Editor’s note: Brooks Nuanez contributed to the reporting of this story. This story also includes 18 photos of Montana State’s freshmen as part of the premium content.
BOZEMAN — Just by happenstance, Jeff Choate stood next to Seer Deines during the first team meeting leading up to Montana State’s 2018 fall football camp.
As has been Choate’s custom during the last two-plus years at MSU, he had each of his players stand up and introduce themselves. Because Deines, a true freshman defensive lineman from tiny Connell, Washington, was closest to the head coach, Choate had him go first.
“I would normally never have a freshman go first,” Choate said. “He was just fine.
“I said to him, ‘Pretty impressive for a freshman, but considering you are 36 years old, it’s really not that big a deal’ (laughs). I hope they don’t ask for a birth certificate.”
At 6-foot-3, 270 pounds with a beard and frame that belies that of teenager, the former state champion wrestler and standout two-way prep football star has been a standout during MSU’s recently completed camp.
“He’s been very, very impressive and is one of the freshman to me that has really jumped out,” Choate said. “Especially because he played at a lower level, a (Montana) Class B type level in Connell, Washington and he’s done a really nice job.
“We call him Mongo. He’s an impressive dude, now. I mean, holy cow, his calves are like this big around (displays circle with hands not touching).”
[restrict paid=”true”]Choate’s third recruiting cycle netted the Bobcats a collection of talented newcomers, including Washington Gatorade Player of the Year running back Isaiah Ifanse, three-star safety Malik Putney, three-star offensive lineman Donny Long, three-star defensive tackle James Williams, diamond in the rough quarterback Casey Bauman, two-star twin cornerbacks Ty’Rese and Ty’Rhae Gibson and a pair of two-star receivers in Mekhi Metcalf and Koby Duru.
Deines largely flew under the radar but has been one of a collection of freshmen who have at least flirted with the possibility of playing this season, although it’s unlikely for Deines specifically since he is part of a defensive line unit that is arguably the deepest group on the Bobcats.
“All the freshmen are getting after it,” MSU third-year sophomore offensive lineman Lewis Kidd said. “Last year and this year, seeing those freshmen, they are hungry and they all want to play. I think it’s cool they made that new rule that you can play up to four games and still redshirt. A lot of those guys,(running back) Justin Cauley, (tight end) Derryk Snell, Koby Duru have been making plays.
“It was fun to watch because those guys are bringing it every play. You can tell those guys want to play.”
In June, the NCAA passed a new rule that will allow players to appear in up to four games while maintaining the option to redshirt.
Bauman, a 6-foot-6, 230-pounder from Nooksack Valley, Washington, has shown as good of arm talent as has been seen in Bozeman during his short stint on campus. The velocity and quick release of his throws turn heads instantly.
But following Saturday’s scrimmage, it appears, at least for now, that sophomore Troy Andersen is the Bobcats’ starter under center. Bauman took all his scrimmage reps with the third offense, indicating that he will likely redshirt. But don’t be surprised if he gets his feet wet, a trend that might spread nationally for teams with elite young talent at quarterback.
“The rule is going to be huge for quarterbacks,” an anonymous ACC coach told ESPN’s Tom VanHaaren when the rule first passed. “Especially a guy who’s behind an established starter. If you do it right, you basically have four seasons and four games, and I think for the overall development of the kid, that will be huge. One of the unintended consequences of it, because of the rule, a lot more freshman quarterbacks will play.
“Just to keep them happy, keep him there, hopefully don’t transfer, you’ll put him out there. On the flip side of that, when you have these five-star quarterbacks who can play, but they’re at a place with an established starter, now if they transfer, [other teams will] have a lot more tape to look at. You’re getting a lot more grad transfers with two years of eligibility, and now you’ll have more tape from actual game film to scout.”
While Deines and Bauman are likely to end up redshirting (pending injury, etc.), a collection of MSU’s Class of 2018 could crack the rotation, starting at running back. Montana State loses four of its five leading rushers if you include Andersen, a 6-foot-3, 230-pound do-everything phenom who rushed for 515 yards and five touchdowns as a running back while also playing significant snaps at linebacker during his true freshman season last fall.
