MISSOULA — In the game of football, tight end is a versatile position, whether pass-catching or blocking on the offensive side of the ball.
For the Montana Grizzlies this year, they've got a couple of returners back who've had a lot of experience on the field, but a few additions from other schools could play a big part with this group.
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The Griz use their tight ends a lot in the blocking game under coach Bobby Hauck, and they return Evan Shafer, who has been a big part of that after he was granted an extra year.
Butte native Jake Olson is also back after catching his first career touchdown a year ago as the other veteran in a UM uniform.
But the additions of transfers Titus Rohrer from the University of Tennessee and Josh Gale from Big Sky Conference foe UC Davis round out a deep and experienced group.
"My whole football career, I've been very blessed," Rohrer said. "I've always felt very fortunate to be where my feet are. I love being here in Montana. It's a different approach to the game. It's way more physical. It's way faster. It's everything ramped up to a different level. So it definitely took a second to adjust to that. But I'm liking the way that the Griz play football here, for sure."
"Obviously, getting to know new people is always pretty scary because you don't know how you're gonna fit in, but obviously, the brothers we got in the tight end room just welcomed me, just immediately became my brothers," Gale added.
"Helping me with the playbook, helping me with different techniques that they're looking for on the offense. Everyone's just super helpful and super nice here."
Gale comes to Montana with plenty of familiarity after spending four seasons at UC Davis.
That includes last year when the Aggies made a quarterfinal run in the FCS playoffs and beat Montana in Missoula along the way, and after experiencing that environment at Washington-Grizzly Stadium as the enemy, now he gets to line up on the other side.
"The funny part is like the entire season, basically, when you're planning for Montana, it's circled on the calendar," Gale said. "Like you got the rivalry week, and then you got the Montana week. It's circled because coaches are stressing like, 'Hey, we've got to beat the environment, we got to beat the defense,' but playing for it is just completely different and something I'm very excited for."
The size is there with this group as a unit, with everyone at least 6-foot-4.
Rohrer stands 6-7, and with SEC experience has already been making an immediate impact at practice in the early going of camp.
So whether it was in Missoula or elsewhere, the experience of this group is deep as they battle it out with the opener quickly approaching.
"I'd say we try to play hard-nosed," Rohrer said. "Every single play, there's no taking plays off, there's no oozing off the ball. There's nothing like that. When we step on the field, we step on the field to attack people and we step on the field to ultimately win."
Griz tight ends on the 2025 roster by number
No. 44, Titus Rohrer, R-JR, 6-foot-7, 261 pounds, Bryan, OH
No. 81, Josh Gale, R-SR, 6-foot-4, 245 pounds, Gilbert, AZ
No. 84, Evan Shafer, GR, 6-foot-5, 273 pounds, Connersville, IN
No. 87, Jake Olson, R-SR, 6-foot-7, 258 pounds, Butte, MT
No. 88, Malaki Davis, FR, 6-foot-5, 230 pounds, Tacoma, WA
No. 89, Danny Sirmon, R-FR, 6-foot-6, 240 pounds, Missoula, MT
