according to Diaco, and back-up linebacker Jon Hicks, who's sidelined with an undisclosed injury, is expected to be out for at least another week.

g.keefe@theday.com