BOZEMAN — As Ty Gregorak stood in Lewis Kidd’s living room near Minneapolis, Montana State’s defensive coordinator told Kidd he would start out playing whatever side of the ball he desired if he chose MSU.
Gregorak remembers thinking to himself that the 6-foot-6, then-270-pound standout from Totino-Grace High would provide good length for his Bobcat defense. But Gregorak also thought Kidd had the frame and aptitude to someday grown into an elite offensive lineman someday.
Kidd spent his redshirt season in Bozeman in 2016 playing on the defensive line. By last spring, Kidd switched to Josh Taufalele’s group for the Bobcats. By the middle portion of that 15-practice grind, Kidd was taking first-team repetitions at both guard and tackle. By the midpoint of last season, the now 295-pounder was a full-time starter on a young but physically imposing Bobcat line that helped Montana State become the first team since Cal Poly joined the Big Sky in 2012 other than the Mustangs to lead the league in rushing last season.
“It was a little crazy, a little wild,” the thoughtful, articulate Kidd said when asked about the position switch earlier this month. “Similar position. It’s easier when you are younger from position to position, especially on the offensive and defensive lines. You are just going across the line and hitting the other dude.
“But there’s a lot of technical differences between the positions. I think learning those things were a big part of it and then just having the confidence to execute them because that was my big thing my first spring ball. I knew the plays, was in the playbook, knew what I was doing but I wasn’t confident in my technique. That made me not as good of a player. Last year, toward the end of the season, I’m just more confident in my technique in knowing exactly what I’m doing, getting the job done.”
Size and power are obvious coveted skills in today’s offensive linemen. But attention to detail, mental capacity and a love of repetition are also essential factors. Kidd has latched on to the cerebral part of the game since moving to the offensive front.
“It’s the most technical position on the football field,” Montana State head coach Jeff Choate said. “You make a mistake as a safety, you can recover. You make a mistake as an offensive or defensive lineman, one step three or four inches the wrong way, you are out of position.”
Choate tried to fortify the offensive line right away in recruiting when he first took the job. He signed Jake Sessions, the state’s best prep lineman from Colstrip, along with Taylor Tuiasosopo, a first-team all-state offensive guard from Paraclete High in Lancaster, California south of Los Angeles. Choate also added in-state walk-ons Denver Krone from Augusta and Jarrod Asche from Glendive. The following recruiting season, the Bobcats signed center Zach Redd along with Connor Wood and Brody McKnight.
Kidd and Tuiasosopo were roommates in the dorms during the 2016 season. The 6-foot-4, 315-pound Tuiasosopo recognized the same thing Gregorak did when looking at Kidd: his future would be on offense.
“I kept talking to him, ‘I’m telling you, you are going to play tackle’ and he never believed me but look where he’s at now,” Tuiasosopo said with a laugh. “That’s my guy. I’m super happy for him. We push each other in the weight room and on the field. When we are competing for the same spot, we used to tell each other, ‘Man, no hard feelings, we just gotta compete.’ We both knew that.”
Last season, Tuiasosopo and Kidd were in competition to replace Jake McFetridge at left guard after he was injured, then retired. When right guard Caleb Gillis also went down, the Bobcats all of a sudden had two openings on the offensive line. Kidd slid in at right guard.
“It was terrible that Caleb Gillis went down but he was a great guy who was great with helping me,” Kidd said. “It was awesome to get in and be around those upperclassmen that have been doing it for a couple of years and can really lock you into what you are doing. That just gave me even more confidence.
“I try to model after (junior left tackle) Mitch Brott because he’s one of the guys who does it right every play. He’s a guy who is going to bring it and you know every day, what he’s bringing is his best effort. He rarely messes up and he makes all the plays he’s supposed to, gets his job done.
“I’ve been trying to pick his brain and ask him questions, be with him at practice and see how he does, what he’s about. He’s a great leader, great guy, one of my best friends on the team. He’s just been a huge help and huge influence on me.”
Kidd hardly missed a beat last season playing on the interior. Early on in fall camp this month, Kidd played right tackle with Redd, a redshirt freshman, working in at right guard. The last week or so, it’s been Kidd back on the inside at right guard with Wood out at right tackle. Redd continues to push for snaps at both guard positions and behind senior captain center Alex Neale, like Brott a three-year starter.
“Technique for sure and my football IQ has gone up,” Kidd said when asked about his improvements. “All these position meetings we do, when I first got here, I was like, ‘ I don’t know how I’m ever going to be able to distinguish this technique from this technique, be able to get this block versus this block.’ Now it’s coming second nature to me.”
Taufalele, MSU’s second-year offensive line coach, said the key for Kidd has been “learning football” from an offensive perspective. The coach has liked his pupil’s rapid acceleration and is not concerned about his ability to contribute. Kidd’s teammates also have full confidence in his potential turning into consistent production this season.
“Lewis is a great athlete on the line,” MSU sophomore quarterback Troy Andersen said. “He can move well and he can play any spot on the line. Wherever he’s put, he will do well.”
Photos by Brooks Nuanez. All Rights Reserved.
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