2025 Offense Outlook

[Lord Vigo]

While the defense looks like it has the coaching continuity and personnel coming back in order to hold serve or even improve, the offense is a much bigger question mark. The entire coaching staff on that side of the ball is either new or in a new spot aside from TE coach Jordan Walsh.

So what's the outlook on this side of the ball?

Quarterback: Regressed-- This was always going to be the case with Mellott moving on, but even moreso given that the transfer option has not materialized (at least for now). It's a total mystery what they will get out of this room. I would expect that Wilson, Warren, and Reed will compete for the job and that whoever ends up in the QB3 role will transfer in the next window if that pecking order is apparent by then (unless it's Warren-- he would probably stick around). Given that this season is going to be a reloading year, I am fine with them playing one of the young guys and developing for the future.

Running Back: Push-- Calling this spot a push is a bit of projection, because I do think that Humphrey was the best RB on the team last year. But they have a highly effective RB in Julius Davis coming back and I am banking on yet more development from Adam Jones. If he even takes half the leap between years 2 and 3 that he took between years 1 and 2, he's going to be special. I wish they had a bigger back on the roster, but I am pretty comfortable with Coon, Latin-Henley, and White being the guys taking carries behind the lead duo.

Tight End: Regressed-- The Cats graduated their top in-line option and lost their h-back weapon to the portal, so it's impossible to say there won't be any step back here. However, they are still loaded at tight end and it should be a really exciting group to watch. Schlepp and Provience have gotten a ton of reps and should be ready to hit the ground running in larger roles. Lencioni was one of the best recruits in the state a year ago. Valcin was a really intriguing recruit who redshirted and projected nicely into the Derryk Snell/Rohan Jones role.

Wide Receiver: Push-- The big loss here is McCullouch; they will miss his speed. Alexander also left but he had already basically lost his role, so that doesn't really impact things. I won't be surprised if we still see a transfer here, but I look mainly to development to off-set the losses. Taco continues to improve; as a sophomore he was already better than Bergen, which creates a lot of excitement for what he could become. Ryan King now has a year in the program under his belt and had overtaken Alexander. Beyond them, I'm looking to Javonte King, Dane Steel, and Jabez Woods. I wouldn't be shocked to see Hendrick make an impact down the stretch of his freshman year.

Offensive Line: Regressed-- I am very optimistic about the OL for now and into the future, but it's impossible to put anything but "regressed" when you lose Marcus Wehr, Conner Moore, Cole Sain, and Justus Perkins. Reed returning is huge and it's great that he will be joined by veteran starters in Mastel and Fleischmann. I'm also excited to see the development in Jefferson after he got so many snaps in 2024. I think Dylan Rollins will step in and be a high end starter immediately. Center is an open question to me. There are a lot of guys behind the group I've mentioned that could be making a push for playing time. MSU has developed an awesome program on the OL and I absolutely love it.

Overall: Regressed-- The Cats had the best offense in the nation in 2024 and they lost starters at QB, RB, TE, HB, WR, LT, C, and RG, so there's no doubt they're going to take a step back. However, the talent seems to be all there to develop into a great unit over the course of the season, and the defense should be able to keep the team's head above water while the offense figures it out. I see two primary X factors, one obvious and one less so. The first is QB: do they still get a transfer? If not, can one of the young guys take the reins and be effective? It's up in the air. The second X factor to me is Latin-Henley. If he takes a big jump over winter conditioning a la Adam Jones last year, the RB room could be really special.

[BelligerentBobcat]

I’d love to see Reed at Center. Think it’s either him or Kaplan.

[iaafan]

While the defense looks like it has the coaching continuity and personnel coming back in order to hold serve or even improve, the offense is a much bigger question mark. The entire coaching staff on that side of the ball is either new or in a new spot aside from TE coach Jordan Walsh.

So what's the outlook on this side of the ball?

Quarterback: Regressed-- This was always going to be the case with Mellott moving on, but even moreso given that the transfer option has not materialized (at least for now). It's a total mystery what they will get out of this room. I would expect that Wilson, Warren, and Reed will compete for the job and that whoever ends up in the QB3 role will transfer in the next window if that pecking order is apparent by then (unless it's Warren-- he would probably stick around). Given that this season is going to be a reloading year, I am fine with them playing one of the young guys and developing for the future.

