With Montana State beginning its first fall camp under Jeff Choate this week, Skyline Sports will break down MSU’s roster by highlighting prominent battles for playing time in each position group.
Today’s position: “Boundary” cornerback
[restrict paid=”true”]The players: Tre’Von Strong (a 6-foot-1, 190-pound second-year sophomore) and Naijiel Hale (a 5-foot-10, 170-pound sophomore transfer from Washington).
What’s at stake: Hale is arguably the most heralded recruit of Jeff Choate’s first recruiting class at Montana State. Hale, the son of the late rapper/R&B artist Nate Dogg, broke into the starting lineup as a freshman at Washington in 2014 before being dismissed from the team.
Strong is arguably the most talented second-year player on the Bobcats and certainly one with a great deal to prove after starting for most of the conference season as a true freshman. The battle during fall camp is sure to be one of Montana State’s most watched and scrutinized.
How they fared in 2015: Strong showed flashes of his potential to be a solid cornerback in the Big Sky last season as a true freshman. He broke up six passes and made 18 solo tackles after breaking into the starting lineup against Northern Arizona three games into the season. But the Billings Skyview product also took his lumps, giving up a collection of big plays as Montana State gave up 26 passing touchdowns, the second-worst total in the Big Sky.
Hale did not play football last fall. He had his eyes on attending Long Beach Community College but decided against it in an effort to be able to cleanly transfer to a four-year Division I program. At Montana State, he reunites with Choate and Bobcat secondary coach Gerald Alexander, a defensive grad assistant at UW during Hale’s lone season as a Husky.
The case for Strong: Strong has good size, strength and the ability to tackle in the open field, three skills that should improve with a year of Division I football under his belt after being throw into the fire right out of Montana’s Class AA last season. More than any other position, experience translates into productivity at cornerback so it seems safe to assume Strong will continue to improve as a sophomore.
The case for Hale: Hale was one of the top prep cornerbacks in the nation, earning four-star recognition as a senior at St. John Boscoe Prep, one of the top football programs in the country located in Bellflower, California. As a freshman at UW, Hale appeared in nine games and contributed in his first Pac 12 season.
On film, Hale displays an aggression superior to any cornerback on Montana State’s roster. What he lacks in size he makes up for with explosive closing speed and solid footwork. His ability to acclimate to the fabric of a new team and his ability to quickly grasp Ty Gregorak’s defense after missing all of spring drills will be crucial if he wants to live up to his substantial hype.
What they must accomplish during fall camp: Alexander, Gregorak and Choate are sure to put Strong and Hale in competitive situations against one another for the duration of August. As with many other positions in today’s college football, more than just the starters need to be ready at cornerback, so whoever “wins” this position will not be expected to carry the load all season. The triumphs and mistakes of a cornerback are easy to see and on full display for everyone watching, so whoever can muster a more consistent performance during fall camp will earn the starting job.
Also on the roster: Sophomore Tavon Dodd (5-8, 176), a converted running back, is listed as MSU’s third boundary cornerback on the first depth chart of 2016. Redhirt freshman Chris Harris (6-3, 185) is the No. 5 field cornerback but will likely try his hand at both sides of the field, as will junior Bryce Alley (5-11, 165) and sophomore Braelan Evans (6-0, 185).
[/restrict]Photos by Brooks Nuanez. All Rights Reserved.
