O-line ready to lead from the front in 2016

Editor's note: This is the first installment in a seven-part series breaking down the 2016 Griz football squad by position group. Stay tuned to gogriz.com for regular updates.

When Bob Stitt took the helm of the Montana Grizzlies football program ahead of the 2015 season, fans were excited to see his brand of up-tempo, pass-heavy, vertical-pressure offense that had earned him a sort of cult following among some of college football's elite coaches.

One of the ingredients necessary to build that offensive attack was a strong offensive line, capable of creating a solid pocket and opening up holes for the run game when necessary.

Over the course of the 2015 season, the O-line went through a series of ups and downs, dealing with injury and adjusting to the up-tempo style of play. But as the business end of the season rolled around, it was clear to observers that the O-line had matured in the trenches, and came together to provide quarterback Brady Gustafson enough time to rack up 1,143 yards passing in the final four games of the season.

Now, with seven months' worth of conditioning under strength coach Matt Nicholson, veteran center Ben Weyer back from injury and a whopping 92 career starts between them, the Grizzly offensive line is shaping up to be one of Montana's strongest and most cohesive position groups of the 2016 season.

"It's very difficult to have confidence when you're physically outmatched," said Stitt. "The work our O-line has done in the offseason, not only to get their weight up but their strength up, is really going to pay off this fall. You're going to see a collective group that is much more confident and aggressive."

Returning to the O-line as a two-year starter is All-Big Sky senior guard Devon Dietrich, who brings 26 career starts to the table all by himself. Weyer is back in 2016, carrying 12 starts as a junior in 2014 before missing the 2015 year due to injury. Junior tackle David Reese is also a two-year starter with 24 under his belt, and senior guard McCauley Todd returns with nine career starts after missing a portion of 2015 due to injury.

Experience is one thing on the offensive line, but weight is another. And the returning Griz bring plenty of that.

This season's projected starters (Reese, Todd, Weyer, Dietrich and Thiebes) entered fall camp weighing an average of 302.6 pounds, while the average weight of all 11 returners comes in at 303.1 pounds, putting the Griz O-line up there with the bulkiest in the Big Sky.

"Having returners on the O-line, they have to work together and they're going feel so much more comfortable with each other this year, but it all starts up front," added Stitt. "We've got an offensive line with some experience and some starts under their belt. We've also got the same quarterback, the same running backs, and a good crew of receivers. I expect the offense to be much improved because of the offensive line."

With five seniors on the offensive line preparing to play their final season as a Grizzly, Stitt and his staff hit the recruiting trail hard to bring in more size on the offensive line in 2015.

The result: a group of five true freshmen with an average weight of 304.4 pounds. The freshmen are highlighted by big bodies like Brandon Scott out of Oklahoma, who arrived at camp tipping the scales at 320 pounds and Thayne Jackson, who put on nearly 50 pounds before arriving in Missoula, entering camp at 312 pounds.

Set to take the reins and lead this group of Clydesdale horses in 2016 is Weyer, a center out of Bozeman who is the beating heart of the group. Weyer was visibly torn when faced with the prospect of missing the 2015 campaign, and has worked tirelessly to return to action.

"Number one he's a great player, but number two he's got great leadership, and he brings an intensity that you really like and want up front," said Stitt.

Flanking Weyer at left and right guard are Todd and Dietrich, who Stitt believes will be one of the keys to the success of the entire offense this season.

"We're stepping it up all across the offensive line this year, but especially with the guards. We've got to be able to keep the pocket firm when you're throwing it and get some movement in the run game, and I think this group can do that."

But perhaps no one person is more responsible for leading the improvement of the O-line than former Grizzly All-American and veteran line coach Chad Germer, who Stitt hired out of UNLV when he took the job at Montana in 2014.

"Coach Germer brings an attitude that you want out of your offensive line," added Stitt. "Every day they get better, and he's never satisfied. He coaches them hard so they know he cares about them."

With offensive weapons in hand like Gustafson's NFL-caliber arm, an athletic corps of wide receivers on hand to make big plays, and a physical group of running backs able to pound out the yards, Stitt's up-tempo offense is set to go off like a roman candle in 2016. The cliché is that it all starts up front, and this group appears ready to prove that.

University of Montana Athletics

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Players Mentioned

Devon Dietrich

Brady Gustafson

Thayne Jackson

David Reese

Brandon Scott

McCauley Todd

Ben Weyer

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