Running Back: Push-- Calling this spot a push is a bit of projection, because I do think that Humphrey was the best RB on the team last year. But they have a highly effective RB in Julius Davis coming back and I am banking on yet more development from Adam Jones. If he even takes half the leap between years 2 and 3 that he took between years 1 and 2, he's going to be special. I wish they had a bigger back on the roster, but I am pretty comfortable with Coon, Latin-Henley, and White being the guys taking carries behind the lead duo.

Tight End: Regressed-- The Cats graduated their top in-line option and lost their h-back weapon to the portal, so it's impossible to say there won't be any step back here. However, they are still loaded at tight end and it should be a really exciting group to watch. Schlepp and Provience have gotten a ton of reps and should be ready to hit the ground running in larger roles. Lencioni was one of the best recruits in the state a year ago. Valcin was a really intriguing recruit who redshirted and projected nicely into the Derryk Snell/Rohan Jones role.

Wide Receiver: Push-- The big loss here is McCullouch; they will miss his speed. Alexander also left but he had already basically lost his role, so that doesn't really impact things. I won't be surprised if we still see a transfer here, but I look mainly to development to off-set the losses. Taco continues to improve; as a sophomore he was already better than Bergen, which creates a lot of excitement for what he could become. Ryan King now has a year in the program under his belt and had overtaken Alexander. Beyond them, I'm looking to Javonte King, Dane Steel, and Jabez Woods. I wouldn't be shocked to see Hendrick make an impact down the stretch of his freshman year.

Offensive Line: Regressed-- I am very optimistic about the OL for now and into the future, but it's impossible to put anything but "regressed" when you lose Marcus Wehr, Conner Moore, Cole Sain, and Justus Perkins. Reed returning is huge and it's great that he will be joined by veteran starters in Mastel and Fleischmann. I'm also excited to see the development in Jefferson after he got so many snaps in 2024. I think Dylan Rollins will step in and be a high end starter immediately. Center is an open question to me. There are a lot of guys behind the group I've mentioned that could be making a push for playing time. MSU has developed an awesome program on the OL and I absolutely love it.

Overall: Regressed-- The Cats had the best offense in the nation in 2024 and they lost starters at QB, RB, TE, HB, WR, LT, C, and RG, so there's no doubt they're going to take a step back. However, the talent seems to be all there to develop into a great unit over the course of the season, and the defense should be able to keep the team's head above water while the offense figures it out. I see two primary X factors, one obvious and one less so. The first is QB: do they still get a transfer? If not, can one of the young guys take the reins and be effective? It's up in the air. The second X factor to me is Latin-Henley. If he takes a big jump over winter conditioning a la Adam Jones last year, the RB room could be really special.

QB - regressed
RB - improved
TE - improved
WR - improved
OL - push
Overall - improved

Are you comparing where this year’s team is compared to last year’s team if it was coming back?

[Lord Vigo]

I’d love to see Reed at Center. Think it’s either him or Kaplan.

Jefferson-Mastel-Reed-Rollins-Fleischmann with Carr and Ezekiel and others pushing could be a great line.

[Cats and Dogs]

While the defense looks like it has the coaching continuity and personnel coming back in order to hold serve or even improve, the offense is a much bigger question mark. The entire coaching staff on that side of the ball is either new or in a new spot aside from TE coach Jordan Walsh.

So what's the outlook on this side of the ball?

Quarterback: Regressed-- This was always going to be the case with Mellott moving on, but even moreso given that the transfer option has not materialized (at least for now). It's a total mystery what they will get out of this room. I would expect that Wilson, Warren, and Reed will compete for the job and that whoever ends up in the QB3 role will transfer in the next window if that pecking order is apparent by then (unless it's Warren-- he would probably stick around). Given that this season is going to be a reloading year, I am fine with them playing one of the young guys and developing for the future.

