CATS IN CAMP DAY SIX: Tight Ends Progress Helps Diversify Bobcat Offense

Jacob Hadley

Photo by: Andrew Pedersen

CATS IN CAMP DAY SIX: Tight Ends Progress Helps Diversify Bobcat Offense

8/7/2019 5:02:00 PM | Football

New collection of tight ends looks to form strong unit

By: Bill Lamberty

BOZEMAN, Montana – The pendulum has swung in Montana State's tight end room. Gone are three seniors who combined to play more than 100 games for the Bobcats. Moved is tight ends coach Brian Armstrong, back to the offensive line.

Regardless, Montana State offensive coordinator Matt Miller is hoping that the production from Bobcat tight ends is on the rise. "I love tight ends," Miller said. "That's something we did last fall a little bit is get the tight ends more involved (in the pass game). We'll really miss those three seniors (Connor Sullivan, Curtis Amos Jr., Wilson Brott), but I really like our tight end group."

That group begins with third-year junior Ryan Davis, who has played the past two seasons as a reserve while contributing on kick teams. Junior Jacob Hadley moves from linebacker to bring a physical presence and big target to the position. Redshirt freshman Treyton Pickering and Derryk Snell have impressed, along with first-year freshman Ryan Lonergan. Jarrett Kessler is a sophomore who moves to tight ends, while Ethan Bullock joins the group as a first-year frosh.

"We have kind of a young group overall so these practices are so important," first-year tight ends coach Nate Potter said. "Every rep counts, every rep they're getting better, every rep we're learning more about what each guy does best."

Miller sees the youth, but also the up-side. "There's a lot of youth but a lot of talent and a lot of growth (potential)," he said. "I think Coach Potter is the perfect guy to coach those guys because that guys dialed in and locked in schematically in terms of some of the stuff we did back in the Boise State days as well as adhering to the standards that those tight ends need to have."

Bobcat coach Jeff Choate said his tight end group will help the team diversify its offense. "We want to incorporate those guys" into the aerial attack, Choate said, but he added that diversity and the ability to impact all segments of the offense remains the top priority.

Miller agrees. "It's nice to have that ability to be more traditional (in terms of the pass attack), but we're not going to lose that creativity," Choate said. "That's something I take pride in, Coach Choate takes pride in, and we're going to try to get our playmakers the ball the most different ways we can."

PLAYER OF THE DAY: Linebacker Daniel Hardy got the nod on Wednesday for his contributions on special teams.

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