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Overview
The Horned Frogs' offense struggled in 2005 and the coaches realized it was time to make changes on their front wall. The line ranked 43rd in the nation in sacks allowed that year, but in 2006, with Lindner taking over right guard duties, that unit improved to being the sixth-rated team in the NCAA in sacks allowed.
The staff cited Lindner's leadership and drive blocking skills for the vast improvement. The ground game thrived following the guard on pulls and sweeps, as the Horned Frogs went from the 28th-ranked ground game in the country in 2005 to the ninth-ranked unit in 2006.
Lindner served as team captain, earning MVP of his squad as a senior at Comfort High School. He added first-team All-State and All-Greater San Antonio distinction as an offensive lineman. He also garnered first-team All-District honors at offensive and defensive tackle. He helped Comfort go 12-2 and reach the state quarterfinals, as the offense averaged 346 yards rushing per game. He added All-District honors as a nose guard in 2000.
Lindner turned down a scholarship offer from New Mexico to commit to Texas Christian, but spent the 2003 season adjusting to playing offensive guard on the scout team. In 2004 spring drills, he suffered a wrist injury that required surgery to remove a dead bone, causing him to sit out the entire season.
As a sophomore, Lindner backed up both guard positions, appearing in 10 games. He sat out the Brigham Young clash with a left ankle sprain, but helped the running attack rank 28th nationally, averaging 192.17 yards per game.
Inserted into the lineup at right guard in 2006, Lindner ranked second on the team with 40 knockdowns and six touchdown-resulting blocks. He allowed just one sack on 352 pass plays, protecting Horned Frog passers who averaged 213.85 yards per game, as the front wall allowed just 15 sacks. For his performance, he was awarded second-team All-Mountain West Conference honors.
Lindner missed 2007 spring drills, having undergone reconstructive knee surgery after he was injured in the 2006 Poinsettia Bowl vs. Northern Illinois. He was recovered by the season opener, providing 57 knockdowns in 12 contests, as the offense averaged 386.62 yards per game. A midseason left ankle sprain continued to bother him, and the coaches finally forced him to sit out the New Mexico clash. The Outland Trophy watch list member added eight touchdown-resulting blocks and was charged with just one sack for the second consecutive season.
Analysis
Positives: Has a light frame, but shows thick bone structure, good weight room strength and the frame potential to carry at least another 20 pounds of bulk. … Best when battling at the line of scrimmage and would be an ideal fit for the Denver zone blocking scheme, as he has a lot of nastiness in his game and won't hesitate to take extra shots at an opponent. … Shows adequate in-line foot speed, balance and base, but might be a better fit if converted to center. … Not really athletic or powerful, but is a scrappy pass protector with decent knee bend and flexibility to set up in pass protection. … Aggressive team leader who has complete respect from his opponents (his nasty style of play demands nothing less from his opponent). … Does not shoot his hands with power (even though he has it), but is very good at grabbing, locking on and jerking the defender to the ground (won't hesitate to step on that opponent, if he can get away with it). … When he comes off the snap at a low pad level and hands active on the rise, he can get into the defender's jersey and wash his man out of the play. … Bit slow to adjust at the X's, but once he reaches into the defender, he will battle until the whistle. … Stiff in the hips, but has very good balance and is hard for defenders to get him off his feet. … Slow to anchor at times, but has the functional lateral slide to mirror. … Even though he doesn't explode his hands into the defender, he is quite active with them, doing a nice job of recoiling to help him sustain blocks. … Plays with a wide base and extends his arms well to stave off the bull rush.
Negatives: Perhaps due to knee surgery in the winter and a lingering ankle sprain during the season, Lindner looked slow trying to adjust to movement at the X's during the 2007 season. … Struggles a bit to pick up plays quickly and needs a little more than several reps to retain information. … Has solid pass protection skills, but is better when playing at the line of scrimmage, as he does not show the lower leg explosion to flatten defenders on the move. … Despite solid weight room figures, he is more of a position/wall-off type of blocker, as he fails to generate much power behind his hand punch. … Plays flat-footed, but looks stiff when having to redirect. … Must come of the snap quicker, as he struggles at times to get into position. … Lacks the foot speed you want from a guard on traps and pulls. … Must be more alert to twists and games, and he is not always quick at picking up the blitz. … Needs to add more bulk to his frame.
Compares To: JUSTIN HARTWIG-Pittsburgh. … Like Hartwig, Lindner is not the stoutest offensive guard you will find and will need to bulk up to play at the next level. He has just marginal foot speed for traps and pulls, but shows good aggression attacking defenders at the line of scrimmage. Like Hartwig, he could probably have better success in the NFL if he's converted to center, as he shows good hand placement and is more comfortable playing and battling in the trenches, rather than leading the way on sweeps.
Injury Report
2004: A wrist injury that resulted in surgery after spring camp to have a dead bone removed forced him to sit out the entire season.
2005: Sat out the Brigham Young game (9/24) with a left ankle sprain.
2006: Suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his knee vs. Northern Illinois in the Poinsettia Bowl (12/19) that required reconstructive surgery that forced him to sit out 2007 spring drills.
2007: Did not play vs. New Mexico (11/03) due to a left ankle sprain.
Attended Comfort (Texas) High School, serving served as team captain. … Earned MVP of his squad as a senior. … Added first-team All-State and All-Greater San Antonio distinction as an offensive lineman. … Garnered first-team All-District honors at offensive and defensive tackle. … Helped Comfort go 12-2 and reach the state quarterfinals, as they averaged 346 yards rushing per game. … Added All-District honors as a nose guard in 2000.
Personal
Arts & Sciences major. … Born Matthew Jordan Lindner on 11/19/84. … Resides in Comfort, Texas.