Running Back: Push-- Calling this spot a push is a bit of projection, because I do think that Humphrey was the best RB on the team last year. But they have a highly effective RB in Julius Davis coming back and I am banking on yet more development from Adam Jones. If he even takes half the leap between years 2 and 3 that he took between years 1 and 2, he's going to be special. I wish they had a bigger back on the roster, but I am pretty comfortable with Coon, Latin-Henley, and White being the guys taking carries behind the lead duo.

Tight End: Regressed-- The Cats graduated their top in-line option and lost their h-back weapon to the portal, so it's impossible to say there won't be any step back here. However, they are still loaded at tight end and it should be a really exciting group to watch. Schlepp and Provience have gotten a ton of reps and should be ready to hit the ground running in larger roles. Lencioni was one of the best recruits in the state a year ago. Valcin was a really intriguing recruit who redshirted and projected nicely into the Derryk Snell/Rohan Jones role.

Wide Receiver: Push-- The big loss here is McCullouch; they will miss his speed. Alexander also left but he had already basically lost his role, so that doesn't really impact things. I won't be surprised if we still see a transfer here, but I look mainly to development to off-set the losses. Taco continues to improve; as a sophomore he was already better than Bergen, which creates a lot of excitement for what he could become. Ryan King now has a year in the program under his belt and had overtaken Alexander. Beyond them, I'm looking to Javonte King, Dane Steel, and Jabez Woods. I wouldn't be shocked to see Hendrick make an impact down the stretch of his freshman year.

Offensive Line: Regressed-- I am very optimistic about the OL for now and into the future, but it's impossible to put anything but "regressed" when you lose Marcus Wehr, Conner Moore, Cole Sain, and Justus Perkins. Reed returning is huge and it's great that he will be joined by veteran starters in Mastel and Fleischmann. I'm also excited to see the development in Jefferson after he got so many snaps in 2024. I think Dylan Rollins will step in and be a high end starter immediately. Center is an open question to me. There are a lot of guys behind the group I've mentioned that could be making a push for playing time. MSU has developed an awesome program on the OL and I absolutely love it.

Overall: Regressed-- The Cats had the best offense in the nation in 2024 and they lost starters at QB, RB, TE, HB, WR, LT, C, and RG, so there's no doubt they're going to take a step back. However, the talent seems to be all there to develop into a great unit over the course of the season, and the defense should be able to keep the team's head above water while the offense figures it out. I see two primary X factors, one obvious and one less so. The first is QB: do they still get a transfer? If not, can one of the young guys take the reins and be effective? It's up in the air. The second X factor to me is Latin-Henley. If he takes a big jump over winter conditioning a la Adam Jones last year, the RB room could be really special.

Like that you used "reload" vs "rebuild"
Reload mentality - the program is built, still chasing championships, no steps back, next man up, while young at some positions the talent is in the room just need reps, unfinished business, if the young QB's aren't ready bring in a portal guy, BSC championship goes through Bozeman, destination Nashville! Let's go!
Rebuild mentality- going to lower expectations, lot of young unproven guys, not sure of talent, ok with "developing" guys, hope to be back in the mix in a year or 2, maybe this or that, loser mentality!
Great programs "reload"!
I think Sterbick will get this offense cooking!

[RICO CAT]

While the defense looks like it has the coaching continuity and personnel coming back in order to hold serve or even improve, the offense is a much bigger question mark. The entire coaching staff on that side of the ball is either new or in a new spot aside from TE coach Jordan Walsh.

So what's the outlook on this side of the ball?

Quarterback: Regressed-- This was always going to be the case with Mellott moving on, but even moreso given that the transfer option has not materialized (at least for now). It's a total mystery what they will get out of this room. I would expect that Wilson, Warren, and Reed will compete for the job and that whoever ends up in the QB3 role will transfer in the next window if that pecking order is apparent by then (unless it's Warren-- he would probably stick around). Given that this season is going to be a reloading year, I am fine with them playing one of the young guys and developing for the future.

