Editor’s note: Montana State welcomed nine high school prospects to campus the final recruiting weekend of the winter the first weekend of February 2018. Eight of those recruits ended up signing National Letters of Intent with MSU less than a week later.
In the coming weeks, Skyline Sports will print a series of stories about each of the late commitments to Montana State. This is the third installment of that series featuring Garfield (Seattle) 3-star wide receiver Mekhi Metcalf.
PART I: Montana State’s loyalty helps Bobcats land Eastside Catholic star Putney
PART II: Washington Gatorade Player of the Year Ifanse eventually chooses Montana State
Mekhi Metcalf is not shy about professing his already established goals for when he joins the Montana State Bobcats in the coming month.
“I’m coming in to take over pretty much,” Metcalf said. “I’m doing anything in my power to get on the field right away.”
The three-star wide receiver out of Garfield in Seattle played for former All-American cornerback Joey Thomas in high school. His father, Eric Metcalf, was a 3-time All-Pro returner for the Cleveland Browns and Atlanta Falcons. Only Devin Hester and Brian Mitchell had more return touchdowns in their careers. Eric’s father, Terry Metcalf, was a three-time All-Pro running back for the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1970s. Mekhi spent the last two years playing on the 7-on-7 team coached by Reggie Jones, a Super Bowl-winning defensive back for the New Orleans Saints.
In other words, Metcalf has the pedigree to fuel such confidence. A relative newcomer to football — he did not start playing until entering high school — the 6-foot-4, 182-pounder is a raw prospect with a tremendous upside. That talent helped earn him offers from Idaho, Weber State and Northern Iowa.
But the opportunity to play early — MSU’s returning leading receiver junior Kassis caught 21 passes last season — along with the recruiting efforts from third-year MSU head coach Jeff Choate helped the Bobcats land the talented pass catcher.
“Coach Choate for sure,” Metcalf said. “He’s one of my favorite coaches I’ve met during the whole recruiting process. He’s a guy who really cares about his players. When he came to my house on his in-home visit, I could tell my parents really liked him. He’s a really likeable guy, his personality is different from a lot of coaches. You can tell he’s willing to do anything for his players.”
Choate served as the defensive line coach for the Washington Huskies in Seattle before taking the Montana State job before the 2016 season. He has made a concerted effort to recruit the Seattle area since taking charge. The Bobcats signed Metcalf, three-star safety Malik Putney from Eastside Catholic and running back Isaiah Ifanse, the Washington Gatorade Player of the Year out of Bellevue.
“(Choate) told me with guys like myself, (safety) Malik (Putney), and (running back) Isaiah (Ifanse), we will have a real shot at bringing a national championship to Bozeman,” Metcalf said. “That is the overall goal.”
Metcalf was part of a group of nine recruits who made official visits the weekend before National Signing Day the first Wednesday in February. All but one of those players ended up signing with the Bobcats.
The group that included Putney, Ifanse, 3-star defensive tackle James Williams from Aledo, Texas and under the radar two-star wide receiver Koby Duru from Southern California saw the full force of a Bozeman snow storm, toured campus, attended the rivalry basketball game between the Cats and rival Montana and felt the warm welcome of the Bozeman community despite the wintery temperatures outside.
“Everywhere we went, people could tell we were recruits and they could tell it was our first time being in Montana,” Metcalf said. “Everyone was welcoming despite knowing it’s different from where we are from. They made us feel like we were at home and that they would take good care of us. It felt like a real family there.”
Most of the prospects, including Metcalf, had never been to Montana before the official visit. Metcalf’s flight into Bozeman was delayed and because of a “huge snowstorm” and when he got off his plane, “Snow was everywhere.”
“But that’s what I was expecting and it wasn’t nearly as cold as I thought it was going to be. I like the snow because it doesn’t do that too much in Seattle,” Metcalf said. “And Bozeman is beautiful.”
