Montana Grizzlies’ 2024 linebacker analysis

The Grizzlies must replace all three of their homegrown starting linebackers who were among the team’s top five tacklers last season. Yet, Montana has been a linebacker factory year after year, which head coach Bobby Hauck attributes to recruiting.

“I don’t know what the depth is yet, but I do know that I feel pretty positive that we have six or seven guys in that group that can compete at a high level in a game,” Hauck said on the sixth day of fall camp on Saturday, adding that he’d include all the juniors and seniors in that group of potential contributors.

Riley Wilson headlines not only the returning linebackers but arguably the defense as a whole. Ryan Tirrell is the only other returning linebacker with meaningful playing time at the position. Vai Kaho has college playing experience but is new to UM’s defense.

“There’s a quite a few of those guys that have played a significant number of college football snaps, so there’s some experience there,” Hauck said. “It’s not like we have a bunch of guys that haven’t played. But our tackling has got to improve. It hasn’t been very good.”

Beyond that trio, playing time at linebacker or with the Griz defense has been minimal in the rest of the position group. Still, Hauck has been encouraged by the progress they’ve made working with new co-defensive coordinators.

“Our installation of the defense has been on schedule, which doesn’t often happen,” he said. “So it means that group in particular is doing a good job of keeping up with everything we’re installing. So the mental part in terms of the play call and assignment has been pretty good.”

Junior Riley Wilson enters his second season at UM as a preseason All-American second-team linebacker by Stats Perform. He earned All-Big Sky second-team honors last year after transferring from Hawaii. He ranked second in the Big Sky with 15 tackles for loss and fifth with 8.5 sacks. He led UM in TFLs and sacks and he was second with six quarterback hurries. He added 53 tackles and one pass defended. He did that while playing in 13 games and starting twice, missing two games early in the year due to injury.

Senior Ryan Tirrell is UM’s second-leading returning tackler with 62 stops last year. It was his first season seeing extended playing time on defense as he appeared in all 15 games and started seven times. He added 1.5 TFLs, one sack, one pass defended and one fumble recovery. He has 79 tackles in 40 career games as he played on special teams before emerging last year.