As Montana State begins fall camp next, Skyline Sports will break down the Bobcats’ roster by highlighting prominent battles for playing time in each position group.
Today’s position: Reserve offensive linemen
The players: Wade Webster (6-foot-5, 274-pound redshirt freshman), Doug Hanson (6-foot-3, 282-pound junior), Caleb Gillis (6-foot-6, 265-pound sophomore).
Fraley
What’s at stake: Because of three departures, the Bobcats are all of a sudden in a bit of a pickle when it comes to offensive line depth. Junior Dillon Fraley left the program despite getting first and second-team reps during spring football. Redshirt freshman guard Joey Marinello and classmate center Austin Oldenburger also left the program. MSU will start four seniors, including preseason All-Big Sky left tackle John Weidenaar and one junior in All-America guard J.P. Flynn. That lineup is not up for debate. But guard Kyle Godecke and tackle Alex Eekhoff missed all of spring drills with injuries and are still working toward getting to 100 percent. Sophomore Dylan Mahoney emerged as the first lineman off the bench and will play if an injury occurred at any spot aside from center. A highly touted prospect fresh off a redshirt year (Webster) will battle an upperclassmen who was once highly touted himself (Hanson) and a walk-on from Glenn, Montana (Gillis) for MSU’s seventh, eighth and ninth spots on the offensive line.
How they fared in 2014: Gillis used his newfound size to work his way into repetitions with the second-team offense for most of the fall. He has yet to appear in a game for the Bobcats.
Hanson, who came to MSU as a big-time prospect out of California powerhouse Mission Viejo, served as a backup guard for the past two seasons before trying his hand at center in the spring.
Webster, a player MSU hopes can be its second big hit from Bettendorf, Iowa (Flynn), redshirted last fall.
How they fared during spring practice: Gillis found himself vaulted into a starting role during spring drills with Godecke and Eekhoff on the shelf. Gillis, who’s listed as Weidenaar’s backup at left tackle on the most recent depth chart, worked in at both guard spots in the spring.
Hanson was Montana State’s second center behind senior Joel Horn, himself a 2014 All-Big Sky selection. Hanson was fairly consistent in his center-quarterback exchange with backup quarterback Jake Bleskin.
Webster had a class conflict that caused for him to show up to weekday practices about an hour late. When he was in the fold, he almost always worked with the second team and struggled to compete more often than not.
The case for Gillis: Gillis’ physical and fundamental development has been rapid. In the fall of 2013, Gillis was a 215-pound walk-on who prepped at Beaverhead High in Dillon. Now he’s a 265-pounder who’s received valuable first and second-team reps during practice and spring camp at all the line positions except center. With the exception of Mahoney, Gillis is MSU’s most improved young offensive linemen. He should secure the position as the next guy off the bench after Mahoney.
Webster & Hanson
The case for Hanson: Hanson’s spot as MSU’s second center seems pretty secure considering no one else on the line has ever tried a hand at snapping. MSU offensive line coach Jason Eck said he will have most of the players try snapping \ during fall camp and he emphasized Mahoney’s name in terms of getting a certain player ready. But Hanson has tried it for nearly a year and has a full spring under his belt, giving him the upper hand.
The case for Webster: Webster held his own primarily playing right tackle during his first fall camp last season. This spring, he looked a little out of sorts and did not stand out. Because of MSU’s shakeup, Eck said he’d try Webster at guard during fall camp. With Gillis and Mahoney as solid second tackles behind Eekhoff and Weidenaar, the outside seems to be set. MSU needs to find solid backups for the three interior positions, meaning Webster’s move will provide a better immediate opportunity for him.
What they must accomplish during fall camp: Despite returning a veteran first unit, offensive line fortunes are always tenuous. It’s a time-tested truth in the FCS that units are one injury away from finding themselves in a precarious situation. Early reports are that Godecke and Eekhoff should be good to go by fall camp but both have battled injuries throughout their careers. Finding two capable backups is crucial. MSU seems to have at least one already in Mahoney, a third-year sophomore from Great Falls. The battle for the second will be a key to fall camp. All three listed here will certainly make up the bulk of the second-team offensive front during fall camp. The fifth spot will likely be a rotation of a group of true freshmen, including 6-foot-7, 295-pound tackle Jake McFetridge out of Huntington Beach and 6-foot-6, 270-pound guard Mitch Brott out of Billings West.
