Montana Grizzlies 2024 RB analysis

The Grizzlies have three running backs who’ve rushed for over 1,000 yards in their college careers. All of them are ranked in the top 25 in program history in either rushing yards or rushing touchdowns.

“The first order of business for running backs is ball security, so you got to take care of the football,” Montana head coach Bobby Hauck said Friday at the fifth practice of fall camp. “That’s been good so far. They seem to be pretty dialed in on their protections, which is great.

“I like how they look physically. We’ve got some big, fast guys in the backfield, which I think is always a positive.”

The Griz bring back four running backs, including three players who have started at various points in Eli Gillman, Nick Ostmo, and Xavier Harris. Headlining the four newcomers has been Stevie Rocker Jr., a Pac-12 transfer.

“I think what has impressed me the most up until this point is how fast and physical we came out the gate and how fast the young guys are even learning as well,” Gillman said. “I think we’re looking good and flowing with the O-linemen even quicker than we did last year. I think we’ll have a good run game for sure this year.”

Montana’s running backs are working behind an offensive line that returns only two full-time starters playing the same position as last year. The Griz must replace their center and left tackle positions, where they had multi-year starters, and a left guard spot where five players started throughout the year.

“The O-line’s been opening up some big holes and knocking our defense around a little bit and giving us room to run,” Ostmo said. “It helps us work on our secondary stuff and it’s going to pay dividends in the future.”

Sophomore Eli Gillman is back after winning the Jerry Rice Award as the FCS national freshman of the year last season. The 6-foot, 206-pound running back was also the Big Sky freshman of the year, an All-Big Sky second-team running back and UM’s Terry Dillon Award winner for the best back or receiver.

He was named a preseason All-American third-team pick by Stats Perform this summer. He knows he can continue to up his game, especially after his production dropped off in the postseason and he was stuffed on fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line in the FCS national championship game against South Dakota State.

“It’s stuck with me a lot,” he said of that play. “It’s definitely never going to happen again.”

Gillman ranked third in the Big Sky with 968 rushing yards last season, was tied for fourth with 12 rushing touchdowns and carried the ball 194 times, the second most in the league. He also caught 19 passes for 140 yards last year. For his career, he has rushed for 1,033 yards and 13 touchdowns, the latter of which is tied for 19th in UM history.

In camp, he has been working on keeping his balance in order to break tackles and make second-level defenders miss so he can rip off longer runs.

“He looks sharp so far in camp,” Hauck said. “He seems to be tolerating the workload, which is great. I think that’s something that guys as part of the evolution as college football players, specifically running back, where you learn to handle the workload a little bit. He’s having a good camp.”

Gillman played in all 15 games last season, the most playing time he has seen in a season at any level of football. He’s learned more about not skipping the little things like stretching and ice baths, among other recovery work.

“I know not everybody gets a long season, but we got a team that practices hard and works for a long season like that, so I learned a lot on body maintenance and I’m definitely going to do a better job,” he said.

“Coming into camp this year, it’s still like a physical beating, but I do feel more refreshed day by day than I did my first and second year here.”