Running Back: Push-- Calling this spot a push is a bit of projection, because I do think that Humphrey was the best RB on the team last year. But they have a highly effective RB in Julius Davis coming back and I am banking on yet more development from Adam Jones. If he even takes half the leap between years 2 and 3 that he took between years 1 and 2, he's going to be special. I wish they had a bigger back on the roster, but I am pretty comfortable with Coon, Latin-Henley, and White being the guys taking carries behind the lead duo.

Tight End: Regressed-- The Cats graduated their top in-line option and lost their h-back weapon to the portal, so it's impossible to say there won't be any step back here. However, they are still loaded at tight end and it should be a really exciting group to watch. Schlepp and Provience have gotten a ton of reps and should be ready to hit the ground running in larger roles. Lencioni was one of the best recruits in the state a year ago. Valcin was a really intriguing recruit who redshirted and projected nicely into the Derryk Snell/Rohan Jones role.

Wide Receiver: Push-- The big loss here is McCullouch; they will miss his speed. Alexander also left but he had already basically lost his role, so that doesn't really impact things. I won't be surprised if we still see a transfer here, but I look mainly to development to off-set the losses. Taco continues to improve; as a sophomore he was already better than Bergen, which creates a lot of excitement for what he could become. Ryan King now has a year in the program under his belt and had overtaken Alexander. Beyond them, I'm looking to Javonte King, Dane Steel, and Jabez Woods. I wouldn't be shocked to see Hendrick make an impact down the stretch of his freshman year.

Offensive Line: Regressed-- I am very optimistic about the OL for now and into the future, but it's impossible to put anything but "regressed" when you lose Marcus Wehr, Conner Moore, Cole Sain, and Justus Perkins. Reed returning is huge and it's great that he will be joined by veteran starters in Mastel and Fleischmann. I'm also excited to see the development in Jefferson after he got so many snaps in 2024. I think Dylan Rollins will step in and be a high end starter immediately. Center is an open question to me. There are a lot of guys behind the group I've mentioned that could be making a push for playing time. MSU has developed an awesome program on the OL and I absolutely love it.

Overall: Regressed-- The Cats had the best offense in the nation in 2024 and they lost starters at QB, RB, TE, HB, WR, LT, C, and RG, so there's no doubt they're going to take a step back. However, the talent seems to be all there to develop into a great unit over the course of the season, and the defense should be able to keep the team's head above water while the offense figures it out. I see two primary X factors, one obvious and one less so. The first is QB: do they still get a transfer? If not, can one of the young guys take the reins and be effective? It's up in the air. The second X factor to me is Latin-Henley. If he takes a big jump over winter conditioning a la Adam Jones last year, the RB room could be really special.

Like that you used "reload" vs "rebuild"
Reload mentality - the program is built, still chasing championships, no steps back, next man up, while young at some positions the talent is in the room just need reps, unfinished business, if the young QB's aren't ready bring in a portal guy, BSC championship goes through Bozeman, destination Nashville! Let's go!
Rebuild mentality- going to lower expectations, lot of young unproven guys, not sure of talent, ok with "developing" guys, hope to be back in the mix in a year or 2, maybe this or that, loser mentality!
Great programs "reload"!
I think Sterbick will get this offense cooking!

Sterbick’s offenses at Colorado Mines were pass heavy, really stretching the field.

[BelligerentBobcat]

While the defense looks like it has the coaching continuity and personnel coming back in order to hold serve or even improve, the offense is a much bigger question mark. The entire coaching staff on that side of the ball is either new or in a new spot aside from TE coach Jordan Walsh.

So what's the outlook on this side of the ball?

Quarterback: Regressed-- This was always going to be the case with Mellott moving on, but even moreso given that the transfer option has not materialized (at least for now). It's a total mystery what they will get out of this room. I would expect that Wilson, Warren, and Reed will compete for the job and that whoever ends up in the QB3 role will transfer in the next window if that pecking order is apparent by then (unless it's Warren-- he would probably stick around). Given that this season is going to be a reloading year, I am fine with them playing one of the young guys and developing for the future.

