With Montana State reaching the midpoint of its second 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.
No. 8 of the countdown of most important Bobcat position battles: Punter
No. 5 — Backup wide receiver spots
TODAY’S POSITION: Cornerback
The players: Bryce Alley (a 5-foot-11, 175-pound senior); Braelen Evans (5-11, 190-pound junior); Damien Washington (5-10, 176-pound sophomore); Jalen Cole (5-8, 150-pound true freshman); Tyrel Thomas (5-9, 175-pound true freshman); and JoJo Henderson (6-2, 195-pound sophomore).
What’s at stake: This position battle could very well be the No. 1 in Montana State’s fall camp. Based on what MSU wants its identity to be — hard-nosed, tough and physical — running the ball and stopping the run will be the top priority of each unit. Therefore, Montana State’s murky situation at running back slightly out-weights the cloudy battle at cornerback.
Montana State first-year secondary coach Mark Orphey/ by Brooks Nuanez
But Montana State’s fortunes in 2017 will hinge on the Bobcat defense’s ability to limit big plays through the air as much as any other factor. At this point in camp, the Bobcats are still desperately searching for answers. MSU must find some semblance of consistency at corner unless the Bobcats want to get blown out on the road against pass-heavy teams like Washington State, Eastern Washington and Northern Arizona. If Choate wants to post two consecutive wins over rival Montana and the Grizzlies’ pass-happy attack, the cornerback position will be key as well.
MSU upgraded basically every position on the team through either gained experience, like at quarterback where Chris Murray is a year older or at wide receiver, where a slew of talented young players joined the roster or the defensive line, where MSU has overcome its plague of injuries. The one spot on the Bobcat roster that did not improve its talent is cornerback.
Last season, Colorado graduate transfer John Walker carved out a place as one of the best press corners in the Big Sky. Opposite the All-Big Sky selection, MSU had a rotation of field cornerbacks that included Tre’Von Strong and Chris Harris, both of whom left the program in the off-season. Naijiel Hale, a former 4-star recruit who played as a true freshman at Washington before transferring to MSU, was arrested on felony drug charges in the off-season and is no longer with the team.
Montana State junior Braelen Evans (front) and Bryce Alley/ by Brooks Nuanez
Alley is sort of a last man standing, a player who broke into the rotation as a true freshman but has never earned a consistent starting position. Evans has never been able to kick the injury bug. Washington was thrust into action as MSU’s nickel back a year ago and performed well. Cole, Thomas and Henderson all came to Montana State under the premise of an opportunity to earn playing time right away.
“We had some not good athletes at SC (South Carolina) but the thing we harped on was getting to the ball and turnovers,” new MSU secondary coach Mark Orphey said during spring drills. “That got us out of a lot of situations. We have the talent to be very good. It’s just how good do we want to be? If we say we want to be the best secondary in the Big Sky, we have to take steps every day.”
How they fared in 2015: Despite the volatility at field corner, Alley played consistent snaps, starting the final two games of 2016, each game MSU victories. Alley finished his junior season with 22 tackles and half a tackle for loss. He has one interception in his career.
Washington played quite a bit as a true freshman as MSU’s nickel back. The Covina, California native played in 10 games, totaling 12 tackles and breaking up five passes.
Evans, a native of Carrollton, Texas, suffered a knee injury his junior year of high school. He came to Montana State with the intention of playing right away but that role fell to his classmate Alley. Instead, Evans redshirted in 2014 and missed all of 2015 as his knee never reached full health. He played in five games last season but did not record a stat.
MSU senior Bryce Alley (24) and junior Braelen Evans (5)/ by Brooks Nuanez
Cole helped Trinity League powerhouse Mater Dei to the California Division I state championship. The Monarchs defeated Thomas and St. John Bosco Prep in the championship game.
Henderson made 54 tackles and broke up 10 passes in seven games at Snow College in Utah last season.
The case for Alley: Aside from MSU captains linebacker Mac Bignell and safety Bryson McCabe, Alley has the best leadership qualifies and the deepest understanding of MSU’s scheme of any player on the Bobcat defense. He is well-liked by his teammates, works hard and has more game experience than any player in the group. The question for Alley going into his final season is does he have the ability to compete on an every-down basis with the top wide receivers in the Big Sky. He has the want-to and will get the opportunity so don’t be surprised when he puts it all together.
“He’s always been a really, really good young man to have around,” MSU head coach Jeff Choate said in April. “He does things correctly. He understands that he’s here to be a student first and he takes that part of his responsibility very seriously. I think he’s been a good mentor for a lot of the younger guys in the room.
