Frigid temperatures and snowy conditions hindered the travel of thousands of fans to Bobcat Stadium for the first playoff game at the venue in four years. Yet Cole Oster left his official visit to Montana State awe struck.
“It was amazing. The game-day experience was like none other I’ve been to,” the standout linebacker from Castle Rock, Colorado said a few days before signing with MSU. “I made a lot of visits to different schools in the Big Sky and that was definitely the most memorable experience.”
More than 10,000 fans came out for Montana State’s first playoff victory since 2014, an impressive showing for the first round of the FCS playoffs considering the Thanksgiving holiday and inclement weather. Montana State has perennially drawn among the top attendance figures in the FCS, averaging close to a capacity crowd of 17,547 fans during six regular-season home games in 2018.
Watching MSU’s 35-14 victory over Incarnate Word was enough to seal the deal for Oster, a 6-foot-1, 210-pound linebacker who signed with Montana State on December 19.
“The culture is like no other,” said Oster, who also visited Montana, North Dakota, Wyoming and Colorado State-Pueblo. “They are a winning team, which is a big thing for me. They made the playoffs. I think the culture there is something special and I want to be a part of that.
“The coaches, they love the players and they are really passionate about everything not only on the football side but they also really create a family. All the players are really close, have a really close chemistry and it’s a real brotherhood up there with coaches and players. It’s a special thing to be a part of.”
Oster grew up in Fort Collins, Colorado, a college town turned into bustling city approaching 175,000 residents. Oster said Bozeman reminds him of a smaller version of Fort Collins and that Colorado State is like Montana State if the analogy is made comparing Colorado University to the University of Montana and Boulder to Missoula.
“The two college towns in Montana are like the two college towns in Colorado,” said Oster, who also received interest but no official offer from the Griz. “Boulder is a lot like Missoula and Fort Collins is a lot like Bozeman. I grew up in Fort Collins and I love Fort Collins. It’s kind of like the same thing in Bozeman.
“Plus, I love to fish and be outdoors, so it was a no-brainer for me.”
During his senior season at Castle View High, Oster starred on both sides of the ball as the Sabercats finished 8-4. As a running back, Oster rushed for 1,029 yards and scored 16 touchdowns.
Playing a sort of hybrid outside linebacker/edge in the team’s 3-4 defense, Oster racked up 64 tackles, six sacks, four forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and an interception. He has been recruited to MSU as an outside linebacker.
“I’ll play wherever they need me to play,” Oster said. “I feel like I’m a versatile player. I do feel more comfortable on the defensive side of the ball. I’ve played both ways throughout my career and just running back last year. I was very successful at that but linebacker has really been my spot so I am most comfortable there.”
During his press conference to open the second-ever early signing period, Montana State head coach Jeff Choate talked about putting a priority on recruiting both lines of scrimmage. Oster stood out as the sort of player Choate wants in his front seven defensively, a smooth, fluid athlete with position versatility.
“The themes you see in this class are line of scrimmage, length and position versatility and that’s where Cole caught our eye,” said Choate, who invited Oster to MSU’s individual camp in June for his initial evaluation, extending an official offer later on in the fall.
“Cole can play drop down safety, inside linebacker, played some tailback in high school, excellent special teams player, really good point of contact player and has a great feel for the game. He’s a guy who can come in and help (special teams coordinator) B.J. (Robertson) in the kicking game right away and work his way into our rotation at linebacker as he continues to grow.”
Oster was one of eight prospects who made official visits to MSU the weekend before the early signing period opened, including fellow Centennial State native Hayden Isenhart. MSU safeties coach Kyle Risinger served as the primary recruiter for Oster and Isenhart, who roomed together on the visit.
Oster chose Montana State over offers from Drake, Northern Colorado, CSU-Pueblo, Nebraska-Kearney along with interest from UND and Wyoming.
The future business major got to check out the Jake Jaabs Business School and get acclimated with the Gallatin Valley during his visit. His parents were so struck by Southwest Montana, they might make it their next home.
“They love the place,” Oster said. “They are actually contemplating a move to somewhere in Montana or in the Pacific Northwest. They are really psyched about it because they love the town, too. They came up on my official visit and were impressed with everything.”
Bozeman made an impression on the Osters surpassed perhaps only by Cole Oster’s impression of Choate.
“His leadership style, I love it, everything about it,” Oster said. “He’s on a different level from everybody else. I was talking to the players on the official visit and asked about him and they all said he was the most passionate guy they’ve ever met. I’m really excited about him being my coach. Really, the entire staff, but in particular him.”
For the remaining months of his high school career, Oster said he will concentrate on physically preparing himself for college football. He first started considering his Division I dreams when he was a freshman. By the end of his sophomore year, he decided to give up basketball in order to concentrate in earning a football scholarship. Last week, Oster solidified one of his lifelong goals.
“It’s been a really long process since really my freshman year of high school when I started looking through the book figuring out what my options are so finally deciding where to go, it’s just a big relief,” Oster said. “I feel like the decision is a no-brainer for me. Montana State has been on the top of my list for I don’t know how long. Everything about it is a good feeling, a relief and I’m excited. My football career is not over and that excites me. I have so much more to prove. I can’t be more excited about getting to Montana State.”
