With the first early signing period for Division I college football on the horizon, Montana State will host six recruits on its Bozeman campus this weekend.
The NCAA added a new early signing period that begins on December 20. The three-day period comes a few months before the typical National Signing Day the first Wednesday in February every season.
The new early signing period is something every college program is learning how to navigate. MSU hopes to get as many recruits signed during the early period in an effort to concentrate on filling in the holes in its class with more specificity.
“The early signing period has really changed things,” Montana State head coach Jeff Choate said earlier this week. “I spent the better part of the last eight days on the road in various places. Really the objective is to get those young men who are committed to us early, get into their homes and finalize things early. We have official visits this weekend and next weekend and then it goes dead on December 17. Then we will have a signing day on the 20th.”
MSU this weekend/ contributed by White
The group of recruits in Bozeman this weekend are all verbally committed to the Bobcats and all hail from out of state. California products running back Justin Cauley (Venice High, Los Angeles), running back Sherod White (Heritage High, Menifee), twin cornerbacks Ty’Rhae and Ty’Rese Gibson (Paramount) will be joined by Eagle River, Alaska tight end Derryk Snell and Nooksack Valley, Washington quarterback Casey Bauman.
Cauley, a 5-foot-11, 205-pounder, tweeted, “I don’t want to go back to LA” at 4:30 p.m. on Friday shortly after arriving in Bozeman.
Montana State is coming off a 5-6 season that included five Big Sky Conference wins. The Bobcats lost by eight to national quarterfinal qualifier in the FCS playoffs and Big Sky champ Weber State. The Bobcats lost by four to South Dakota State, another team that’s in the final eight of the FCS postseason. MSU lost by two to final eight team Kennesaw State. All three losses came at home.
As MSU enters Choate’s third season, a young roster that included 12 freshmen starters and more than 60 players in their first or second year in the program has the chance to turn the corner.
“The one thing Coach Choate has talked about since Day 1 is recruiting is about relationships,” MSU fourth-year recruiting coordinator Michael Pitre said. “Regardless of where you are at as a program and in the process, it’s about the relationships. Are you doing a good job of cultivating those relationships with the high school coaches, the families, the recruits?
“If there is anything that is different, now we legitimately feel like we can have the conversation that can be a team that is competing for a Big Sky championship. We can realistically have that conversation with families and recruits.”
The six visitors this weekend are among 15 players who are currently verbally committed to the Bobcats. MSU and Texas wide receiver Zacori Alexander decided to go their separate ways. Alexander is currently committed to McNeese State. A source says Aledo, Texas defensive tackle James Williams, a dominant inside player with five Division I offers including one from Sam Houston State, is on the fence about coming to MSU.
The rest of the committed class includes in-state products running back Lane Sumner (Huntley Project), Logan Kleinhaus (Bozeman), Kaleb Winterburn (Helena), Mark Estes (Drummond/Kalispell), Joe McElroy (Missoula) and Nolan Askelson (Billings Senior).
The group of out of state recruits who will visit Bozeman before the first signing period includes cornerback Aaron Howard (Los Angeles) and linebacker/safety Onte Burns (Robbinsdale, Minnesota).
“We still have some work to do,” Pitre said. “When it’s all said and done, if we can do what we think we can do with this class, this might be our best one yet.
“We are just really trying to focus on getting through these next two weeks because that will continue to create some clarity for us. Then we can continue to pound the pavement and get some difference makers for us.”
Choate said he expects anywhere “between seven and 12 guys to sign early. Then that will determine how many guys will sign in February.” Choate said the Bobcats have a number of needs to address, namely remedying third down struggles and the ability to take the ball away from the opposition.
“To me, that speaks to two things: pressuring and confusing the quarterback and being able to play tighter coverage,” Choate said.
Choate said he would like to find a more mature, physical player at the guard position “to help push our gap schemes inside a little bit more.” The Bobcats started redshirt freshmen Taylor Tuiasosopo and Lewis Kidd at offensive guard last season. And Choate said he wants to recruit more speed at the skill positions.
The Bobcats have three mid-year scholarships available, meaning “we will have to be very calculated” when it comes to taking FBS drop down or junior college transfers this off-season. Montana State has 11 days and two weekends of official visits to complete the first leg of the final sprint.
“I think we have had two excellent recruiting classes and I think this 2018 class is very critical for us to push us to the next level,” Choate said. “When you look at the roster, we had 12 starters on our team that were true freshman, redshirt freshmen or true sophomores. We played 28 guys who were two-year guys in our program and some of those guys were our best players.
“We have had back-to-back Freshman of the Year (quarterback Chris Murray, running back Troy Andersen). But the conference coaches only thought we had one first-team All-Big Sky player. One (linebacker Mac Bignell). For us to be as competitive as we were in this league when the other coaches in the league think we have only one guy that is worthy of first-team recognition, I think that says we did a heck of a job coaching. I’m very proud of our staff and the work they’ve done and I’ve very proud of these kids and the work they’ve done. We are now in the position to take the next step in this program.”
Photos by Brooks Nuanez or contributed. All Rights Reserved.
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