Quinn Catalano, #79, is a key cog in nailing down MSU's 2014 O-line
Photo by: R. Dean Hendrickson
Catalano In Middle, Literally and Figuratively, of MSU's O-Line Position Battle
3/30/2014 11:56:00 AM | Football
Horn, Eekhoff look to land starting role
Montana State's spring football drills feature several interesting and important position battles, which will be detailed in this space throughout the spring. Those battles range from the offensive line to the defensive secondary, but do not include special teams spots, which will largely be determined in the fall.
CAST OF CHARACTERS: #79 Quinn Catalano (returning starter at tackle), #71 Alex Eekhoff (part-time starting tackle in 2013), #70 Joel Horn (reserve in 2013), #65 Doug Hanson (reserve in 2013)
STORYLINE: During his first spring as Montana State's offensive line coach in 2003, Jason McEndoo's group of players was so decimated by injuries that one returning starter, eventual All-America Brent Swaggert, lined up at all five positions during spring scrimmages. That spring was so dire that head coach Mike Kramer nearly called off spring ball early because of the dearth of offensive linemen. So when starting center Matthew Devereux retired just before spring ball began it came as a surprise, but hardly a crippling one. Returning starter Quinn Catalano has experience at guard and tackle, and limited experience at center, while backup center Joel Horn and Doug Hanson, who is transitioning from guard and likely to serve as the backup center regardless of who wins the starting job, will all be spending time at center this spring.
POSITION COACH: Jason McEndoo (12th year)
BOZEMAN, Mont. – In the bat of an eye, Montana State's offensive line situation this spring went from smile-inducing simplicity to soap opera-complicated.
It happened the morning after the university's spring break ended, when the Bobcats' second-year starting center, Matthew Devereux, informed offensive line coach Jason McEndoo that he wasn't returning to the squad. Instead, he would move on to grad school next fall after just three years at MSU, likely in the Ivy League, creating an opening in the middle of MSU's offensive front.
And while the task at hand seems simple enough – find a new starting center from a group of nine returning offensive linemen – the mechanics of it are more like a shell game. Untested Joel Horn, the team's backup center last year, enters his third year in the program but has yet to nail down a regular role. Starting tackle Quinn Catalano has played every position along the offensive line, including center, making a move inside distinctly possible. Also a factor in the equation is Alex Eekhoff, who won a starting job at tackle last August before injury derailed his season.
"The battle is really between Eekhoff and Horn for that fifth spot," Bobcat coach Rob Ash said. "If Horn wins the position, Quinn Catalano stays at tackle. If Eekhoff wins, Quinn moves to center. We want to get our best five offensive linemen on the field."
And nailing down the fifth spot on MSU's top five, says the program's long-time offensive line coach Jason McEndoo, boils down to a simple, sometimes elusive, component. "The biggest thing right now is looking for consistency," he says. "We're looking for that piece of it right now during practice."
While Ash and McEndoo are nowhere near declaring a winner, Ash likes what he's seen from both Horn and Eekhoff. "This is the best football Joel Horn has played since he's been here," Ash said Saturday. "And that's taking nothing away from Alex, who won a starting job last year. They're making it a good battle."
While the performance nexus of Horn-vs.-Eekhoff may be at the center of the tussle, it is Catalano's blend of ability and versatility that makes such a decision possible. "Quinn reminds me of Alex Terrien," McEndoo says of a former All-Big Sky Bobcat offensive lineman. "He's a similar player to Alex when (Terrien) was playing. We asked him to play a lot of positions, and he could go from tackle to center. That's a difficult move a lot of guys can't make. A lot of tackles go to guard and guards go to center, but Quinn, like Alex, is able to make that transition from tackle to center."
"I'm adjusting," Catalano says. "I've been playing different positions my whole career. It's just a matter of doing it."
Catalano is the offensive line's only senior and its leader both by performance and experience. McEndoo says his three years of experience is critical. "Quinn is a senior, our only senior, and he's savvy. He knows the offense, knows the calls, and he's OK directing traffic."
McEndoo, whose several stops as an offensive lineman included time as a center in the NFL, said that communication is among the position's most important attributes. "One of the biggest things the center has to have is the leadership component," he said. "You have to be the field general. It's a very vocal position, a lot like quarterback, because everything you do sets off the position."
Catalano said transitioning from tackle to center, and taking on all the responsibilities of playing in the middle of the line, was once more difficult for him than it is now. "It was harder when I was younger," he said. "Now, things just click. Now it's just a challenge, and I accept it."
Regardless of who grabs the starting center position, McEndoo is pleased with the willingness of his charges to rally around the situation. "Joel has taken on the opportunity," McEndoo said. "He and Alex have both looked at Matthew's departure as an opportunity to step in and fill one of those roles. Quinn can fill either spot, tackle or center, so it comes down to what's our best five. That's the biggest thing I'm trying to figure out this spring, what's our best five?"
