Jeff Choate likened some of the decisions he and his staff made on Sunday following Montana State’s second and final scrimmage of fall camp to a baseball player’s pitch count. After 17 practices together, his guys know how many pitches, or in this case, practice repetitions they’ve received as MSU works toward solidifying a depth chart before its opener September 2.
“They can do the math so I don’t know if there are a lot of big surprises, anything that came out of left field,” Choate said on Monday when addressing the media following a “clean up” no pads or helmets practice.
Montana State opens its season at Pac 12 Washington State. The Bobcats can take 70 players on the plane to Pullman, 10 more than during Big Sky Conference road contests. MSU can dress as many players as it would like up to 104 for its home opener the following week against South Dakota State. Choate has said multiple times during his team’s current fall camp that final roster decisions for the conference travel roster will not be made until the week of September 24 when Montana State heads to Grand Forks to take on reigning Big Sky champion North Dakota.
Montana State head coach Jeff Choate/by Brooks Nuanez
Montana State’s quarterback position is solidified with reigning Big Sky Freshman of the Year Chris Murray back under center. The offensive tackle spots are set with senior Dylan Mahoney manning the blindside and Mitch Brott, a Freshman All-American last season, anchoring the right side. Junior Alex Neale is back and an honors candidate at center after starting all 11 games last season.
On the outside, senior captain Mitch Herbert, senior speedster Justin Paige and sophomore upstart slot Kevin Kassis will likely be the starting trio with a slew of talented but inexperienced players contributing in the rotation.
Defensively, MSU has five defensive tackles, three strong ends and three Buck ends they feel comfortable with. The linebackers have five players, including All-Big Sky senior captain Mac Bignell, who will figure prominently into the rotation.
At safety, All-Big Sky captain Bryson McCabe is joined by senior Khari Garcia, sophomore returning starter Brayden Konkol and impressive junior college transfer JoJo Henderson. All four could find themselves on the field at the same time in certain packages, Choate said.
Choate and his staff held what they refer to as “role call meetings” on Sunday, giving all 95 players who endured MSU’s 2017 fall camp a specific duty for the season, whether it be to start, to provide depth, to battle for playing time on special teams, or, perhaps most importantly, to red shirt or not redshirt.
Among those true freshmen who will certainly not redshirt are: running backs Troy Andersen and Tyrell Burgess, offensive linemen Zach Redd and Connor Wood, wide receiver Lance McCutcheon, cornerback Tyrel Thomas and defensive tackle Elu Leota.
Montana State true freshman offensive lineman Connor Wood/by Brooks Nuanez
Choate also listed quarterback Tucker Rovig, tight end Ryan Davis and linebacker/Buck end Chad Kanow as players “MSU will keep warm”, traveling them to Washington State and dressing them for the home opener before making a final decision on their redshirt status.
“I don’t know if there were that many decisions that were really tough,” Choate said. “I think having honest conversations is an important part of this job. I always appreciated a coach, even if it wasn’t what I wanted to hear, telling me the truth and being direct with me. That’s what we tried to do.”
Despite the decided positions, the Bobcats still need to make choices at spots ranging from offensive guard to tight end to safety to cornerback. Choate brought in nearly 40 new players this fall alone and 60 players on MSU’s roster are new to the team since Choate took over in December of 2015. Many of the young players rising up the depth chart are true freshmen.
Andersen, a highly touted recruit from Dillon originally slated to play linebacker, has risen to a featured role as a running back. He is currently backing up sophomore junior college transfer Edward Vander and will not redshirt. Choate said the staff is “assimilating him into the entire offense.”
“Troy is a two right now and in some sitations, a one,” MSU first-year offensive coordinator Brian Armstrong said on Monday. “He’s a really smart guy. He’s a guy I probably need to take a step back at times because he’s a super intelligent guy, very cerebral, picks stuff up at times. You look a him and he is 6-foot-3, 215 pounds and runs like a deer. Your mind goes crazy with all the things you can do with him.
“But at the same time, he’s 18 years old, playing his first college football so you have to pump the breaks and put the reigns on yourself a little bit to be creative, put him in situations to be successful but not over do it either.”
Montana State true freshman running back Tyrel Burgess/ by Brooks Nuanez
Burgess, a 5-foot-8, 160-pound blur, is MSU’s quickest player in small spaces on the entire roster only two weeks into his Bobcat career. The Davenport, Florida native has been one of the surprises of fall camp so far, earning himself a chance to contribute to the offense at least in certain situations. Armstrong, a former high school coach in Florida, was the primary recruiter for Burgess and speedy Florida wide receiver James Campbell.
“Tyrel, situationally early anyway, will get some playing time,” Armstrong said. “He’s a little different skill set than anyone else we have as far as short-distance quickness and ability to make some cuts. We will plug him into some personnel groups and see what he can do.”