MSU also loses power back Nick LaSane to graduation, talented tailback Edward Vander (transfer to Utah) and quarterback Chris Murray (academics), the latter the leading rusher in the entire Big Sky Conference. Senior Logan Jones has not participated in fall camp due to a sports hernia, Choate said.
During Saturday’s action, Ifanse was the first running back in the rotation. The 5-foot-10, 190-pounder out of Washington powerhouse Bellevue High has garnered praise from Choate consistently throughout fall camp.
Fellow freshman running back Lane Sumner does not have the pedigree of Ifanse. The 5-foot-9, 181-pounder was a multiple-time Class B state sprint champion at Huntley Project. He also earned recognition as the fastest player at Montana State’s individual camp a few summers ago, a competitiveness that caught Choate’s eye.
Now the former Red Devil looks like he will push for carries in the running back rotation early on, especially with a hamstring issue plaguing junior Karl Tucker II and a lingering meniscus (knee) injury suffered by junior power back Tyler Natee, a former transfer from Indiana.
“Isaiah Ifanse has really good vision and quicks,” Choate said. “Lane Sumner is a really good inside zone runner. He has a really good feel for the game. Those are two guys just standing behind and watching that you can get a perspective of real football.
“They both have great vision and they both finish runs with power.”
The Gibson twins have been the talk of camp both because of their competitiveness as well as the comedy their teammates find in the constant bickering between the two identical freshmen. Their length — each stands 6-foot-1 — combined with their physicality could thrust them into a suddenly deep cornerback rotation that features returners junior Damien Washington, sophomores Jalen Cole and Tyrel Thomas and newcomer junior college transfer Greg “Munchie” Filer III.
“The Gibson twins are extremely physical,” Choate said. “They have heavy hands. They get their hands on you and it’s hard to get them off of you. We were doing board drill to start and they were all about that. They like to scrap a little bit.”
Derryk Snell, the 6-foot-2, 250-pound tight end and former Alaska Gatorade Player of the Year, has the physical maturity to play early on special teams. Nolan Askelson, a linebacker out of Billings Senior that earned Montana Class AA Defensive Player of the Year honors last season, could also contribute covering kicks.
MSU’s wide receivers return just junior captain Kevin Kassis as a player with volume production last season. Other than that, the competition is wide open. Duru and Metcalf could fight their way into the rotation if they can stay on the field.
But it’s Williams, a comically strong and portly 5-foot-9, 315-pound nose tackle out of Aledo, Texas, that may have solidified his spot on the depth chart more than any other rookie. Even with the presence of senior interior defensive linemen captain Zach Wright and Tucker Yates, Williams has received a slew of reps behind Yates, a preseason All-Big Sky selection.
“If we can get (Williams) to play five or six plays in a row, that is going to be really, really good,” Choate said. “James has been coached at an elite level at Aledo High School. You show him some of these higher level techniques and he’s already got them mastered.”
“James Williams, that’s my boy,” MSU sophomore offensive guard Taylor Tuiasosopo added. “I hosted him on his visit. He’s going to surprise a lot of people because of his stature. People look at him and think he’ll get tired but that dude has one of the quickest first steps I’ve ever seen and I’ve played against a lot of great people from good schools. That kid has a great future ahead of him.”
On Wednesday, the Bobcats wrapped fall camp. Choate said a depth chart has been solidified internally but will not be released until game week begins on Friday.
The rookies who crack the rotation could be prevalent early on because of the new redshirt rule. The ones who continue getting steady playing time might be the ones who rise to the top for circumstance and necessity as much as performance.
“That’s the whole key: who is going to survive,” Choate said. “It’s such a war of attrition out here sometimes. You take one or two days off and you will get passed by. That’s the difference between being a redshirt guy and a guy who is going to play as a true freshman.”
Photos by Brooks Nuanez. All Rights Reserved.