Running Back: Push-- Calling this spot a push is a bit of projection, because I do think that Humphrey was the best RB on the team last year. But they have a highly effective RB in Julius Davis coming back and I am banking on yet more development from Adam Jones. If he even takes half the leap between years 2 and 3 that he took between years 1 and 2, he's going to be special. I wish they had a bigger back on the roster, but I am pretty comfortable with Coon, Latin-Henley, and White being the guys taking carries behind the lead duo.

Tight End: Regressed-- The Cats graduated their top in-line option and lost their h-back weapon to the portal, so it's impossible to say there won't be any step back here. However, they are still loaded at tight end and it should be a really exciting group to watch. Schlepp and Provience have gotten a ton of reps and should be ready to hit the ground running in larger roles. Lencioni was one of the best recruits in the state a year ago. Valcin was a really intriguing recruit who redshirted and projected nicely into the Derryk Snell/Rohan Jones role.

Wide Receiver: Push-- The big loss here is McCullouch; they will miss his speed. Alexander also left but he had already basically lost his role, so that doesn't really impact things. I won't be surprised if we still see a transfer here, but I look mainly to development to off-set the losses. Taco continues to improve; as a sophomore he was already better than Bergen, which creates a lot of excitement for what he could become. Ryan King now has a year in the program under his belt and had overtaken Alexander. Beyond them, I'm looking to Javonte King, Dane Steel, and Jabez Woods. I wouldn't be shocked to see Hendrick make an impact down the stretch of his freshman year.

Offensive Line: Regressed-- I am very optimistic about the OL for now and into the future, but it's impossible to put anything but "regressed" when you lose Marcus Wehr, Conner Moore, Cole Sain, and Justus Perkins. Reed returning is huge and it's great that he will be joined by veteran starters in Mastel and Fleischmann. I'm also excited to see the development in Jefferson after he got so many snaps in 2024. I think Dylan Rollins will step in and be a high end starter immediately. Center is an open question to me. There are a lot of guys behind the group I've mentioned that could be making a push for playing time. MSU has developed an awesome program on the OL and I absolutely love it.

Overall: Regressed-- The Cats had the best offense in the nation in 2024 and they lost starters at QB, RB, TE, HB, WR, LT, C, and RG, so there's no doubt they're going to take a step back. However, the talent seems to be all there to develop into a great unit over the course of the season, and the defense should be able to keep the team's head above water while the offense figures it out. I see two primary X factors, one obvious and one less so. The first is QB: do they still get a transfer? If not, can one of the young guys take the reins and be effective? It's up in the air. The second X factor to me is Latin-Henley. If he takes a big jump over winter conditioning a la Adam Jones last year, the RB room could be really special.

Like that you used "reload" vs "rebuild"
Reload mentality - the program is built, still chasing championships, no steps back, next man up, while young at some positions the talent is in the room just need reps, unfinished business, if the young QB's aren't ready bring in a portal guy, BSC championship goes through Bozeman, destination Nashville! Let's go!
Rebuild mentality- going to lower expectations, lot of young unproven guys, not sure of talent, ok with "developing" guys, hope to be back in the mix in a year or 2, maybe this or that, loser mentality!
Great programs "reload"!
I think Sterbick will get this offense cooking!

Sterbick’s offenses at Colorado Mines were pass heavy, really stretching the field.

This last season I believe they had a 52/48 pass:run ratio, which was the highest pass:run ratio he’s ever had. Sterbick at Tech ran more than he did at Mines. He adapts to what the HC wants and what the roster is set up to do.

[Lord Vigo]

My clearest impression of Starbucks so far is that he adapts scheme to players, not the other way around.

[JoeCatsJoe]

My clearest impression of Starbucks so far is that he adapts scheme to players, not the other way around.

I’m partial to city brew, but you can make the case that Starbucks adjusts better.

[Lord Vigo]

My clearest impression of Starbucks so far is that he adapts scheme to players, not the other way around.

I’m partial to city brew, but you can make the case that Starbucks adjusts better.

That was autocorrect, but I think I’m rolling with it from now on.

[SparkCat]

While the defense looks like it has the coaching continuity and personnel coming back in order to hold serve or even improve, the offense is a much bigger question mark. The entire coaching staff on that side of the ball is either new or in a new spot aside from TE coach Jordan Walsh.

