As Corbin Walker raced into the end-zone on a pick-six that put an exclamation on a playoff beat down, Autjoe Soe saw a flash of what he might want his career to be.
Walker, a true freshman from Renton just outside Seattle, capped Montana’s 73-28 victory over Southeastern Louisiana in the second round of the FCS Playoffs. That Saturday on December 7 last year, the Grizzlies hosted a slew of recruits, including Soe, an athletic yet under recruited cornerback who, like Walker, might push for a spot on the depth chart as a rookie.
Soe and the rest of the recruits along with Montana’s redshirt freshmen stood at the corner of the south end-zone in Washington-Grizzly Stadium as Walker sprinted across the UM goal line with two minutes left.
That walloping, Montana’s first post-season victory since 2015, proved a crucial performance in front of a collection of prospects who ended up signing with the Grizzlies on December 22. The interception return certainly left an impression on Soe.
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“That was really exciting, a great game to come to and it made me want to play there,” Soe said. “The energy was great. Everybody there just loves football and the football energy there was just amazing. That’s something I want to be a part of.
“I’m not saying a guy who likes the fame or anything, but if you are on the team over there, you are kind of famous (laughs). It’s hard not to like that. Scoring a touchdown like that in that stadium would be pretty nice.”
According to Soe, Montana defensive coordinator Kent Baer indicated to the prospect that the 6-foot-1, 161-pounder from Murray, Utah that he was the top cornerback on UM’s board. That level of confidence rubbed off the teenager.
Baer has more than 40 years of college football coaching experience as he enters his third year as Bobby Hauck’s DC at UM. Baer shared with Soe the story of a career that has landed him at Utah State from 1977 until 1985 before stops at Idaho, Cal, Arizona State, Stanford, Notre Dame, Washington, San Jose State, Colorado and UNLV.
“He was a nice guy who was telling me about the facility and everything,” Soe said in an interview on New Years Eve. “He liked my family a lot and he was recruiting me, telling me that I was on the top of their list for the position. I was on board, excited and Montana is a great school for my education and to continue to compete in football. It was a big opportunity for me so I was very excited.”
Baer himself was born in Logan and played linebacker at Utah State from 1969 until 1972. Soe will be the fourth player from Utah on the Griz roster, joining senior offensive guard Moses Mallory (Herriman), junior defensive tackle Eli Alford (Park City) and incoming freshman linebacker linebacker Chase Johansen (Park City).
“He’s been around and he’s told me that before,” Soe said. “He said out of everywhere, he likes Montana the most. I trust him.”
Baer showed confidence in the cornerback. And the cornerback from 10 miles outside Salt Lake City is not short on belief in himself.
“I am a pretty good zone corner but I can play man very well, so knowing my abilities, I’m coming in knowing I’m going to play man a lot, one-on-one with the best receiver,” Soe said. “That’s the type of corner I am. I always want to be locked in the best receiver and shut them down, take them out of the game.”
As a high school senior, Soe played both ways for the Utah 5A high school in near the Beehive State’s capital and most populous city. Soe racked up 182 tackles and 15 interceptions in three years as a starting cornerback. His senior year, he had 109 tackles, three tackles for loss and picked off six passes.
As a junior, Soe had 59 tackles and seven interceptions. He earned second-team all-state honors as a junior and first-team all-state honors as a senior. On offense, Soe caught 70 passes for 1,349 yards and 13 touchdowns over the last two seasons including 42 catches for 876 yards and nine TDs as a senior.
That production combined with speed — the Griz football website claims a 4.62-second time in the 40-yard dash — helped Soe earn offers from Dixie State and Snow College. He also received interest from Utah State and Weber State.
Soe also earned letters in basketball and track. Last spring, he best mark in the 100 meters came in the BYU Invite; he ran 11.59 seconds. His best time in the 200 meters (23.17) came at the same meet.
Although not elite times in the short or long springs, Soe’s combination of length, height and fluid movement gives him a ton of upside. And potential is what Hauck has always prioritized in recruiting into his developmental program.
The ability to grow in a nurturing environment and play in front of some of the best fans in the FCS is what proved a deciding factor for Soe to choose Montana.
“It’s a great place, beautiful, beautiful views,” Soe said. “I can’t wait to get up therein the summer time because it was a little cold when I was up there. I know I’m going to have to pack a lot of hoodies and stuff.”
Soe will join a cornerback group coached by third-year corners coach C.J. Cox. The young, engaging position coach also was a draw.
“He’s a coach that is very close with his players, has that connection with his players and that’s going to be a gift to me because I like to build connections with my coaches,” Soe said. “He’s a player-first type of coach.”
Soe is not sure what he will major in quite yet. But he is excited to join the Grizzlies and is ready to compete right away. He and most of the rest of UM’s 22 signees for the Class of 2020 are expected to join the team in June if they haven’t joined the roster already. Solidifying that next step a week before the end of 2019 gave Soe great satisfaction.
“My family is super excited, everybody is happy for me,” Soe said. “I am just ready for what life in Montana has to bring me. This has been a great opportunity, everybody is happy. We are living nice now.”
“It was great, meant I was officially a Griz. And I’m ready to rock and roll.”
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