Bobcats Complete Class of 2018 Recruiting
By Danny Waldo
The 2018 recruiting season has officially ended for the Montana State Bobcat football team following National Signing Day on February 7th.
Head coach Jeff Choate and his staff were able to lure 12 new athletes to Bozeman to go along with the 16 new recruits they signed during the early signing period in December.
Of the February signees, two hail from the state of Montana, bringing MSU’s in-state recruiting numbers to nine, while the Bobcats made inroads in a new recruiting territory, the state of Washington, where they were able to grab four players, including the Gatorade Player of the Year for Washington state in Isaiah Ifanse out Bellevue, a powerhouse program in the Pacific Northwest, and a recruiting stronghold for the University of Montana. MSU also signed a quarterback from Washington in December, bringing the total number of Washington recruits to five, an area Choate wanted to make some gains in this recruiting cycle.
“I think one of the things you notice about this class is that we signed five kids from the state of Washington, and that was an objective for us, breaking into the I-5 corridor,” he said. “I think we have a strong foothold there, not just by getting players but by getting exceptional players and student-athletes that fit our culture here at Montana State.”
The Bobcats were also able to secure four recruits from the state of California, as well one each from Colorado and Texas.
Choate, who was recently signed to a three-year contract extension, feels good about the players he and his staff have brought in, and feels like they were able to land some top-quality athletes by selling them on the notion that they will be competing for championships from Day 1.
“For us,” said Montana State Head Football Jeff Choate, “the future is now. One of the ideas we sold in this recruiting cycle is that we’re no longer in the building phase,” he said. “We’re in the compete-for-a-championship phase. That resonated with a lot of these young men and their families. The hard work and the heavy lifting have been done. They can come in and either develop into tremendous members of our campus community and our football program, or be the missing piece for us to take the next step.”
For a complete profile of each of Montana State’s 12 new recruits, visit www.msubobcats.com.
Danny Waldo is a local freelance writer covering Montana State and Bozeman Hawk athletics.