Washington Gatorade Player of the Year Ifanse eventually chooses Bobcats
During his prep career, Metcalf played a season of varsity basketball as a junior along with starting for two seasons for Thomas on the varsity football team. Garfield is one of the premier boys’ basketball programs in one of the premier basketball cities in America. The school has won 11 Washington 3A state titles and finished second five other times over the last 70 years. Former NBA players like Brandon Roy, Tony Wroten and Will Conroy played at Garfield.
In hoops, Metcalf played for Ed Haskins, a highly-regarded coach who left for an assistant position at Washington State. Roy, a two-time All-NBA selection and a three-time All-Star for the Portland Trail Blazers before knee injuries derailed his pro career, took over at his alma mater in 2017 but Metcalf did not play his senior year.
“I played on the varsity basketball team and everyone is always really hyped about the basketball games and all the games are always crowded and packed,” Metcalf said. “It was really fun and it made me realize we need to change things around football.”
Under Thomas’ direction, Garfield rallied from a 2-4 start to rally for a berth in the Washington 3A playoffs. The Bulldogs won two games, including beating Putney’s Eastside Catholic squad 13-10 before falling to fellow Emerald City basketball powerhouse Rainier Beach.
“Early in the season, we were losing and we weren’t practicing hard but we turned it around and got into the playoffs,” Metcalf said. “It seems like we got a new football tradition going. It was fun for me to get to see the difference between basketball and football, but I definitely see it changing these next few years where it is more equal.”
Growing up as the son and grandson of NFL standouts did not mean Metcalf was thrust into football early on. Instead, he concentrated on basketball before going out for football for the first time as a freshman. When he first started playing wide receiver, he received some advice from his cousin, Brandon Gibson.
Gibson ended his college career as the all-time leading receiver in Washington State history before playing for five NFL teams between 2009 and 2016. Gibson told Metcalf to simply use his basketball skills to get open.
“He just told me to think of running routes as a crossover, a counter move when I’m releasing,” Metcalf said. “That helped me develop my skills at the line of scrimmage. Basketball helped me learn the game of football better.”
Eric Metcalf ended his NFL career in the top 10 in league history in all-purpose yards. He was the No. 13 overall selection in the 1989 NFL Draft. Rather than pressure his son, Eric tried to foster a love of the game in his son.
“He’s been the biggest help,” Metcalf said. “There was never any pressure. He told me a while ago that I didn’t even have to play football. It was obviously something I wanted to do. He helped me out all through high school. I thank him for not letting me play until high school because he saved my body. He just tells me no matter what, just do it as long as it’s fun. Don’t do it for anyone else but yourself.”
Over the last two seasons, Metcalf was the second receiving option behind 4-star recruit Tre’Shaun Harrison, the top-ranked recruit in the state of Washington and the No. 7-ranked ‘athlete’ prospect in the country. Harrison signed with Florida State in February.
Working mostly out of the slot, Metcalf caught 45 passes for 615 yards and one touchdown last season. He finished his two years as a starter with 78 catches for 1,038 yards and five touchdowns. Although he lined up on the inside in high school, he will be used primarily as an outside receiver at Montana State.
“I’m a bigger body and I’ve always liked the outside, so I think I’m going to play on the outside at Montana State,” Metcalf said. “When they throw up a 50/50 ball, I don’t call it a 50/50 ball. I call that a 100 percent ball (laughs).
Metcalf spent the spring of his senior year working out six days a week and preparing to make a splash during his first fall camp in August. He waited until the final week of his recruitment in order to make the right decision. Now that he has his future in front of him, Metcalf wants to make the most of it.
“It means a lot to me that they gave me the opportunity to come play for them on a full scholarship,” Metcalf said. “I thank them for that. It lets me know they really believe in me and they want me to be the best I can be and I want to be the best player I can for them and be the best person in the Bozeman community I can for them.”
Photos contributed by Metcalf or attributed. All Rights
