Montana State are in the market for a dropdown cornerback, but two players the Bobcats coveted went elsewhere already.
With fall camp just days away, Montana State was hoping on former Washington State corner Kahshan Greene to transfer to Bozeman. But Rob Ash told Greg Rachac of the Billings Gazette that “things didn’t work out academically” as the 5-foot-10, 168-pound Greene appeared on the roster of the Idaho Vandals today.
It was also rumored that MSU was after Wyoming transfer Ryon’e Winters. Winters, a 6-foot sophomore, transferred to 2014 FCS runner-up Illinois State.
Montana State has senior Bryson Keeton back as a starter at cornerback. The other spot will be a competition between sophomore Bryce Alley, senior Trace Timmer and three freshman: Sidney Holmes of Beaumont, Texas, Chris Harris of Elsinore, California and Tre’Von Strong from Billings Skyview.
While the Bobcats remain in search of a cornerback, they continue to receive preseason publicity. Wednesday, the FCS released its first weekly Coaches’ Poll. The Bobcats were No. 11, making them the second-highest ranked Big Sky Conference team and giving them a one-spot advantage on rival Montana. Three-time reigning league champion EWU is the highest ranked team from the BSC at No. 6. Idaho State is No. 24.
North Dakota State was a unanimous No. 1. The poll marks the fourth season in a row in which the four-time reigning FCS national champs claimed the top spot. NDSU edged out Illinois State, the national runner-up a season ago. Villanova, led by reigning Walter Payton Award winner quarterback John Robertson, was No. 3.
Sam Houston State, the 2011 and 2012 FCS runner-ups, is No. 4. Big South power Coastal Carolina is NO. 5.
New Hampshire, a semifinal qualifier last season, is No. 7. Chattanooga, a quarterfinal team last fall, is No. 8. Jacksonville State and Northern Iowa round out the top 10 right ahead of MSU and UM.
James Madison is No. 13. Liberty is No. 14. Montana opens with NDSU and plays at Liberty in Week 3. South Dakota State, the team that ended Montana State’s season last fall, is No. 15.
| No. | School | Record | Points | Prev | |
| 1 | North Dakota State (24) | 0-0 | 600 | 0 | |
| 2 | Illinois State | 0-0 | 551 | 0 | |
| 3 | Villanova | 0-0 | 512 | 0 | |
| 4 | Sam Houston State | 0-0 | 511 | 0 | |
| 5 | Coastal Carolina | 0-0 | 502 | 0 | |
| 6 | Eastern Washington | 0-0 | 481 | 0 | |
| 7 | New Hampshire | 0-0 | 445 | 0 | |
| 8 | Chattanooga | 0-0 | 409 | 0 | |
| 9 | Jacksonville State | 0-0 | 396 | 0 | |
| 10 | Northern Iowa | 0-0 | 381 | 0 | |
| 11 | Montana State | 0-0 | 296 | 0 | |
| 12 | Montana | 0-0 | 278 | 0 | |
| 13 | James Madison | 0-0 | 272 | 0 | |
| 14 | Liberty | 0-0 | 256 | 0 | |
| 15 | South Dakota State | 0-0 | 215 | 0 | |
| 16 | Youngstown State | 0-0 | 205 | 0 | |
| 17 | Eastern Kentucky | 0-0 | 171 | 0 | |
| 18 | Richmond | 0-0 | 170 | 0 | |
| 19 | Southeastern Louisiana | 0-0 | 164 | 0 | |
| 20 | Indiana State | 0-0 | 106 | 0 | |
| 21 | Fordham | 0-0 | 103 | 0 | |
| 22 | Harvard | 0-0 | 99 | 0 | |
| 23 | McNeese State | 0-0 | 91 | 0 | |
| 24 | Idaho State | 0-0 | 82 | 0 | |
| 25 | Eastern Illinois | 0-0 | 73 | 0 | |
| Others Receiving Votes: Alcorn State(0-0) 52; Stephen F. Austin(0-0) 51; William & Mary(0-0) 43; Cal Poly(0-0) 42; Northern Arizona(0-0) 34; Bethune-Cookman(0-0) 25; North Carolina A&T(0-0) 24; South Carolina State(0-0) 21; Jackson State(0-0) 21; Charleston Southern(0-0) 14; Sacred Heart(0-0) 14; Western Carolina(0-0) 13; Furman(0-0) 12; South Dakota(0-0) 12; Bucknell(0-0) 9; Maine(0-0) 9; Lehigh(0-0) 8; Samford(0-0) 5; Towson(0-0) 5; Yale(0-0) 4; San Diego(0-0) 4; Bryant(0-0) 4; Duquesne(0-0) 2; Central Arkansas(0-0) 2; UT Martin(0-0) 1 | |||||
| Updated: (08/05/2015) | |||||
