Jeff Choate welcomed 20 new Bobcats into the program Wednesday
Photo by: Sepp Jannotta
Jeff Choate Completes First Recruiting Class
2/3/2016 2:50:00 PM | Football
Bobcats bring 10 Treasure State standouts into the fold
BOZEMAN, Mont. -- During a college coaching career that has reached from NAIA to the SEC and Pac 12, Jeff Choate has learned that the number of stars earned by a recruiting class is unrelated to the number of stars a recruiting class produces on the field.
"There were high fives in the (Bobcat Football) offices when we got commitments from every one of these players," Choate said Wednesday after compiling his first recruiting class as Montana State's head coach. "I like the character of the young men we signed. This is a smart group of kids. We have guys who scored more than a 32 on the ACT, and smart football players make smart football coaches. I'm excited about that."
Choate also said that taken as a group, the 19 players joining the Bobcats Wednesday begin to paint a picture of how he hopes his program evolves physically. "One thing that is pretty obvious is that we wanted to get taller, longer, more athletic," he said. "If you look at the heights and weights of the guys who are going to play in the front seven, we accomplished that. Length covers space and nowadays everybody tries to spread you out. The longer we are at the line of scrimmage the more we can spread people out on offense and the more space we can cover on defense."
The Bobcats addressed three immediate needs with transfers. Quarterback Tyler Bruggman (Scottsdale CC) and offensive lineman Alex Neale (UNLV) joined the Bobcat program in January and will participate in spring drills, while Naijiel Hale is a cornerback from the University of Washington with starting experience. "We knew there were needs to address right away," Choate said. "Each of these three have played at a high level both in high school and collegiately."
Montana State's Class of 2016 reflects the emphasis on home-grown players along with geographic diversity that he hopes become hallmarks of his program. Montana kids become the glue of this program, the guys that can relate to how important Montana State's success and tradition are to the people in this state," Choate said. "We have strong connections in Texas and California, and as we develop we'll work hard in places the Bobcats have traditionally recruited, like Washington and Oregon, the I-5 corridor, and Minnesota."
Choate said identifying the right person during his first recruiting cycle at Montana State was at least as important as identifying the best players. "We wanted to find the right Cats," he said.
#TRC16
Bobcat Recruits by Position
Quarterback – 2, Running Back – 2, Offensive Line – 4, Receiver – 2, Defensive Line – 4, Linebacker – 2, Defensive Back – 2, Kicker – 1,
Athlete – 1
Bobcat Recruits by Home State
Montana – 10, California – 6, Arizona – 1, Minnesota – 1, Texas – 1, Washington – 1
"There were high fives in the (Bobcat Football) offices when we got commitments from every one of these players," Choate said Wednesday after compiling his first recruiting class as Montana State's head coach. "I like the character of the young men we signed. This is a smart group of kids. We have guys who scored more than a 32 on the ACT, and smart football players make smart football coaches. I'm excited about that."
Choate also said that taken as a group, the 19 players joining the Bobcats Wednesday begin to paint a picture of how he hopes his program evolves physically. "One thing that is pretty obvious is that we wanted to get taller, longer, more athletic," he said. "If you look at the heights and weights of the guys who are going to play in the front seven, we accomplished that. Length covers space and nowadays everybody tries to spread you out. The longer we are at the line of scrimmage the more we can spread people out on offense and the more space we can cover on defense."
The Bobcats addressed three immediate needs with transfers. Quarterback Tyler Bruggman (Scottsdale CC) and offensive lineman Alex Neale (UNLV) joined the Bobcat program in January and will participate in spring drills, while Naijiel Hale is a cornerback from the University of Washington with starting experience. "We knew there were needs to address right away," Choate said. "Each of these three have played at a high level both in high school and collegiately."
Montana State's Class of 2016 reflects the emphasis on home-grown players along with geographic diversity that he hopes become hallmarks of his program. Montana kids become the glue of this program, the guys that can relate to how important Montana State's success and tradition are to the people in this state," Choate said. "We have strong connections in Texas and California, and as we develop we'll work hard in places the Bobcats have traditionally recruited, like Washington and Oregon, the I-5 corridor, and Minnesota."
Choate said identifying the right person during his first recruiting cycle at Montana State was at least as important as identifying the best players. "We wanted to find the right Cats," he said.
#TRC16
Bobcat Recruits by Position
Quarterback – 2, Running Back – 2, Offensive Line – 4, Receiver – 2, Defensive Line – 4, Linebacker – 2, Defensive Back – 2, Kicker – 1,
Athlete – 1
Bobcat Recruits by Home State
Montana – 10, California – 6, Arizona – 1, Minnesota – 1, Texas – 1, Washington – 1
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