“But I do think it’s a little bit different now for him because he is the guy. They are looking at him and Bryson McCabe as the two veterans in that room. They have more responsibility in terms of going out and being prepared, knowing their assignments but also being able to answer questions for some of these guys, be able to bring them along. I think he’s taken that next step in terms of his leadership.”
Montana State sophomore Damien Washington/ by Brooks Nuanez
The case for Washington: Washington displays the confidence it takes to play cornerback at the Big Sky level. He also showed good fundamentals and an ability to make plays on the ball during his rookie season. His five pass breakups were second on the team, tied with Walker and less than only All-Big Sky safety Bryson McCabe’s nine.
Washington comes from a top-notch high school program so he came to Montana State with a good skill set. He has a high football IQ and the ability to absorb scheme demands quickly. His biggest question mark: does he have the size and athleticism to compete week in and week out at this level.
“I think he’s playing a lot faster and me moves better,” Orphey said during spring football. “I think the techniques we are playing with are putting him in better situations in man coverage situations. He will tell you himself he feels a lot faster and more comfortable. I think he’s in for a special year.”
The case for Evans: At his physical peak, Evans has the best size of the group outside of Henderson, who is probably more of a natural safety. Evans was a highly-touted recruit, a 3-star cornerback who came to Montana State seeking an opportunity to start right away.
Injuries have robbed him of all opportunity. It remains to be seen if it cost him development as well considering he has about one-sixth the game reps as Alley over the last three years.
Montana State true freshman cornerback Jalen Cole/ by Brooks Nuanez
The case for Cole: During the height of recruiting season, Cole earned as much hype as any incoming FCS recruit. The 3-star cornerback is fluid, fundamental, well coached, fearless and highly competitive. The way he moves, the way he challenges receivers, the way he doesn’t back down, his unwavering confidence and bravado, his ball skills; all are exactly what you look for in a cornerback.
The undeniable knock on Cole, though, is his size. His listed size of 5-foot-8, 150 pounds might even be generous. He is one of Montana State’s smallest players and will surely be one of the smallest cornerbacks in the league if he cracks the rotation his first season. How will he compete when he’s matched up with star receivers like towering 6-foot-4 NAU junior All-American Emmanuel Butler?
“Jalen is such a competitor,” Choate said following MSU’s first of two fall scrimmages. “That’s who he is. He ain’t real big but he loves football and he will compete and throw it around. I think that’s why the guy was so highly thought of as a recruit because that’s the type of competitor he is.
“You can knock him on his size all you want but when you play at Mater Dei and you play at the level he did and you can do some the things he can do, that’s why everyone was so high on him and we are certainly happy he’s a Bobcat.”
The case for Thomas: Although Cole came to Montana State with substantially less hype than Cole, he’s shown out in camp as well if not better than his California counterpart.
Montana State true freshman cornerback Tyrel Thomas/ by Colter Nuanez
Thomas has much better size and strength even if he’s not as fluid or polished as Cole. He has also shown position versatility, creeping to No. 2 at nickel back behind Khari Garcia. He notched a touch sack during the scrimmage.
In all likelihood, Montana State will need both Cole and Thomas to play significant snaps in 2017. As this moment, Thomas remains slightly ahead but the duo are the second-team cornerbacks behind Washington and Alley.
The case for Henderson: Henderson was a safety recruit out of high school. He received an offer from Montana State as a safety before ending up at Lamar in Texas for his redshirt freshman year.
A new coaching staff caused Henderson to want a change in scenery. He went to Snow Junior College for a year, where he played cornerback exclusively. His length and athleticism helped him earn offers from MSU, North Dakota and Weber State.
He has been rotating in with the second team at safety and cornerback until Wednesday, when he assumed the No. 1 position at safety next to McCabe for the day. If he can hold on to that spot, he won’t be a part of the corner rotation, meaning an even greater sense of urgency to develop for the inexperienced group.
What they must accomplish during fall camp: The top four players in the corner rotation — Alley, Washington, Cole, and Thomas — will likely not change between now and MSU’s opener at Wazzu on September 2. Who earns the No. 1 reps will be in flux for the rest of camp and likely for the rest of the season. If Alley can maximize his skills, he could have a storybook senior season. Washington is solid and will be hard to surpass. It remains to be seen if Cole and Thomas can handle the rigors of playing Division I cornerback.
Also on the roster: Dre Jackson (5-10, 173-pound junior).
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