With one weekend left and National Signing Day less than a week away, the Montana State Bobcats will host one more group of recruits on official visits this weekend.
Second-year head coach Jeff Choate and his coaching staff have already received 23 verbal commits from prospects who plan to sign with MSU on February 1. MSU has garnered 24 verbal commits total but running back Edward Vander, a potential transfer from Saddleback Community College, did not sign during the JC signing period in December. One source says he will join the team after the spring semester. It is unknown if Vander will sign on NSD.
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Montana State hosted eight recruits, all previously committed during its first recruiting weekend. The Bobcats hosted nine players players last week, six already committed and three uncommitted. MSU landed verbal commitments from all three as Davenport, Florida running back Tyrel Burgess, Palatka athlete James Campbell and Eugene, Oregon defensive end Kyle Rygg all pledged to Choate and his staff before leaving Bozeman.
This weekend, Montana State will host three prospects, including already committed prospects Troy Andersen, an athlete recruit from Dillon, and Ryan Davis, a linebacker from Billings Skyview. Andersen committed to MSU last June while Davis committed just a week before making his official visit.
Willie Patterson, a 5-foot-9, 176-pound dual-threat quarterback and cornerback from Franklin Pierce High in Tacoma, Washington, will be the third to make his official visit.
Patterson, the son of former Central Washington standout running back Pat Patterson, is an electric play-maker who led the traditional basketball powerhouse to two straight state playoff appearances. In one game his senior season, Patterson threw for 332 yards and ran for 281 more. His senior season, he scored touchdowns by throwing, running, returning an interception, returning a kickoff and returning a punt.
As a junior, Patterson threw for 3,115 yards and 35 touchdowns while rushing for 720 more. As a senior, he threw for 2,723 yards and 35 touchdowns and rushed for 1,659 yards and 21 more touchdowns before Franklin Pierce lost in the second round of the Washington 2A state playoffs. He is the two-time reigning Washington 2A South Puget Sound League offensive player of the year. He earned first-team All-State honors as a multi-purpose player thanks to a 92-yard kick return for a score, an 86-yard punt return for a touchdown, four interceptions and an interception return for a score.
Pat still holds the CWU single-season rushing record when he rushed for 2,063 yards and 27 touchdowns. He is second in CWU history with 3,266 yards and 39 touchdowns in his career. Pat was elected to the Central Washington Hall of Fame in 2004.
Willie Patterson has received interest from Oregon, Oregon State, Washington and Washington State but has not received a solid scholarship offer from any school. Patterson’s senior highlights: http://www.hudl.com/profile/3990744/willie-patterson
[/restrict]Photos by Brooks Nuanez and contributed. All Right Reserved.