So what's the outlook on this side of the ball?

Quarterback: Regressed-- This was always going to be the case with Mellott moving on, but even moreso given that the transfer option has not materialized (at least for now). It's a total mystery what they will get out of this room. I would expect that Wilson, Warren, and Reed will compete for the job and that whoever ends up in the QB3 role will transfer in the next window if that pecking order is apparent by then (unless it's Warren-- he would probably stick around). Given that this season is going to be a reloading year, I am fine with them playing one of the young guys and developing for the future.

Running Back: Push-- Calling this spot a push is a bit of projection, because I do think that Humphrey was the best RB on the team last year. But they have a highly effective RB in Julius Davis coming back and I am banking on yet more development from Adam Jones. If he even takes half the leap between years 2 and 3 that he took between years 1 and 2, he's going to be special. I wish they had a bigger back on the roster, but I am pretty comfortable with Coon, Latin-Henley, and White being the guys taking carries behind the lead duo.

Tight End: Regressed-- The Cats graduated their top in-line option and lost their h-back weapon to the portal, so it's impossible to say there won't be any step back here. However, they are still loaded at tight end and it should be a really exciting group to watch. Schlepp and Provience have gotten a ton of reps and should be ready to hit the ground running in larger roles. Lencioni was one of the best recruits in the state a year ago. Valcin was a really intriguing recruit who redshirted and projected nicely into the Derryk Snell/Rohan Jones role.

Wide Receiver: Push-- The big loss here is McCullouch; they will miss his speed. Alexander also left but he had already basically lost his role, so that doesn't really impact things. I won't be surprised if we still see a transfer here, but I look mainly to development to off-set the losses. Taco continues to improve; as a sophomore he was already better than Bergen, which creates a lot of excitement for what he could become. Ryan King now has a year in the program under his belt and had overtaken Alexander. Beyond them, I'm looking to Javonte King, Dane Steel, and Jabez Woods. I wouldn't be shocked to see Hendrick make an impact down the stretch of his freshman year.

Offensive Line: Regressed-- I am very optimistic about the OL for now and into the future, but it's impossible to put anything but "regressed" when you lose Marcus Wehr, Conner Moore, Cole Sain, and Justus Perkins. Reed returning is huge and it's great that he will be joined by veteran starters in Mastel and Fleischmann. I'm also excited to see the development in Jefferson after he got so many snaps in 2024. I think Dylan Rollins will step in and be a high end starter immediately. Center is an open question to me. There are a lot of guys behind the group I've mentioned that could be making a push for playing time. MSU has developed an awesome program on the OL and I absolutely love it.

Overall: Regressed-- The Cats had the best offense in the nation in 2024 and they lost starters at QB, RB, TE, HB, WR, LT, C, and RG, so there's no doubt they're going to take a step back. However, the talent seems to be all there to develop into a great unit over the course of the season, and the defense should be able to keep the team's head above water while the offense figures it out. I see two primary X factors, one obvious and one less so. The first is QB: do they still get a transfer? If not, can one of the young guys take the reins and be effective? It's up in the air. The second X factor to me is Latin-Henley. If he takes a big jump over winter conditioning a la Adam Jones last year, the RB room could be really special.

One thing I’ll definitely agree on. If Henley throws on a little weight, and makes that jump, and maybe it’s just me, but I think he has the potential to be a very special talent that you don’t get to see all that often. Again, don’t rake me over the coals, but what I saw from some of his play last year, he has some natural ability/instincts the others don’t have and he even has a bit of that Julius attitude.

[94VegasCat]

Pretty harsh evaluation in my opinion. Our OLine has been a huge question mark every off season and yet we continue to RTDB at will.

Let’s revisit this in April once we’ve got a look at this years team. AND it could change after spring ball.

[BelligerentBobcat]

Pretty harsh evaluation in my opinion. Our OLine has been a huge question mark every off season and yet we continue to RTDB at will.

Let’s revisit this in April once we’ve got a look at this years team. AND it could change after spring ball.

