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: “H” wide receiver
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The players: John D’Agostino (a 6-foot-1, 1845-pound sophomore), Jayshawn Gates (a 5-foot-8, 155-pound junior) and Brandon Brown (a 6-foot, 180-pound senior)
What’s at stake: Gates proved to be a versatile weapon as Montana State’s slot receiver position for each of the last two seasons, scoring long touchdowns both on the ground and through the air. But that was in an entirely different offense filled with jet sweeps, zone-read option plays and play-action bootlegs that sent Gates streaking toward the end-zone on a straight line.
D’Agostino, a walk-on from Bozeman High School, showed the best hands of any Montana State wide receiver who participated during spring drills, drawing rave reviews from new wide receivers coach Matt Miller and ending the session listed No. 1 on the depth chart.
Brown, a former transfer from Baylor who was a walk-on in Waco, missed most of spring after breaking his right thumb.
How they fared in 2015: When Gates gets in the open field, he is one of the shiftiest and toughest player to catch in the Big Sky. He scored a 28-yard touchdown on a sweet wide receiver reverse play in which offensive linemen JP Flynn and John Weidenaar escorted him into the end-zone against Eastern Washington. He caught an 88-yard touchdown on a deep play-action pass from Dakota Prukop in a win over Cal Poly. He took a kickoff 97 yards to the house in a blowout win over East Tennessee State. He scored a 39-yard touchdown on a jet sweep in a loss at North Dakota.
Other than the big plays however, Gates was more of a decoy than anything. He totaled 17 rushes for 198 yards (11.6 per carry) and caught six passes for 133 yards (22.2 yards per catch).
D’Agostino saw little playing time behind Montana State senior Mitch Greibel and Gates last season. The local product played in three games, catching two passes for four yards.
Brown primarily played MSU’s “Z” receiver position a year ago. He was in and out of the lineup but managed to play in all 11 games, catching three passes for 21 yards, including a touchdown against rival Montana.
The case for D’Agostino: Miller calls D’Agonstino “Mr. Consistent”, saying the sophomore has picked up on the schematics of Courtney Messingham’s offensive strategy “as well as anyone on the team.” D’Agostino also showed sure hands during spring drills, but battled a shoulder injury that resulted from a big hit he took after making a catch across the middle. If D’Agostino wins the job, he is sure to know his responsibilities each play and he will provide sticky hands for quarterback Tyler Bruggman. But he lacks top-end speed and his durability might be an issue given his size.
The case for Gates: Gates is one of the smallest college football players in Division I. Yet he has been able to avoid injury for most of his career, a nod to just how elusive he is in the open field. He is easily the fastest of the three and like Justin Paige, his speed will always earn him at least a spot in the rotation. His ability to adjust to Messingham’s offense, his ability to block in the run game and the number of chances he is provided will determine if he can again earn substantial playing time.
The case for Brown: It’s now or never for Dakota Prukop’s former high school teammate. The undersized but quick receiver has position versatility and could challenge for a spot on the outside as well. During individual drills, Brown runs crisp routes but for whatever reason, it has not translated into an ability to consistently get open on Saturdays. He will have to match D’Agostino’s ability to catch the ball, become the master of the offense as the veteran of the group and find a niche if he wants to be a starter his senior season.
What they must accomplish during fall camp: Montana State has a collection of players vying for playing time on the outside this fall camp. Some — Gates, Brown, Paige, junior All-Big Sky receiver Mitch Herbert — have already proven they can contribute in the Big Sky. Other young players — D’Agostino, redshirt freshmen Cam Sutton and Keon Stephens — will continue to push for playing time. What the role of the receiver is in Messingham’s offense remains to be seen, as does who will occupy the spots in MSU’s wide receiver rotation this fall.
Also on the roster: Montana State’s receivers add freshmen Kevin Kassis (El Dorado, California) and Karl Tucker (Great Falls CMR). Billings Central product Jacob Hadley was recruited as an athlete but was an all-state wide receiver for the Rams. Former Montana wide receiver Dalton Daum, a Butte product, transferred to MSU during the off-season. It remains unknown what WR position Kassis, Tucker or Daum will play.
[/restrict]Photos by Brooks Nuanez. All Rights Reserved.
