With Montana navigating its third fall camp under head coach Bob Stitt, Skyline Sports will break down UM’s roster by highlighting prominent battles for playing time in various position group.
No. 5 — Wide receiver rotation (non-H wide receivers)
TODAY’S POSITION: Defensive tackle
The players: Brandt Davidson (a 6-foot-3, 293-pound senior); Jesse Sims (a 6-foot-4, 275-pound sophomore); David Shaw (a 6-5, 319-pound junior); and Reggie Tilleman (a 6-4, 272-pound junior).
What’s at stake: When Bob Stitt first took over before the 2015 season, Montana’s interior defensive line lacked depth to the extent that the coaching staff started 5-foot-11, 270-pound Jamal Wilson, a converted fullback, at one of the two defensive tackle spots.
UM defensive tackle Zach Peevey walks it off after sacking NDSU quarterback Carson Wentz/by Brooks Nuanez
Former walk-on Zach Peevey and redshirt freshman Kyle Davis provided depth but the Griz struggled against powerful rushing attacks. Montana’s five losses included defeats at the hands of triple option powerhouse Cal Poly (330 rushing yards), pro-style Weber State (253 yards rushing), pistol-oriented Portland State (339 yards rushing), and in the second round of the FCS playoffs to perennially powerful North Dakota State (250 yards rushing).
Last off-season, Stitt and his staff put a priority on recruiting defensive tackles, plucking Brandt Davidson and Myles Mckee-Osibodu from the junior college ranks. The Griz moved Sims, a physical marvel originally from Stevensville who was committed to Oregon State as a prep junior, from defensive end to tackle.
This off-season, Montana continued cultivating depth and size by adding Shaw, a mountain of a man who spent his first three seasons at Maryland. The staff has also praised Tilleman for his rapid development after moving inside in the off-season.
“This was a big priority with us in the recruiting process the last couple of years and finally feel like we have a depth chart where we can compete for four quarters every single game,” UM defensive coordinator Jason Semore said.
The sum of the moves means UM will have manpower on the interior of its defensive line for first time under Stitt and his staff.
Montana defensive line coach Brian Hendricks
“It’s huge,” UM third-year defensive line coach Brian Hendricks said before Wednesday morning’s chilly practice at Washington-Grizzly Stadium. “It’s well-known that if you have depth up front on either side of the ball, you are going to have a chance of success.
“We have guys who have played the game, have experience and have had a tremendous off-season. It’s very exciting to see. They keep getting better, they are taking the coaching and they are grinding it out.”
How they fared in 2016: In his first season at UM after transferring from Scottsdale Community College, Davidson started all 11 games at nose tackle last season for the Griz. He ranked seventh on the team with 32 total tackles. He forced and recovered a fumble against Northern Colorado while totaling 1.5 tackles for loss on the season.
Sims, Montana’s king of the weight room, earned the Griz off-season MVP while putting on nearly 25 pounds of muscle since the end of his redshirt freshman year. During his first year playing defensive tackle, Sims more than held his own, notching 26 tackles, four tackles for loss and a sack despite relinquishing his starting spot to Peevey for the final five games of the season.
Shaw is the youngest of eight siblings. Both his older brothers, Jimmy and John Shaw, had standout careers at Penn State. David Shaw broke into the lineup as a true freshman and played in seven Big Ten games in 2014. He made his first start, ironically, against Penn State. The rest of his career in College Park was marred by injuries, prompting his transfer. He notched six tackles in 2015 before getting hurt and taking a medical redshirt. He appeared in six games and made two tackles last season.
As a sophomore, Tilleman’s last playing defensive end, the Genesee, Idaho native played sparingly. In six games, he had two tackles and half a tackle for loss. He moved to tackle in the spring.
Montana senior defensive tackle Brandt Davidson/ by Jason Bacaj
The case for Davidson: It would take an unforeseen circumstance or a rapid rise by a young player to displace Davidson from his starting nose guard position. The strong, powerful senior has developed into a leader of the group as well, Semore said.
