CHAPEL HILL – The mantra for the offseason that Ed Montilus long ago embraced is a simple one in concept, but much more challenging to turn into a reality.
Consistency is one of the best friends an athlete can have, especially when so much of one’s responsibility on the playing field is directly linked to others’ successes or struggles. And perhaps nowhere in football is that more the case than along the offensive line.
In many cases, the only time anyone hears an offensive lineman’s name is when they are flagged for a turnover, and usually, the only time the OL becomes a topic of conversation is when a team is struggling: Can’t run the ball, especially in tight situations, and/or they allow too many sacks.
When things go well, it’s the skill guys who get the headlines and all the credit. But, as most offensive linemen will say, they don’t do it for the glory, but everyone in that locker room knows when they are getting it done.
That is why Montilus’ mandate this offseason, both personally driven and from his coaches, is to become more consistent on the field. If he is, North Carolina is a better team, period.
“It’s something I’m still working on, to be honest,” Montilus said. “At the beginning of this spring, I was a little bit off. I could blame it on the injury, but I’ve got to fight through that.
“That’s something I’m working on going into this fall camp coming up… Just learn from the older guys, take coaching and everything will work out.”
Montilus was the starting left guard during spring practice because regular starter Joshua Ezeudu was out with an injury. But starting and being heavily counted on aren’t new to Montilus. The 6-foot-3, 315-pounder from Apoka, FL, has started 14 games in his two seasons playing for the Tar Heels and has played a total of 880 offensive snaps and nearly 1,000 if you include special teams.
Last season, he played in nine games, starting six times and playing 371 snaps. As a redshirt freshman in 2019, Montilus started eight times while playing in all 13 games for a total of 509 offensive snaps.
Excellent one snap, struggling the next, or from series to series, or even game to game. Take last season, as an example. Montilus graded out at 70.6 versus NC State, according to PFF, but was below 50.0 against Wake Forest, which had a worse defense and was a game in which the Tar Heels still scored 59 points and racked up a school-record 742 yards. But Montilus struggled that afternoon.
“I have to be an all-the-time type of guy,” he said. “There’s plays I do real good, there’s plays I mess up on. It’s all mental. I have the physical tools, I feel like, it’s just all in my head sometimes.”
He isn’t alone in that room.
When Mack Brown and his staff took over following the 2018 season, the o-line was fairly depleted. So, they have gone about restocking the roster with capable blockers while coaching up the ones they inherited. It has worked out well in both respects. And Montilus’ development has contributed to the line’s ascent.
“Two seasons ago, we weren’t very good on the o-line, and we tried to play ourselves into being competent,” offensive coordinator Phil Longo said. “And then last year, I think we went from competent to being pretty good, and I think this year we can be really, really good up front. And a lot of that has to do with so many veterans.”
Montilus is considered a veteran now. He is also finding a degree of consistency, something he understands is vital not just for the team but to maintain his spot in a rotation that is getting deeper and more reliable.
“I feel like what we’ve definitely got now, every guy on the o-line will get to play 100 percent,” Montilus said. “(Meaning) whenever someone gets tired put the next guy in and he’ll be able to go full speed better than the guy before him being like 60 percent.”
Playing at 100 percent and far more consistently has been the number one football thought on Montilus’ mind since last season ended. He held on to that starting spot all spring despite being pushed, so maybe he has progressed to where conversations about consistency with o-line coach Stacy Searels is more a thing of the past moving forward.
For Montilus’ and the Tar Heels’ sake, that would certainly be a positive.
