Adam Lepkowski Looks To Continue To Anchor The Blazers' Offensive Line In 2025
By Steve Irvine
BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA - September 13, 2025
Nerves did not dominate Adam Lepkowski’s thoughts on the eve of the first time he played in a college football game.
Sure, the gnawing thought of “Just don’t make a fool of yourself on ESPN2” crept into his mind at one point. But, for the most part, the UAB redshirt sophomore offensive lineman found time to relax while spending time with his teammates at the team hotel the night before the Blazers AAC game against visiting South Florida last Saturday.
“It kind of takes the edge of, a little bit, because we kind of just hang out the night before,” the 6-foot-3, 290-pound Lepkowski said. “That morning, it all kind of settles in. I did wake up in cold sweats that night. That’s probably the worst of the nerves, I guess, just when I was asleep.”
Not that it was easy to notice for the average fan in the stands, considering the position he plays, but Lepkowski went out the following day and played a critical role in the 56-35 Children’s Harbor game victory over the Bulls. He took over at right guard midway through the first quarter when right tackle Tater Reid was injured. Quez Yates, who started at right guard, slid out to right tackle and Lepkowsky came in to play guard. He was an important part of a UAB offense that gained over 600 yards.
“I was expecting to play a little bit earlier (in the season), to be honest with you,” said Lepkowksi, who came in the game when teammate Tater Reid left with an injury. “I just had to have faith and wait for the opportunity. I think the nerves really hit me when I got in the huddle. But then, I just kind of took a deep breath and kind of saw what I had to do. The next thing I knew, I was blocking somebody.”
After that, it was all about playing a sport he loves.
“The whole stadium just kind of disappeared and it felt like practice again,” Lepkowski said. “Honestly, it’s probably easier than practice. I didn’t get tired as much. I just felt like I was playing free after that first couple of snaps.”
Fully understanding the importance of Lepkowski’s role on Saturday includes traveling back to fall camp when the Blazers were working toward cementing an offensive line rotation. UAB head coach Trent Dilfer said at that time that the rotation needed to reach seven or eight players with versatility a priority.
Last week, Dilfer said Lepkowski had joined the rotation.
“It’s funny, in the NFL, there are some parallels,” Dilfer said. “It’s not necessarily that the seventh guy is the best but he’s the most versatile. I think there is some truth to that in college, too. If you can play center-guard, guard-tackle, you’re more valuable in a game situation if somebody gets nicked up. In practice, if this guy is sick or dealing with an ankle, if you can play two positions, you’re more valuable to dress in a game. That’s kind of A-Train’s deal.”
Lepkowksi, who is known to his teammates and coaches as A-Train, played left tackle for the most part at Hoover High School. He came to UAB as a walk-on and helped fill a need for depth at center. He played center his first two seasons at UAB and came into this season as the backup center to Brady Wilson. That changed in. last Wednesday’s practice.
“It was really the latter half of Wednesday when we did our team period vs. the 1s,” Lepkowski said. “(Offensive tackle Trey Bedosky) had to go out and they’re like ‘A-Train get in there (at right guard).’ That’s kind of how it happened. During practice, I don’t really get nervous, even if it’s the 1s. I can’t get nervous, I just got to focus on what I can control. That’s what Coach Dilfer talks about. Focus on what you can control, focus on what you have to do for your job.”
It took a crash course to catch up on what he would do at guard if called upon.
“It’s huge and it’s how unselfish the approach he has,” Dilfer said. “I don’t know if he got any first team reps the whole time (before last week). He kind of anchors down that second team at center but then jumps in at guard every once in a while, just to get reps. He’s not the hugest guy so he has to use his leverage, athleticism and strength. Just his availability (and) his want-to is huge for us. That’s why we put him on scholarship.”
The scholarship announcement came following the second full-scale scrimmage of fall camp. Dilfer gathered the team after a muggy night scrimmage in August and announced that Lepkowski, quarterback Harrison Barker and linebacker Charlie Goode were put on scholarship.
“The first couple of days, I couldn’t believe it,” Lepkowski said. “When I called my mom, that’s when it really hit me. That night when I called her, I broke down, crying. It just felt like I had been working for that moment for so long. But, then, I feel like after the first game, that feeling kind of fell. I didn’t get to go in that first game and I was expecting to play. First game against a smaller school, I thought we’d be up by more and I would play. I realized it wasn’t about the scholarship, I just want to play. The money just comes with it, that’s what (UAB Director of Character Development Matt McCants) talked about. Just play football and the benefits come with it. That’s really what I stuck to after that.”
Moving forward, Lepkowski will remain part of the offensive line rotation, possibly as a starter if needed. Brennan Moran, who started the first five games at guard, was unavailable last week for personal reasons and might be out again this week. For now, at least this week at UTSA, the rotation appears to include Bedosky, Will Parker and Tater Reid at tackle, Brady Wilson at center, Yates at guard and tackle, Lepkowski at center and guard and Luke Jones at guard.