“This competition has made guys like Brandt Davidson become leaders in terms of how he practices every single day,” Semore said. “When you bring guys in, especially junior college guys and they are trying to get a feel for where they are at, trying to compete for a job, there is only one of two ways you can go. You can embrace the culture, bust your ass and be the guy or you can just be another guy. Brandt has answered that bell. His growth has been tremendous. He is going to be a leader for us.”
Davidson’s strength combined with his familiarity with Semore’s defense gives him a leg up in this heated competition.
The case for Sims: To see Sims is to see a physical marvel, a towering man with rippling muscles who weights 275 pounds with nary a noticeable amount of body fat on him. Coaches and teammates alike laud him for his weight room dedication and his focus on nutrition, two factors that certainly appear in his chiseled physique.
Montana sophomore defensive tackle Jesse Sims/ by Jason Bacaj
Sims has long been a physical freak, a former Class A state basketball tournament MVP as a 15-year-old and a player who received Pac 12 and Big Ten football offers later in his prep career. He is widely considered the strongest pound for pound player on the Grizzlies. His next step is learning how to use his formidable strength consistently in the trenches.
“He’s put on between 20 to 30 pounds, up to 275 and that’s really helped him,” Hendricks said. “He’s still moving the way we want him to. He’s just an extremely strong kid and he’s really learning how to use it. Tough kid, he’s wired the right way.”
If Sims can channel his physical gifts, he will receive plenty of reps even if he rotates in the starting lineup.
The case for Shaw: Shaw himself is striking to observe, a mountain of a man with a grizzled strawberry blonde beard. Observations of his abilities thus far has been limited as he has sat some of out of fall camp, particularly Montana’s first scrimmage earlier this week, with an undisclosed injury. The ailment is minor, Hendricks said, and when Shaw returns, he should figure into the mix.
“He’s got great genetics,” Hendricks said. “He has eight siblings and he had two brothers play at Penn State. He’s a dude who physically, he’s got it but also mentally, he’s strong. He’s had some game experience at Maryland, played a lot as a freshman and a sophomore, so he brings experience and knowledge. It’s fun to coach him because he’s coachable and he understands the game.”
If you have the physical maturity and football IQ to play and start in the Big Ten as a true freshman, the transition to the Big Sky Conference should be smooth for Shaw as long as he stays healthy.
Montana junior defensive tackle Reggie Tilleman/ by Jason Bacaj
The case for Tilleman: It’s unlikely that Tilleman forces his way into the starting lineup but he will certainly provide depth behind the top three, particularly serving as a nice option to spell Sims as Montana’s 3-technique defensive tackle position. Tilleman has good size, a high motor and a mean streak, all things that bode well for the present and future of UM’s defensive front.
What they must accomplish during fall camp: Montana is in a win-win situation with its defensive tackle spots. Regardless of who starts, the coaching staff is confident they have at least four and possibly as many as six players who they feel comfortable playing when Davis and Mckee-Osibodu are added to the mix.
“It’s always competitive, we are always competing and it doesn’t matter what position you are playing or how old you are,” Hendricks said. “The one thing we are stressing is you are not comparing. The interior guys, you are not comparing against the ones and twos. You are not comparing against the offense. You are just competing to make yourself better and in return, that’s going to push that guy behind you, in front of you and next to you. You always have to bring your A game.”
Davidson is the best true nose on the roster. Shaw could be a dominant force if he can stay healthy. Sims’ upside seems limitless. And Tilleman provides attitude. As Montana had hoped, the position group has improved significantly over.
Also on the roster: Kyle Davis (6-1, 283-pound junior); Myles Mckee-Osibodu (6-3, 272-pound senior); Esai Longoria (6-3, 305-pound redshirt freshman).
Photos by Jason Bacaj. All Rights Reserved.
