Monmouth's New-Look Offensive Line Aims To Uphold Its Proud Tradition

WEST LONG BRANCH – Monmouth University has built its football identity in the trenches, where strong offensive line play has long set the tone for the Hawks' offensive attack. The standard will be tested this season after the program lost four starters from last year’s front, but the mindset is less about starting over and more about reloading. With a tradition of developing linemen, returning depth, and new faces ready to step into bigger roles, Monmouth’s offensive line enters the year looking to prove, once again, that they will be reloading, not rebuilding.

Assistant head coach Brian Gabriel, entering his 23rd season as Monmouth’s offensive line coach, has been the architect of those dominant offensive lines, helping turn the Hawks' offensive front into one of the program's most dependable position groups year after year.

“Two years ago, we had one of the best offenses in the country and we had five new starters on the offensive line,” said Gabriel. “It’s really just a matter of building the guys up from the day they get here. When they have their opportunity, they seize it. Obviously, without much game experience, there’s a learning curve, but the more they play, the more comfortable and confident they become.

“We have a pretty young and inexperienced group on the line this season, but they’re really coming along,” added Gabriel. “Guys that have been waiting to get their chance. I think we have a lot of depth and it’s a really good group and I think they’re ready for it.”

For the past two seasons, Monmouth has led the country in total offense (498.7 and 489.9, respectively) and since 2018 has ranked 19th, 7th, 12th and 39th out of 128 FCS football programs. Offenses don’t put up those types of numbers without strong play up front, and Monmouth’s line has consistently provided that.

“We do a good job of evaluating talent, bringing talent in and having guys buy in,” said Gabriel. “It’s a testament to our coaching staff as a whole. That’s the biggest thing now in college football, having guys buy in to a system, not just in and out constantly. We’re really trying to do it the right way and build through the high school ranks and recruiting. That allows us to build something really special here.”

Redshirt senior center Kevin Shrinner (6-foot-1, 300 pounds) is the lone returning starter along the line and is a 2026 CAA Preseason Honorable Mention selection after starting every game a year ago and distinguishing himself as one of the top centers in the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA.). Redshirt senior Matt Fries (6-foot-5, 295 pounds) was a three-star recruit, first team All-State selection his senior year at Cranford High School before committing to the University of Illinois, where he redshirted his freshman year before transferring to Monmouth. Fries was the first offensive lineman off the bench last season and saw extensive action at left tackle, where he’ll start this season. His older brother, Will, plays for the Minnesota Vikings of the NFL.

“The last two years he’s been a part-time starter,” Gabriel said of Fries. “He’s a guy that’s ready to step up. There’s a certain comfort level to him because he’s been through it, he’s done it, and he knows what he’s doing. He’s certainly one of the guys we can lean on with his experience. Him and Kevin Shriner, another guy who started last year, are the anchors. Kevin’s been in the program for five years, waited a couple of years for his opportunity, and stepped up last year and did a great job. I think the two of them, along with left guard Collin Goetter (6-foot-4, 295 pounds), who’s been doing a great job and is a third-year player, are really kind of anchors as well. So, we’ll be counting on those guys to lead the group and step up.”

Redshirt juniors Michael Petito (6-foot-3, 325 pounds) and Josh Duran (6-foot-6, 305 pounds) are penciled in as the starters at right guard and right tackle, respectively. Petito was a first-team All-Conference selection at guard in both his junior and senior seasons at Gloucester Catholic, while Duran helped pave the way to two state championships for DePaul Catholic.

Graduate student Reed Collins (6-foot-5, 310 pounds), a three-year starter at left tackle for Lafayette before transferring to Monmouth, and redshirt freshman right tackle Brady O’Hara (6-foot-7, 300 pounds), a transfer from Penn State, had excellent summer camps and will be pushing for starting roles. Gabriel also mentioned left guard Moses Gakodi (6-foot-5, 315 pounds), freshman center Jayce Grays (6-foot-2, 285 pounds) and redshirt sophomore right tackle Bleek Turner (6-foot-4, 305 pounds) as players in the mix.

“Reed Collins ran the same system as we do because the offensive coordinator at Lafayette (T.J. DiMuzio) had been a coach here,” said Gabriel. “He’ll be a plug-in-and-play guy and play a lot of snaps for us. We’re going to play six or seven guys that will be in some sort of a rotation, so each week we’ll address what’s the best fit for us. Brady O’Hara will be in that rotation and will play meaningful reps. A couple of the younger guys will be challenging to get into the rotation as well. Those younger guys have a lot of ability and as they continue to grow, should be able to help us this year.”

Fries believes this season’s offensive line has the talent, depth and mindset to keep Monmouth’s proud tradition up front intact.

“Coach Gabriel says to us every day that we have a standard to live up to in the o-line room,” said Fries. “It’s our job to rise up to it every single day. There’s no lack of expectations. He wants us to step up and continue where we left off last year.”

After spending the past two seasons learning the offense and gaining valuable reps as a reserve and spot starter, Fries believes that experience has prepared him to step into a starting role with confidence.

“Getting game experience last year was definitely big for me,” Fries said. “Just getting a feel for the speed of the game out there live was huge. Just being in there, along with meetings or on the sidelines, it made it easier for me to get on the field and fire out.

“It’s awesome,” Fried said when he heard Gabriel labeled him as one of the anchors of the offensive line this season and that the guys look up to him. “I’m so happy that my teammates think of me like that, and Coach Gabe thinks of me like that. I think Kevin Shriner and I are really the leaders this year. Coach Gabe has us prepared, and we’re working every single day, and we’re ready to go.”

Saturday’s season opener at No. 15 Tennessee Tech will provide an early measuring stick for Monmouth’s retooled offensive line. Facing a ranked opponent on the road, the group will get an immediate chance to prove it can live up to the standards set by the lines that came before it.

The Golden Eagles have a history of stout defenses and finished ranked ninth in the country in total defense last season, surrendering just 296.7 yards per game. So, it will be a stern test for the guys up front.

“They’re a good team with a lot of transfers with a lot of athleticism,” said Gabriel. “They do a lot of stuff. They have a lot of guys who were recruited to higher-level schools and have now found a home at Tennessee Tech. We know they’re going to have some players, so hopefully we can out-team them. The goal is to not only match what we’ve done in the past, but to surpass it”

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