McCutcheon, a 6-foot-3 outside receiver from Bozeman High, has seen his athleticism and physical stature develop rapidly over the last six months. His size, speed and ball skills have helped him break his way into the rotation behind Herbert.
Redd and Wood, a pair of standouts from Boise’s Rocky Mountain High, played for Choate’s college friend at Montana Western Art Roper, the Grizzlies’ offensive line coach. The duo joined the Bobcats with polished skill sets and surprising pop.
“Zach Redd and Connor Wood are on the two-deep so we will try to get those guys in situationally when the opportunity presents itself so if there’s a long-term injury or even a short team injury, they will get an opportunity to go,” Choate said. “That will be part of our discussion each week as to how to get those guys involved.”
MSU’s tight ends have seen juniors Connor Sullivan and Curtis Amos split first-team reps, which will likely be the case throughout the season. Wilson Brott, a high school quarterback who played tight end his first two years before playing left tackle the last two, is back at tight end and will serve as MSU’s power tight end. If needed, Davis, a Billings Skyview product recruited as a linebacker, could become MSU’s third tight end.
Montana State true freshman quarterback Tucker Rovig/ by Brooks Nuanez
Rovig, a 6-foot-5 prototype from Boise, will redshirt until he’s not needed to. He will travel and be a part of the game plan every week, Choate said.
“Two things go into this equation, one being what’s best for the young man and one being what’s best for the program,” Choate said. “I think it’s best for any young man to have that year to assimilate to college life and absorb what it’s like to be a Division I student athlete.
“In Tucker’s case, I think he’s asserted himself as a guy who if we had to have him play, he could play. We are going to knock on wood and hope that doesn’t happen. If a helmet comes off or we have to get out of a game, Brady will help us do that. If it’s a long-term deal, we will make a decision and probably roll Tucker in that situation.”
Kanow was recruited as an inside linebacker out of Temecula, California. The long 6-foot-4 freshman is rangy but also skinny, tipping the scale at 200 pounds. He has worked in at Buck end with redshirt freshman Michael Jobman out for the first half of camp with a knee injury. He has also worked at Will likebacker, where he is the No. 3 behind sophomore Josh Hill and senior Jakob McCarthy.
“He’s a keep warm guy because I know he’s flashed, made a bunch of plays in the scrimmage and has consistently done that during his time here during fall camp,” Choate said. “But Michael Jobman is a guy that having him back, he’s shown me some things. And we also have (sophomore Dillon product) Kyle Finch.
“The goal is to redshirt Chad.”
Montana State true freshman linebacker Chad Kanow/ by Brooks Nuanez
Leota, the latest of MSU’s signees just a few weeks before camp began, has opened some eyes with his mass, particularly in his backside. The Euless (Texas) Trinity High product — the same high school that gifted MSU quarterback DeNarius McGhee, running back Tray Robinson, safety Eryon Barnett and linebacker Na’a Moeakiola, who happens to be Leota’s cousin — has already earned the nickname “Cheeks” because of his formidable derriere. The 6-foot, 305-pounder is as good at holding the line of scrimmage as any defensive tackle on MSU’s roster already.
“Elu has mass,” MSU defensive coordinator Ty Gregorak said. “It’s one of the largest rear ends I’ve ever seen. He’s got the mass that we desire so badly up front.”
Thomas is one of two freshmen from Southern California lured to MSU with the prospect of early playing time, albeit the less hyped of the two. Jalen Cole, a product of powerhouse Mater Dei, came to MSU with a 3-star rating and a reputation as perhaps the top recruit in the FCS. The 5-foot-8, 160-pounder has shown good competiveness and fundamentals but his lack of size has been too much to overcome to earn a spot on the two-deep.
Thomas, a 5-foot-9, 180-pounder out of fellow Trinity League powerhouse St. John Bosco Prep, has picked up the defense quickly and made an array of plays on the ball during fall camp. He is backing up senior Bryce Alley at boundary cornerback.
Montana State true freshman defensive tackle Elu Leota/ by Colter Nuanez
“Tyrel has done a good job of picking things up,” Gregorak said. “He still makes the freshmen mistakes you expect but he’s a very, very good athlete. He contests football in air.”
“Of all the freshmen we have on defense, hopefully those are the only two that look like they are playing unless we have a train wreck.”
Although the meat of fall camp is over, the Bobcats still have this week and next week to prepare for Washington State. With a bye the third week of the season, the roster will be in flux until conference play begins.
“We will find out really in a couple of weeks really what they are all about,” Armstrong said. “We think we have an idea but we haven’t completely seen it yet either.”
Photos by Brooks and Colter Nuanez. All Rights Reserved.
