The O-line debate

[BWahlberg]

Stemming from the debate about if Kistler would be an all-conf tackle or an all-american guard from my all-conference thread. While I have zero insight into if the coaches see this as a dilemma or what they'll do I figured it would make a bit of interesting discussion on here.

Coming out of spring ball it was looking like the Oline depth (2 deep) was like so:

Starting 5: Poole/Poehls/Oiland/Hendrickson/Kistler
Backups: Schmang/Hines/Brauer/Kalekini/Taves

So here's the dilemma - our starting Oline is essentially 4 guards and 1 tackle. Kistler, Poehls, Oiland, and Hendrickson came in with the expectation of being guards. Poehls and Kistler are both "tweener" guys that could play both positions but their footwork could become issues for speed-rushers at tackle and they're best suited at guard. However Oiland and Hendrickson and guards through and through. Poole and Schmang have the best footwork and lateral movement that I've seen. Meanwhile the #2 interior line has a lot of moving pieces with the other Hines brother and Shawn Bradshaw rotating in as well.

I think the center of the debate hovers around what to do with Danny Kistler - arguably our best and certainly our most experienced returning Olineman. I agree with some posters that he could probably be an all-American at guard, but there is a need for an experienced tackle because tackle on this team is very thin with experience and depth.

Another piece to this has been Jake Hendrickson who, of this group, comes in with maybe the least amount of in-game experience. Oiland did pretty well in his spot last year, but has now been moved to center. Hendrickson was originally thought to be our center this year... so he presumably didn't show enough to the staff to justify staying at that spot.

There's also the wrinkle that a new transfer or most likely incoming freshman (McCauley Todd) could come in and shake things up as well.

Depending on how guys come in after summer conditioning and how they show up at fall camp we could be looking at a few different options for a starting five. We could see the same mix out of spring camp or a totally different mix. Here's the potential lineups that I see:

Option 1 (most likely): Poole/Poehls/Oiland/Hendrickson/Kistler

Option 2 (best scenario for QB protection?): Poole/Poehls/Oiland/Kistler/Schmang

Option 3 (going by position experience): Poole/Kistler/Brauer OR Hines/Oiland/Poehls

Option 4 (the freshman knocks everyone's socks off): Poole/Poehls/Oiland/Todd/Kistler

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One thing I do know; this Oline will be pretty good, but I'm still hesitant to say great. My reasoning why is that looking at the potential groups of starters... all of these guys have played together and had time rotating in and out last year with exception to Hendrickson who played the year before. In 2008 we lost 3 Olinemen to graduation (Dow, Quinn, & Russum) but plugged in guys that rotated in a ton for them (Verlanic and Dyk) as well as bringing in one heck of a talented RS Frosh in Opperud. I see this Oline mimicing that type of success, we've got lots of experience that returns.

Additionally, while some of it is attributed to the system - look at how few sacks our O line allowed last year. A lot of the technical side of the blocking scheme fell on the shoulders of Scott Gragg who now takes over the whole Oline. Gragg is an excellent coach when it comes to explaining and demonstrating what to do (and what not to do). As I've posted before he lacks the "badass" edge you see in other Oline coaches, the OL will have to look within their ranks for that. However I think that with this experienced group and Gragg leading the way... this Oline will be good... and "great" will be within reach.

 

[HighLineGRIZ]

I appreciate the well thought out post, but I'm a little skeptical in the thinking that we will be very good on the OL. OT is a vitally important position and we have very little experience there. I think Oppy and Burton were big losses as was Beers. I believe people underestimate the difficulty of moving from the Guard position to the OT position. It takes some good and extensive coaching to pull that off as well as players who are willing to take a step back and learn things a different way. I have a lot of confidence in Gragg, but having 2 capable coaches making these changes works better than one. I have no idea of how the development of some of the younger talent is going or what has been done to train players Kistler and Poehls to become versatile lineman that can plug into the different positions. Hopefully, its prgressing quickly and the line is gaining comfort with the changes. Protecting the QB is important and it will dictate a lot of our success offensively in my opinion.

 

[krammer]

to some degree i believe you are understating our experience,,,didn"t hendrickson play j.c. football as well as the hines brothers from a pretty darn good league in az. ??? i believe they have the size, experience and savy to be huge assets to a very deep and talented o/l imo.....

