We started off the season outlook by looking at the quarterbacks on the roster for the Bears. The fans have voted and this week we dive into the offensive line. The guys that get no credit, but without them, there would be no touchdowns. The roster that I gathered shows that there are 12 offensive lineman on the roster, and the best part is that there is lots of experience among them playing college football.
The offensive line suffered some pretty big injuries last season, losing starting Left Guard Sean Reemts after 2 games and starting Left Tackle Kyle Ergenbright after 4 games. Losing the entire left side of the offensive line showed in the stats. The Bears were the worst rushing team in the conference last season rushing for just 1295 yards on the season and 3.1 yards per carry. While the subs stepped in and did a good job, the Bears played from behind most of the time and that forced them to go away from the run.
This season, the Bears will need some better play up front to open holes for a good backfield and they will need to keep their quarterback upright. Last season, Knipp was sacked 28 times…among the most in the Big Sky.
Here is a look at the Offensive Lineman coming into the season for the Bears and some of my thoughts.
Matthew Gaiter
6-4, 284 / Senior / Games Played – 9
Matthew started his UNC career as a defensive lineman and then in 2018 moved to the offensive line. Last season he played an integral part in the line play and started in 9 games. Film showed that he did a good job blocking to the second level. Even though he got beat sometimes to his right, his hands and feet allowed him to recover and continue the block to the outside. Against bigger d-lineman he did struggle a little with a bull rush and was often driven back into the backfield. He will need to improve his strength and push to keep the pocket intact.
He will play a big role this season, but I see him more as a backup guy again this season.
Sean Reemts
6-3, 280 / Senior / Games Played – 15
Sean was the starting left guard coming into the season but was injured in the second game of the season and did not come back on the season. The Bears will need him to start again this season. He is a bit undersized for the pro-style offense but makes up for his size with his footwork.
He is fast and a leader on the field…but he has to stay on the field. I am picking Sean to be the starting Left Guard this season.
Max Bruner
6-3, 278 / Sophomore / Games Played – 11
Max proved to be a very important part of the offense in his first year with the Bears as he started at center in 11 of 12 games. He does a good job seeing the field and is good in the center position. His snaps are clean, but he sometimes got too far upfield and allowed the play to happen behind him. He needs to keep the d-lineman and linebackers in front of him. The experience gained last season will go a long way this season.
He needs to put on a little weight like Reemts, but his speed and vision and ability to snap the ball cleanly to the quarterback make him my pick to be the starting center this season.
Kyle Ergenbright
6-4, 300 / Senior / Game Played – 24
Kyle is the leader on the field and is a very smart guy. He does a great job helping and teaching the younger lineman see what they are missing. He is also coming back from injury and will need to stay on the field to help the Bears finish better than last in running the ball. Kyle does a good job setting up the block and uses the defensive players momentum against them. On a shift he recovers well and often had to face the fastest defender from the other team…and had good luck against them.
He is the kind of player that all coaches want because he is a hard worker in practice and during the games and that is why he is my pick to be the starting left tackle on the season.
Seth Mullinax
6-4, 302 / RS Freshman / Game Played – 0
Seth is a big lineman and didn’t get any playing time last season so he will be itching to get on the filed this season. In high school he was picked as the Wyoming offensive lineman of the year twice and was a USA Today first team All-Wyoming selection in his junior year. While there is a lot of experience in front of him and I don’t think he gets the starting nod to start the season, he is the kind of player that pushes the players in front of him on the depth chart. One slip up by a starter and he is in a good spot to get on the field.
Martin Ibarra
6-4, 322 / Senior / Games Played – 2
Martin has the size to be a lineman but with the talent that the Bears have he will get on the field if there are injuries. He is a role player and did a good job in the couple games that he got in last season. His size is good to put him on the interior of the line, but he needs to work on his feet and speed to play the outside.
Jeremy Saddler
6-3, 336 / Junior / Games Played – 16
Jeremy is another role player for the Bears. He saw action in 6 games last season, but there is too much talent in front of him right now. He has the size and is a good blocker, but will need to impress the coaches to get into a starting spot over the Bears returning lineman.
Grant Stephens
6-4, 295 / Junior / Games Played – 16
Grant is a work horse and started all 12 games at Right Tackle for the Bears in 2019. He might not be the biggest guy on the line but has good hands and good footwork. He does a great job driving the defender off of the line of scrimmage on a run and allows the rusher to go wide on a pass. His field vision is good and his hands and feet help him recover from any mistake he may make.
He is fast…probably one of the fastest lineman that the Bears have on the field and that is why he is my pick to be the starting Right Tackle for the Bears this season.
Kevin Williams Jr.
6-5, 328 / Junior / Games Played – 21
Kevin is the most versatile lineman that the Bears have on the roster. He can play any position on the line and can do it well. He is a big kid and doesn’t let his size slow him down. Kevin is probably one of my favorite lineman. He just gets the job done, no matter which spot you put him in. He is fast for a big guy and strong too.
The experience that he gained last season will do well for him this year and that is why he is my pick to be the starting Right Guard for the Bears.
All the starters that I have identified for the Bears will have to battle to get into that top spot, especially since this new coaching staff went out and got 3 JUCO transfers into the program this offseason. The Bears will not have any freshman on the roster this year on the offensive line as they brought in the 3 transfers instead, all 3 coming from JUCO in California.
Lucas Lavin
6-5, 302 / Junior / Games Played – 12 (JUCO)
Transfer in from the City College of San Francisco
He is strong and can get off the first block and to the second level to open running lanes for the Bears. He is not the fastest big guy but moves well enough to get downfield if needed. In all the film that I watched he is the kind of player that plays all the way to the end…finding someone to hit until the whistle blows. He played both the RT and LT position at CCSF so he will need to battle hard to get by Ergenbright or Stephens, but he definitely has the skills to do so.
Krikour Koustanian
6-4, 300 / Junior / Games Played – 11 (JUCO)
Transfer in from Pasadena City College
Another strong, versatile lineman brought in off the transfer wire for this new coaching staff. His speed on the outside allows the edge to be set for a good run. His strength was shown in film as more than often he drove the defender more than 3 to 5 yards off the play. He is the kind of lineman that running backs love because they can tuck in behind his block and pick up another tough couple yards.
Glenn Bernard
6-3, 280 / Junior / Games Played – 12 (JUCO)
Transfer from Fullerton College
Speed and strength are 2 characteristics that stand out when you watch Glenn’s film. He often drove defenders well out of the play and did not give up. Even against bigger defensive players his strength showed as he held his ground and did not allow the bull rush to happen. He is a versatile lineman and can play all positions on the line. That will go a long way for him to break into the lineup for the Bears.
The Bears have a solid line this year but have a lot of work to do to show the fan that they mean business. Over the last couple years, the Bears have been one of the lowest rushing teams in terms of yardage and yards per play and have given up the most sacks. Both numbers that the Bears will need to improve on to help a young, first time quarterback (whomever that shall be). As always, follow @troycoverdale and @aaronrath_unc on Twitter for all your UNC Bears news.