Chad Germer knows that trying to single out individual members of an offensive line is a dangerous and typically useless task.
“That position, I think the leadership always comes from the group,” Germer, Montana’s offensive line coach, said Wednesday after the Grizzlies’ second spring practice. “The better they are as a cohesive [unit], the more leadership they bring to the team, and I expect that to happen. I think that’s kind of the norm, the better they are as a group, the more other players and other parts of the team are going to look to them.”
That’s a lesson Germer hopes his linemen take to heart this year, as he tries to mold an essentially new starting offensive front out of scratch for the Grizzlies.
He lost four of his five starting offensive linemen from the fall — left tackle David Reese, center Cooper Sprunk, right guard Robert Luke and right tackle Mike Ralston. Reese was a particularly impactful loss, as the tackle had started every game but one since he came to campus as a freshman.
REVITALIZED REPUTATION: Four seniors help Griz solidify offensive line once again
“[That was a] really good, hard-working crew,” said Germer, an All-Big Sky center for the Grizzlies in 1991 who is in his third stint coaching UM’s offensive line over the last 20 years. “Some of them were walk-ons (Sprunk), some moved from other positions (Ralston was recruited as a tight end, as was Sprunk), and they kind of rallied up. I really enjoyed working with them last year.”
The fifth spot on the line was held by left guard Angel Villanueva, who went from being the baby of the group last year to being the only returning starter.
The 6-foor-5, 324-pound redshirt junior from Duarte, California, joked that he’d take over for punt returner Jerry Louie-McGee if the coaches asked, but really, he’s eager to take on the responsibility on the offensive line.
“I think I was really inspired by all the four seniors that left,” Villanueva said. “They all had leadership qualities in their own specific way. I’m definitely trying to be a leader for these young guys, and for the guys that are stepping up in the 1s position and the first-team reps.”
He’ll be surrounded by a number of young players looking to fill the vacant spots on the line.
On Wednesday, the lineup for the starting front included redshirt sophomore Conlan Beaver (6-foot-5, 293) at left tackle, Villanueva at left guard, fourth-year junior Dallas Hart (6-5, 315) at center, third-year sophomore Brandon Scott (6-7, 295) at right guard and redshirt freshman Colton Keintz at right tackle (6-8, 275).
With it being just the second day of spring practice, that’s likely to change as Germer tries out every possibility. Junior Cody Meyer (6-3, 293), Sprunk’s primary back-up at center last season and sophomore guard Dylan Eickmeyer (6-4, 292) will also compete for time. Thayne Jackson (6-5, 296), Ralston and Reese’s primary backup as a redshirt freshman and one of Stitt’s most heralded non-skill position recruits, will miss the spring after having off-season hip surgery but is expected to be back by fall camp in August.
“We’re going to put a bunch of different guys out there and mesh them together, and they’re all going to get a ton of reps, because we’ve got some spots to fill,” Germer said. “Everybody is going to get a chance to compete for it, and we’ll let it all kind of play out.”
Hauck also signed six offensive lineman in his first recruiting class in his second stint back at Montana. During his first stint between 2003 and 2009, the Grizzlies ran the ball with authority and punished teams with arguably the best string off offensive linemen the Big Sky Conference has seen this generation. In the most recent signing class, Hauck honored commitments made to Stitt by Sean Anderson (6-7, 305) of Buckeye, Arizona, Tyler Ganoung (6-5, 318) of Hillsboro, Oregon and a partial scholarship accepted by Helena Capital standout Conor Quick (6-3, 275). Hauck also added Cole Sain (6-4, 286), a three-star recruit from St. John Bosco Prep in the prestigious Trinity League in Southern California along with in-state preferred walk-ons Trevor Welnel (6-4, 240) from Helena Capital and Cody Hartsoch (6-5, 260) from Kalispell Glacier.
None of the offensive linemen listed on the roster are seniors, which means that whatever lineup Germer finally decides on, it could potentially be together for multiple seasons. That youth has also helped with creating a bond between the linemen.
No position group on the field has to function as much as a single unit as the offensive line, meaning that chemistry, no matter what players are on the field, is key.
The departing group of seniors pushed that notion, and the younger players coming up behind them are trying to as well.
“We try to stick together every weekend, we’re all trying to hang out, trying to be together as much as possible,” Hart said. “I think that’s one thing we took from the older guys, getting together, and the closer we are, the better we do as a group. We usually just go hang out, some of the guys will go out to a spot on Miller Creek Road and we’ll go shooting, or we’ll go bowling, or go watch some movies or play some video games.”
Another thing that helps with continuity and chemistry is that Germer — along with running backs coach Justin Green and safeties coach Shann Schillinger — is one of three returning coaches who stayed on with the program when head coach Bobby Hauck replaced Bob Stitt in December.
“It’s tremendous, just because we’re already so used to his coaching style and teaching style,” Villanueva said. “We know what he expects from us, so it’s an easier transition, as opposed to other positions.”
What Germer wants out of his charges this early in the season is simple — lock down the fundamentals of the position and compete hard.
“He focuses on the big concepts, but once you’ve got those down, it’s the little things that really progress you,” Villanueva said about his coach. “He repeats the same things over and over and it gets really repetitive, but it really is the same things over and over that you get beat on, you know, so it’s about eliminating those mistakes.”
Whether or not the young offensive line can eliminate those mistakes and come together might go a long way towards determining the success of the Montana offense this season. So far in spring practice, they’ve shown a willingness to accept the pressure — and the offensive lineman’s constant curse of anonymity.
“The pressure’s always going to be there,” Villanueva said. “[If] there’s a bad play, blame the offensive linemen; [if] there’s a good play, praise the quarterback. That’s how it’s always going to be, and we’re okay with that, you know. We want to get to the point where all the players on the team besides the offensive linemen are getting praised.”
PICKING IT UP: Most of the coaches agreed that that the energy on Monday was satisfactory, especially given that it was the first practice of the year. But offensive coordinator Timm Rosenbach did admit that “a lot of that was kind of false, because [the coaches were] having to run around screaming and hollering and stuff,” to get the players pumped up.
Wednesday, that wasn’t as much the case, as the players seemed to step up a notch in their intensity and physicality.
The second part of that equation was particularly noticeable. It was still a no-pads practice on Wednesday, but ballcarriers were going down more often in offense against defense drills as the defensive players upped the aggression, and the offense responded.
In the most visible example, sophomore wide receiver Samuel Akem and a defensive back ended up rolling on the ground long after the end of a play as Akem tried to finish a block.
“I think everybody’s just getting back into football,” Villanueva said. “We spent so much time without the pads, without going on the field … and then all of a sudden you go full go into it. So, I think the first day we kind of got rid of the jitters, and then as it progressed, every day gets better and better, more productive and more productive.”
HIGHLIGHTS: The defense had the last word in two-minute drills at the end of practice.
After junior Dalton Sneed hit junior wide receiver Justin Calhoun on a comeback route for the offense, junior middle linebacker Vita Fa’atuiese came up with the highlight of practice to force a turnover for the first-string defense, tipping a pass to himself for an acrobatic interception.
Fa’atuiese also had a few interceptions in drills on Monday.
The second-string offense also moved the ball in the two-minute drill, but redshirt freshman Tanner Wilson threw the ball out of the back of the end zone with time running out to give the defense its second win and bring an end to practice.
Andrew Houghton is a freelance journalist living in Missoula. Lacey Young is the photo editor of the Montana Kaimin. All Rights Reserved.