And that is a question that won't be answered any time soon. "It's the spring," McEndoo said, "and we're not playing a game tomorrow, so I'm not hung up on naming a starting five right now. We also have 29 practices in August. We'll see how it plays out."
CAST OF CHARACTERS: #79 Quinn Catalano (returning starter at tackle), #71 Alex Eekhoff (part-time starting tackle in 2013), #70 Joel Horn (reserve in 2013), #65 Doug Hanson (reserve in 2013)
STORYLINE: During his first spring as Montana State's offensive line coach in 2003, Jason McEndoo's group of players was so decimated by injuries that one returning starter, eventual All-America Brent Swaggert, lined up at all five positions during spring scrimmages. That spring was so dire that head coach Mike Kramer nearly called off spring ball early because of the dearth of offensive linemen. So when starting center Matthew Devereux retired just before spring ball began it came as a surprise, but hardly a crippling one. Returning starter Quinn Catalano has experience at guard and tackle, and limited experience at center, while backup center Joel Horn and Doug Hanson, who is transitioning from guard and likely to serve as the backup center regardless of who wins the starting job, will all be spending time at center this spring.
POSITION COACH: Jason McEndoo (12th year)
BOZEMAN, Mont. – In the bat of an eye, Montana State's offensive line situation this spring went from smile-inducing simplicity to soap opera-complicated.
It happened the morning after the university's spring break ended, when the Bobcats' second-year starting center, Matthew Devereux, informed offensive line coach Jason McEndoo that he wasn't returning to the squad. Instead, he would move on to grad school next fall after just three years at MSU, likely in the Ivy League, creating an opening in the middle of MSU's offensive front.
And while the task at hand seems simple enough – find a new starting center from a group of nine returning offensive linemen – the mechanics of it are more like a shell game. Untested Joel Horn, the team's backup center last year, enters his third year in the program but has yet to nail down a regular role. Starting tackle Quinn Catalano has played every position along the offensive line, including center, making a move inside distinctly possible. Also a factor in the equation is Alex Eekhoff, who won a starting job at tackle last August before injury derailed his season.
"The battle is really between Eekhoff and Horn for that fifth spot," Bobcat coach Rob Ash said. "If Horn wins the position, Quinn Catalano stays at tackle. If Eekhoff wins, Quinn moves to center. We want to get our best five offensive linemen on the field."
And nailing down the fifth spot on MSU's top five, says the program's long-time offensive line coach Jason McEndoo, boils down to a simple, sometimes elusive, component. "The biggest thing right now is looking for consistency," he says. "We're looking for that piece of it right now during practice."
While Ash and McEndoo are nowhere near declaring a winner, Ash likes what he's seen from both Horn and Eekhoff. "This is the best football Joel Horn has played since he's been here," Ash said Saturday. "And that's taking nothing away from Alex, who won a starting job last year. They're making it a good battle."
While the performance nexus of Horn-vs.-Eekhoff may be at the center of the tussle, it is Catalano's blend of ability and versatility that makes such a decision possible. "Quinn reminds me of Alex Terrien," McEndoo says of a former All-Big Sky Bobcat offensive lineman. "He's a similar player to Alex when (Terrien) was playing. We asked him to play a lot of positions, and he could go from tackle to center. That's a difficult move a lot of guys can't make. A lot of tackles go to guard and guards go to center, but Quinn, like Alex, is able to make that transition from tackle to center."
"I'm adjusting," Catalano says. "I've been playing different positions my whole career. It's just a matter of doing it."
Catalano is the offensive line's only senior and its leader both by performance and experience. McEndoo says his three years of experience is critical. "Quinn is a senior, our only senior, and he's savvy. He knows the offense, knows the calls, and he's OK directing traffic."
McEndoo, whose several stops as an offensive lineman included time as a center in the NFL, said that communication is among the position's most important attributes. "One of the biggest things the center has to have is the leadership component," he said. "You have to be the field general. It's a very vocal position, a lot like quarterback, because everything you do sets off the position."
Catalano said transitioning from tackle to center, and taking on all the responsibilities of playing in the middle of the line, was once more difficult for him than it is now. "It was harder when I was younger," he said. "Now, things just click. Now it's just a challenge, and I accept it."
Regardless of who grabs the starting center position, McEndoo is pleased with the willingness of his charges to rally around the situation. "Joel has taken on the opportunity," McEndoo said. "He and Alex have both looked at Matthew's departure as an opportunity to step in and fill one of those roles. Quinn can fill either spot, tackle or center, so it comes down to what's our best five. That's the biggest thing I'm trying to figure out this spring, what's our best five?"
And that is a question that won't be answered any time soon. "It's the spring," McEndoo said, "and we're not playing a game tomorrow, so I'm not hung up on naming a starting five right now. We also have 29 practices in August. We'll see how it plays out."
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