BOZEMAN — A few weeks ago, Byron Hout couldn’t help but tease Jacob Haldey, the newest member of his defensive line.
“I said, ‘I haven’t seen you pick off a ball yet,’ and he said, ‘Coach, they are scared to throw it to my side,” Hout, Montana State’s third-year defensive line coach, said last month. “That’s what you want. You want them to fear you.”
The fear Hadley can strike into opposing offenses has largely been relegated to fall camp and spring practices during his injury-riddled time at Montana State. The 6-foot-6 raw athlete out of Billings Central came to MSU as a partial scholarship player who head coach Jeff Choate initially thought might play cornerback or wide receiver.
Choate and defensive coordinator Ty Gregorak quickly recognized Hadley’s interest in initiating contact and moved him to strong safety, a spot he played in three games at as a true freshman. But wrist and shoulder injuries ended that 2016 campaign before Big Sky Conference play began, allowing Hadley to take a redshirt. The experience helped him “really learn” the Montana State defense from the back end.
Last spring, Hadley had built himself up physically. His 225-pound frame coupled with a shortage on the second level of the MSU defense caused for him to move Sam linebacker. That position switch enabled All-American Mac Bignell to move to Will linebacker.
Hadley solidified himself as a player both Choate and Gregorak praised frequently without solicitation because of his ability to make plays on both ball carriers and balls in the air. On the final day of spring practice, the potential for Hadley’s redshirt freshman season ended in the blink of an eye.
On the final series of the Sonny Holland spring game, Hadley suffered a torn ACL in his left knee. The injury cost him the entire 2017 season.
“It’s been tough not being out there with the guys and the toughest part about it was just not playing and seeing a lot of my friends out there playing,” Hadley said in an interview the third week of spring ball. “It was a good time to cheer them on and show them I was there for them. It was definitely a year of growth.”
The year watching from the sideline spurred on mental growth while Hadley’s body continued to grow as well. He is up to 235 pounds, spurring yet another position move. Although Hadley has not competed in a full scrimmage setting this spring, he has done all the individual drills and 7-on-7 work as a Buck end, MSU’s defensive end/outside linebacker hybrid position on the edge of Gregorak’s odd-man front.
“He’s doing everything he can do with us right now,” Hout said. “He goes through all the individual drills. He has progressed from Day 1. The first day, he’s the guy who doesn’t know what the drill is but he’s trying. But we are 10 practices in right now and he’s figuring it out quickly. That speaks a lot to his football intelligence, being able to pick up quickly.”
It will be difficult for Choate to fully evaluate Hadley’s adjustment to playing in the trenches but he’s talked about Hadley’s frame, strength and aggressiveness being a perfect fit for the spot.
“I think that evaluation is really going to come in August,” Choate said. “We have really been able to do a lot of individual, one-on-one type of stuff and he’s 11 months post-op. In a perfect world, you wait until 12 months on those ACLs, especially on a big guy like Jacob.
“We feel like we’ve got something in him and as well at Sam, which is why we moved him. If you look at Sam linebacker right now, you’ve got Troy Andersen at Sam, a guy like (returning junior starting Will) Brayden Konkol, you have a guy like (sophomore) Balue Chapman who has played Sam in games for us.
“And oh by the way, some point in time Grant Collins is going to be back in the mix. We have a good problem there at Buck and on the edge.”
The injury Hadley suffered last April required a full ACL and meniscus repair operation. The surgeon used a graph from his patella tendon. He hasn’t had any issues with the patella and has only suffered normal pain from the advanced procedure.
“Right after surgery, it was pretty sore for two months but that’s a given,” Hadley said. “Right when I started to move around a lot and getting back into the swing of things, it started to get sore. I’ve been hitting the training room, recovery time, a ton of ice and the trainers have been a lot of help. It’s an ongoing process for sure.”
Feeling out a new position and preparing to play in the trenches for “the first time since like fifth grade” have accompanied the process of getting healthy, all while trying to implement the things Hadley has learned from observing over the last year.
“The biggest part for me of this last year was the mental aspect of it because I’m not really taking any reps,” Hadley said. “I’m in there watching film and talking to coaches, seeing what I need to do when I’m playing this spot, my assignments and stuff. If anything, the injury has given me a lot of knowledge about the defense even if I’ve been moving around a lot. It’s been nice because I know what’s going on.”
Hout has been impressed with Hadley’s diligence in the few months he’s gotten to work with the potentially dangerous weapon.
“He comes in and watches all his reps with me,” Hout said. “He’s very detailed, wants to get it right. He doesn’t like when he doesn’t do it right. He always has a question on how he can do it better. I like that from him. He’s going to be a competitor on the field and it’s going to be hard to keep him off the field come the fall because he’s such a competitor out there.”
The rise of Hadley’s reputation has been rapid even if his time on the field has been minimal. To make potential turn into production, Hadley will need to master a position that returns Collins from shoulder surgery some time in the fall and adds Washington transfer Bryce Sterk, a 6-foot-4, 262-pounder who is one of the most physically developed athletes at MSU. Hadley is up for the challenge.
“The goal for me is to see the field consistently and make it through the whole season without any dings or nicks because that’s not something I’ve been able to do,” Hadley said. “I’ve played three games since I’ve been here the last two years so that’s been frustrating. I’m really making that a goal this year to make it through the whole season and contribute to the team.”
Photos by Brooks Nuanez. All Rights Reserved.
