SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Augustana University football is coming off one of its most successful seasons in program history in 2015. The Vikings finished 9-3 and made the program's fourth NCAA Playoff appearance. Augustana also earned a share of the NSIC South Division Championship with a 6-1 record in divisional play.
 
Fourth-year head coach Jerry Olszewski welcomed 108 players to fall camp on Thursday, Aug. 11. Olszewski returns 56 letterwinners, including 10 starters on offense and six on defense from last year's team that became just the second team in school history to win nine or more games.
 
The Vikings ended the season ranked in the top 25 of the American Football Coaches' Association and D2football.com national polls. Augustana enters the 2016 season ranked 25th in the AFCA Preseason Top 25 Poll.
 
As fall camp continues to push on, GoAugie.com will take a closer look at the team's position groups. The first installment features the offensive line.
 
The offensive line group remains intact from last season's playoff run, with two all-conference tackles anchoring the line. Augustana will have to replace four-year starter at center, Brian Long, who started every single game of his career, but a veteran group will overshadow that loss.
 
All-NSIC performers and senior tackles Chris Mathieu and Kyle Griffin will anchor the line that set single season records for total offense, points scored, passing yards and touchdowns last season. Mathieu has played in 22 of 23 games the last two seasons, earning All-NSIC South Division Second Team honors in back-to-back years. Griffin appeared in eight games as a redshirt freshman in 2013 and has started 23 consecutive games at left tackle over the last two seasons. Griffin earned All-NSIC South Division Honorable Mention honors in 2015.
 
Augustana will also benefit from the return of all-conference caliber guard Sam Lee. Lee started five games at right tackle as a true freshman in 2012 before moving over to the left side of the line and starting 11 games at left tackle in 2013. Lee missed the entire 2014 season with an injury and was set for a strong year in 2015 moving to the guard position before suffering a season-ending knee injury in the third game of the year at MSU Moorhead on Sept. 19.
 
The offensive line returns a group of veteran players who have all played significant roles and stepped up when injuries have plagued the line. Senior Malcolm Willett has played in 24 games over the last three seasons, making four starts at the guard position. Cody Rofshus played in six games in 2015, making five starts at left guard before missing the remainder of the season with a torn pectoral muscle. Senior Dylan Baker played in all 12 games last season, making 10 starts at right guard and Tom Green saw action in five games, starting two games at right tackle. Paul Herbes played in three games in 2015, making two starts at left guard. Augustana also returns senior Nick Brant and sophomore Jake Russell who have both seen action during their careers for the Vikings.
 
Looking to take over at center for the Vikings will be redshirt freshman Jake Lacina. Lacina sat out the 2015 season as a redshirt and has slotted in at the No. 1 spot in the depth chart since last spring. Lacina is a 2014 graduate of Cretin-Derham Hall High School in St. Paul, Minnesota where he was a two-time all-conference honoree who earned all-metro and all-state honors his senior season.
 
Waiting in the wings on the line is the redshirt freshman class that boasts the size of Kyle Stegeman (6-foot-7, 305 pounds), Conner McPhee (6-foot-6, 299 pounds), Bryce Wollmann (6-foot-6, 294 pounds), and Brett Kramer (6-foot-7, 305 pounds). Joining the offensive line in 2016 are true freshmen Charlie Schwartz, Kevin Hartman, Andrew Grignon, Mike Swanson, Jake Grimm and Jack Swanhorst.
 
Tomorrow's installment of the position breakdown preview will include the defensive line.