 

[BWahlberg]

I think the big loss with coach Beers is the fire and passion. Watching Beers and Gragg in spring and fall camp I'd constantly see Beers defer to either Gragg or Sabin this year to confirm or correct a statement. Whenever they were talking footwork, blitz pickup, etc - Gragg led the discussion. I'm not discounting Beers experience and knowledge but from what I saw - Gragg was the instructor. I'm no coach, nor have I played so maybe I'm way off here.

I do agree that Hendrickson had some prior experience as did the Hines brothers. Jake got a good shot in 2010 and was benched and then wound up red-shirting this last year. He's improved but right now of Oiland/Poehls/Poole/Kistler, Jake is the weaker link - but that might not be a fair comparison to the rest of the group, I don't think he's a bad lineman or not worthy of starting.

Hines brothers... need to toughen up, if they want to start and play on the OL in the Big Sky. They've kind of vanished and Ginn/Tuliapupu/Crittenden had their way with them in spring ball. Now I'll give them this benefit of the doubt - in a lot of cases I've seen JuCo kids come in and their first year they're practically non-existant/don't play the best/or have a backup role but then in their second year they have a big season (recently you could point out Dodson, Roots, and Sabin as examples).

 

[PlayerRep]

I don't think Kistler came in as a guard. He was a tackle. Kistler can play tackle. I was a bit surprised he could play guard, given how big he is. I think Kistler can be an all-american tackle. A number of UM lineman have played both guard and tackle for UM, from year to year. Didn't both Oppie and Burton play guard in their earlier years? Crackgina, straighten us out on this.

 

[Grizmayor]

From the video presented on Todd, he ain't starting anytime soon at tackle for Crap Sake. Slow footed, but seems to finish well (sometimes after the whistle). And why the bashing of Kistler and Poehls as being slow footed... DID YOU JUST WATCH A SEASON OF OPPERUD AND BURTON!!! Geezus tits people. You guys slay me sometimes...
Kistler came in as a tackle... he began splitting time with Opperud at Eastern Washington after Selle got K.O.'ed for the season from a whiff block by Burton. Opperud had absolutely sucked at the Poly game the previous week. Kistler came in an ate up the Eagles defensive end. But you know how we operate at Montana... We ANNOINT superstars. That contest earned Kistler some playing time at OG after some injury issues struck. His pull blocking BURIED some people, but his knowledge of the position wasn't the best since if anyone paid attention, Verlanic was seen chewing his ass often about missed assignments.
Two problems I see with Danny... maybe a little too heavy around the middle, and he has games where he seems totally unmotivated. But Holy @#$%, when the kid comes to play (Weber St. and MSU), he's DOMINATING.
Brint? Joking here, but when the hell do you take the time to sell a house? If you get paid by the column inch on Egriz, you'd be a fekkin millionaire!

 

[HighLineGRIZ]

From the video presented on Todd, he ain't starting anytime soon at tackle for Crap Sake. Slow footed, but seems to finish well (sometimes after the whistle). And why the bashing of Kistler and Poehls as being slow footed... DID YOU JUST WATCH A SEASON OF OPPERUD AND BURTON!!! Geezus tits people. You guys slay me sometimes...
Kistler came in as a tackle... he began splitting time with Opperud at Eastern Washington after Selle got K.O.'ed for the season from a whiff block by Burton. Opperud had absolutely sucked at the Poly game the previous week. Kistler came in an ate up the Eagles defensive end. But you know how we operate at Montana... We ANNOINT superstars. That contest earned Kistler some playing time at OG after some injury issues struck. His pull blocking BURIED some people, but his knowledge of the position wasn't the best since if anyone paid attention, Verlanic was seen chewing his ass often about missed assignments.
Two problems I see with Danny... maybe a little too heavy around the middle, and he has games where he seems totally unmotivated. But Holy @#$%, when the kid comes to play (Weber St. and MSU), he's DOMINATING.
Brint? Joking here, but when the hell do you take the time to sell a house? If you get paid by the column inch on Egriz, you'd be a fekkin millionaire!

I wasn't high on either Burton or Oppy going into last year, especially Burton, who I thought would struggle at RT. However, they both had very good years last year and were important to our success. Now they are gone and that leaves a hole and a void in experience at the tackle positions. Kistler did come in as a tackle, but he has been much more productive at G in my opinion and has pro potential at guard. I like Kistler alot and think he is one of the most important players on our entire team. We need a big year from him.