As Montana State tries to inject more passing into its offense, it’s doing so during some major turnover at the wide receiver positions. When you put three guys into the sphere of having chances to make NFL roster spots over the span of the 2019 and 2021 seasons, plus half a dozen other pass-catchers decide to pursue other options, you can easily say MSU’s wide receiver room has Elevated Expectations.
The lone returning starter is senior Willie Patterson, who was second on the team in 2021 with 30 receptions for 375 yards and three touchdowns. Gone are current Los Angeles Rams’ rookie Lance McCutcheon, who set the school record for receiving yards for MSU last season, along with Jaden Smith, who transferred after starting most of the season. Smith caught three touchdowns against Mississippi Valley State for Tarleton State over the weekend
Nate Stewart graduated, Charles Brown (Smith’s cousin) and Jahmad Monroe transferred. Cam Gardner, a former Utah transfer, and Andrew Patterson, a former 3-star recruit from the Phoenix area were not part of the 95-man roster head coach Brent Vigen brought to his second fall camp because of academic issues.
Coy Steel has returned after it appeared his career had ended due to an injury. He celebrated senior day, but ultimately decided to return for a fifth and final season. But he did not dress in MSU’s 40-17 season-opening win over McNeese State. Redshirt freshman Aidan Garrigan, a walk-on from Texas, has worked his way onto the two-deep and was in for several plays Saturday.
All told the returning receivers – Patterson and Steel – accounted for just 33 catches for 414 yards and three touchdowns.
The wide receiver room turnover meant Bobcats needed to hit the transfer portal in the offseason, and they did so with success by landing 6-foot-3, 203-pound graduate transfers Ravi Alston of Division III St. John’s (Minnesota) and Clevan Thomas, also a graduate transfer who comes to MSU from the University of Kentucky.
Alston hauled in three passes for 48 yards, including a touchdown, in this past Saturday’s game. Patterson tied Alston for team-high honors with three catches, including an acrobatic first down catch down the sideline and a diving, highlight reel catch in the corner of the end-zone for a go-ahead touchdown near the end of the first half to give MSU a 17-10 lead going into the break.
Thomas was on the field a lot but didn’t record a reception as MSU attempted just 21 passes with its run game in high gear most of the evening. Thomas did receive two of Montana State’s 59 rushing attempts.
“These group of guys are amazing,” Thomas said during an interview during fall camp. “When I first got up here we had a team dinner and I didn’t say anything and I sat apart from everybody and literally I wanna say 80 percent of the team came up asking ‘how you doing?’ ‘what’s your name’ ‘my name’s this’ and ‘what’s up?’ and I was like, ‘okay, I like this team!’ It’s very team oriented and everything we do, we do together. Meet together, eat together, sweat together.”
Thomas, who’s from Miami, Fla., started eight games for the Wildcats and played 29 altogether. He seemed to be solidifying himself as a starter his sophomore season but that was sidetracked when he suffered a leg injury. That year he had 11 catches for 99 yards.
Alston was a highlight reel for St. John’s. In two season with the Johnnies he collected 153 balls for 2,350 yards and 22 touchdowns.
“My goal coming out here was just doing my job every play,” Alston said. “Put the team in the best position I can to help the team win.”
True freshmen Taco Dowler (Billings West) and Christian Anaya (Chandler, AZ) are expected to figure into the mix and both are listed in the MSU two-deep. Dowler, the reigning Montana Gatorade Player of the Year, looked impressive in taking a pair of handoffs on reverse plays against the Cowboys. The Billigng West product scooted 14 yards on his first career carry and 10 more on his second. Dowler is also manning the punt return duties for the Bobcats.
Both players had prolific high school careers. Dowler led West to consecutive Class AA title games, catching 151 passes for 2,756 yards and 27 touchdowns along the way. Anaya hauled in 157 receptions for 1,770 yards and 26 scores during his high school career. Garrigan was also top-notch receiver at Magnolia High School in Texas.
MSU has also brought in JC transfers Malik Mullins and Tayvian Williams, along with three other freshmen in Butte’s Dylan Snyder, Noah Smith from Joshua, Tex. and Zachary Dodson-Green from Salem, Ore. Williams was a transfer from Laney College entering last season and is the younger brother of former MSU All-Big Sky defensive end Amandre Williams. MSU also added Sac State transfer Marqui Johnson just before the end of the off-season.
The Bobcats were in a similar situation starting the 2021 season when it had to rebuild after the COVID19 year when Kevin Kassis and Travis Jonsen ran out of eligibility after the 2019 season. Jonsen went to make the Tampa Bay Buccaneers practice squad and Kassis was on the Seattle Seahawks roster this preseason.
MSU is back in action with another nonconference game Saturday afternoon at 1 when Morehead State out of Morehead, Kentucky comes to Bozeman.
