What had been one of Montana State’s biggest strengths going into the 2023 season became a shell of itself by the end of the campaign as 2022 All-Big Sky selection Derryk Snell was out for the year by the sixth game and Treyton Pickering was never 100 percent after being injured against Northern Arizona in Week 9.
The duo’s ability to catch passes and block were a lethal combination at tight end – Snell was also listed as the fullback/h-back – over the years but MSU’s late-season misfortunes seemed to be triggered by the lack of their presence. The Bobcats lost three of their last five games, watching any hope of winning a national title fade, even though that hope seemed well within their grasp midway through the season.
With Snell out, Ryan Lonergan got valuable minutes and was solid. He and off-season transfer Rohan Jones (Maine) appear to have the holes filled for MSU. But one player is poised to perhaps make the tough situation actually better than it was a year ago.
Hunter Provience was a highly regarded pass-catching tight end coming out of high school in southern California where he caught 75 passes for over 1,100 yards and 12 touchdowns over his final two seasons, while also playing on defense. He moved into the rotation behind Lonergan and Pickering when Snell went out and was gradually picking more playing time. After the Pickering injury, Provience found himself starting in the Eastern Washington game where he wasted little time making himself known by catching the first two passes of his career.
A week later, Pickering tried to get on the field against Montana, and while he did make an appearance it was short-lived. Provience was thrust into the road rivalry game and he admitted it was a bit of an overwhelming experience as the Bobcats, themselves, were overwhelmed 37-7 that day.
“I wasn’t really expecting to play as much as I did my freshman year,” Provience said of his first Cat-Griz game. “It was definitely an awesome stage to play on. The stadium got pretty loud, so that was pretty fun.”
While Jones and Lonergan are the listed starters, Provience finds himself getting sizeable reps and he’s expected to have a considerable role in 2024. If the Sonny Holland Spring Game was any indication, he’s certainly part of MSU’s offensive plans. He caught two touchdowns that April afternoon.
“Coming into my second year it’s been a lot better, knowing the offense and getting to play as a third-stringer right now,” Provience said. “I’m getting reps with the 1’s and that’s been nice getting in the flow.
“We all have different (specialties),” Hunter Provience said of his fellow tight ends. “Some of us are pass catchers, some of us are blockers. I think the identity for us is to play tough and aggressive, and to finish blocks, get yards after the catch.”
With former tight ends coach Tyler Walker taking over as the new offensive coordinator, MSU hired Jordan Walsh, a former first-team All-Big Ten and third team All-America offensive lineman for the Iowa Hawkeyes, to coach tight ends.
“He’s bringing in new drills that we didn’t have with coach Walker,” Provience said. “He obviously knows how to block very well, so he’s teaching us the correct technique and we’re really hammering that down in our individual drills.”
Provience was mostly known for his pass catching abilities coming out of high school. He had 10 Division I offers and was getting interest from Stanford and San Diego State before signing at MSU over UNLV and several BSC foes.
He earned league player of the year honors at San Diego’s Christian High School in 2022 when he caught 44 passes for 664 yards and 10 touchdowns as a senior. His junior season he had 31 receptions for 481 yards and a pair of TDs. He also played on the other side of the ball and had 53 tackles, six for a loss, as a defensive end his final two seasons. He was named to the Prep Pigskin Report’s 2022 All-51 Team as a tight end.
Provience and the Bobcats will get their first test this Saturday when they travel to Albuquerque to take on the New Mexico Lobos out of the FBS Mountain West Conference in the season opener for both schools. Game time is set for 2.