He didn’t say the OL would be bad, but after losing two NFL talents it’s unlikely they’ll be as good as this past season.

[Lord Vigo]

The MSU offensive line has taken small steps back at times during this overall upward trajectory.

[MinnesotaBobcat]

I'm really looking forward to see what the offense does next season with a new coordinator. As far as the offensive line is concerned, we've watched NDSU lose a ton of OL to the NFL over the last 10 years and they have a dominant line every year. They are good at developing the OL. Vigen was a part of that for many years, and he seems to have brought that to Bozeman. Our OL has lost a lot of talent over the last 4 years, and there really hasn't been any drop-off. They'll be one of the top units in the country again next year.

Reed and Wilson have each had a few nice moments in late game situations, though it's hard to get a true sense of what they can due given that they only played in a mop up roles. The running game should take a lot of pressure off of the QB, so I think they'll be just fine.

My only real concern for the offense next year is starting out at Oregon. I think that'll be a tough game for the offense to find rhythm, which might carryover until the next week against SDSU. I've never been a fan of the P% games anyway. I know they get a nice paycheck, but that's not a great situation to break in some new players.

[Bobcatsinmso]

I'm really looking forward to see what the offense does next season with a new coordinator. As far as the offensive line is concerned, we've watched NDSU lose a ton of OL to the NFL over the last 10 years and they have a dominant line every year. They are good at developing the OL. Vigen was a part of that for many years, and he seems to have brought that to Bozeman. Our OL has lost a lot of talent over the last 4 years, and there really hasn't been any drop-off. They'll be one of the top units in the country again next year.

Reed and Wilson have each had a few nice moments in late game situations, though it's hard to get a true sense of what they can due given that they only played in a mop up roles. The running game should take a lot of pressure off of the QB, so I think they'll be just fine.

My only real concern for the offense next year is starting out at Oregon. I think that'll be a tough game for the offense to find rhythm, which might carryover until the next week against SDSU. I've never been a fan of the P% games anyway. I know they get a nice paycheck, but that's not a great situation to break in some new players.

Duck were not overly ready for Idaho, but they will be ready for MSU. Best scenario (IMO), is to get the $, and get out without any major injuries and come out smoking the following week for SDSU Gold Rush.

[Lord Vigo]

There’s a chance that the OL is as good in 2025 as it was last year but I don’t think it’s warranted to predict that as the most likely outcome given the losses.

That said, I do feel very confident that they will be as good or better in time. If they do take a small step back, it should only be for a season.

What we can all agree on is that MSU’s program is strongest the offensive line, which is exactly what I would want.

[blueandgoldblitz]

It felt like our offensive line got off to a bit of a slow start this season. I'm not sure if that was because of going against a pretty high caliber D line in UNM or if it was because of new players on the line and having to shuffle everyone around due to injuries late in training camp. Even against Utah Tech, I thought the O-Line didn't play up to their level (lots of penalties, not a lot of push) but they seemed to really gel after that. Do you think that was the O-line needing to get chemistry coming into the new year or more to do with everyone being shuffled around because of the injuries to Perkins and JT Reed/Mastel?

[Lord Vigo]

It felt like our offensive line got off to a bit of a slow start this season. I'm not sure if that was because of going against a pretty high caliber D line in UNM or if it was because of new players on the line and having to shuffle everyone around due to injuries late in training camp. Even against Utah Tech, I thought the O-Line didn't play up to their level (lots of penalties, not a lot of push) but they seemed to really gel after that. Do you think that was the O-line needing to get chemistry coming into the new year or more to do with everyone being shuffled around because of the injuries to Perkins and JT Reed/Mastel?

I think it was mostly about guys getting comfortable in new spots/roles.

Mastel took his lumps early, Sain was getting into his groove at center. Those things in particular stood out to me.

[catatac]

My clearest impression of Starbucks so far is that he adapts scheme to players, not the other way around.

Agree, and of course the fundamental concept won't change, at least as long as Vigen is here - which is a laser focus on running the ball and stopping the run. That doesn't mean we can't see more passing game, and possibly a dynamic passing game - especially if we have a QB that throws a better ball than Tommy.