‘They’re all-in’: Eastern Washington’s revamped offensive line inexperienced but full of potential

When Chad Germer agreed to become Eastern Washington’s offensive line coach this offseason, the veteran coach had a good idea of what he was getting into.

Germer has been in and around football programs in this part of the country for three decades, first as a player at the school in Missoula – EWU players prefer not to say the name of the program, “Montana” – and then as a coach for the Grizzlies during multiple stints. He’s also coached at Wyoming, UNLV and, most recently, Montana State-Northern.

But the fact that Eastern was replacing its entire starting offensive line didn’t faze Germer. If anything, it was a draw.

“Doing this as long as I have, I’ve been in these shoes before, when it feels like they’re all new,” Germer said Monday. “There’s a lot of reward when it does come together. We’re getting there, little by little.”

EWU head coach Aaron Best has praised the progress of the team’s offensive line since the start of preseason camp, but he called again for steady progress this week as the Eagles prepare to face Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls on Saturday with Eastern (0-2) still seeking its first win.

“We need those guys to grow the most in the season,” Best said on Tuesday. “… We’ve got to protect better.”

How the line plays will be all the more intriguing this week because it will be protecting a new starting quarterback in redshirt sophomore Nate Bell, who will be handing off primarily to redshirt junior running back Marceese Yetts. Both began the year as backups but have ascended to starting roles due to injuries.

Redshirt senior quarterback Jared Taylor is recovering from a hit to the head in Friday’s game at Boise State, and grad senior running back Malik Dotson is out with a foot injury suffered in the week leading up to that game against the Broncos.

“He has the ‘it’ factor (and) a sixth sense on the field,” Best said of Bell. “With him having 70, 75 plays, I think he’s going to get into a groove. I think we have to gameplan around him a little bit. I think he’s going to allow us to be explosive. We’re not going to hold back what we do because Nate Bell’s in there.”

So far the Eagles have allowed just one sack this season, a statistic Best highlighted but also said can be misleading.

“Too many hurries. The quarterback is running too much,” Best said. “We’ve got a couple quarterbacks who can get out of harm’s way sometimes, so (sacks) aren’t always the tell-tale signs.”

Germer, for one, is confident that the Eagles’ front five will continue to get better.

As far as game snaps go, it is a much less experienced group than last year’s quintet of seniors. Dylan Conner, a redshirt junior and the starting left tackle, is the most experienced of this year’s starters with 15 games played across four seasons for the Eagles.

Next to Conner has been redshirt senior left guard Aidan Corning, who appeared in three games last season for the Eagles and saw more significant playing time previously at Butte College in California and Simon Fraser University in British Columbia.

Redshirt freshman Mark Johnson (center), redshirt sophomore Kyle Stahlecker (right guard) and redshirt freshman Gavin Allen (right tackle) round out the starting five and give it a decidedly younger bent.

“There are some things that have been very promising,” Germer said. “We’re not there or even close to it, but the good news is we recognize what we’ve got to do. No one controls that fast forward button. These guys need game reps, and there’s no way to get them without getting them.”

In preparation for the season, some in the group went to particularly great lengths. Conner and Corning, for their part, stepped into leadership roles for a position group with 50% turnover from 2024.

Johnson moved to center. Stahlecker changed sides of the ball. Allen was a tight end last season but shifted over a spot on the line and gained 50 pounds to fit the part.

“I worked with him during the summer, and I think he’s picked up quite well for never playing the spot ever,” Conner said of Allen. “He’s definitely gotten meaner, and he’s got an edge to him. I think he has the biggest edge on the offensive line.”

Stahlecker, who played defensive line at Sacramento State last season, was someone Germer recruited out of high school, hoping then he’d play offensive line.

“When he went into the (transfer) portal, I asked if he wanted to rethink some of those conversations we had when he was coming out of high school,” Germer said. “He has some years under his belt, and he understands defense, which is a big attribute as far as knowing what to expect and how defenses line up.”

Johnson wasn’t a center until this season, but Germer said he’s learned on the job and has really come along.

“He’s a smart kid, and whether he stays at the spot all the way through his career, he’s got the attributes as far as his ability to learn and take control and make the calls,” Germer said. “The communication starts with him and then goes left and right and echoes down the line, and he’s done a good job of that.”

Best and Germer were clear about the fact that in most games this year, Eastern’s offensive line will be less experienced than the defensive fronts they’re going to face. But they also expect that the Eagles will be undeterred.

“When things click, there’s a sense of accomplishment there, and they are a terrific group of guys,” Germer said. “When you have someone really engaged in what you’re teaching them, it makes it a lot more enjoyable, and we definitely have that.”

“I think the buy-in is there,” Germer said. “They’re all-in.”