The 11 walk ons

[TomCat88]

You've heard of most of these. Now official.

BOZEMAN, Mont. – First-year Montana State football coach Jeff Choate boosted his first recruiting class Monday, announcing the addition of 11 incoming high school players, including seven homegrown athletes from Montana.

Five offensive players begin their journeys as Bobcats late this summer, led by three players who starred as prep quarterbacks. Kamden Brown (Covina, Calif.) threw for 2,749 yards and 31 touchdowns to lead Charter Oak High School to a 12-2 record last fall. Brian Campbell (Covington, Wash.) threw for 956 yards and nine touchdowns as a junior at Kentwood High School, and comes to MSU with his position determined this fall. Clark Judisch (Conrad) threw for 1,460 yards and rushed for 856 at Conrad High School last fall, joining several current Bobcats that transitioned from quarterback to tight end at MSU.

The Cats also landed a pair of offensive linemen, and a talented back to line up behind them. Luke Channer was an all-conference lineman for former Bobcat Clayton Curley at Corvallis (Mont.) High School. Connor Floden was a first team all-league selection at Oak Ridge High School in El Dorado Hills, Calif. Running back Nicholas Van Horssen had already gained nearly 500 yards rushing for Helena High last fall when an injury ended his season, but he gained 1,123 yards in his career.

The front seven was a focus on defense, beginning with a pair of in-state big men. Linemen Denver Krone earned all-state honors on offense and defense at Augusta High, and Kyle Murack was a standout at Conrad High School. Linebacker Austin Barrette (Santa Margarita, Calif.) logged 79 tackles for Santa Margarita High School last fall, and local safety Will Martel helped lead Bozeman High School to a state championship.

MSU’s special teams also adds a talented kicker. Gabriel Peppenger of Missoula Sentinel was the Class AA All-State kicker last fall, and is expected to compete for varsity action early in his Bobcat career.

2016 MONTANA STATE ROSTER ADDITIONS
Austin Barrette, LB (6-0, 220, Fr, Santa Margarita, CA – Santa Margarita HS)
Kamden Brown, QB (6-2, 190, Fr, Covina, CA – Charter Oak)
Brian Campbell, ATH (6-3, 195, Fr, Covington, WA – Kentwood HS)
Luke Channer, OL (6-3, 290, Fr, Corvallis, MT – Corvallis HS)
Connor Floden, OL (6-1, 250, Fr, El Dorado Hills, CA – Oak Ridge HS)
Clark Judisch, TE (6-4, 200, Fr, Conrad, MT – Conrad HS)
Denver Krone, DL (6-2, 250, Fr, Augusta, MT – Choteau HS)
Will Martel, S (6-2, 190, Fr, Bozeman, MT – Bozeman HS)
Kyle Murack, DL (6-4, 235, Fr, Conrad, MT – Conrad HS)
Gabriel Peppenger, K (6-0, 190, Fr, Missoula, MT – Sentinel HS)
Nicholas Van Horssen, RB (5-9, 190, Fr, Clancy, MT – Helena HS)

[Bemiller49]

I watched a couple games with those Conrad boys. They have a great coach there and they know how to compete!

[VimSince03]

I will have a write up on these kids posted by tomorrow. Good list of players!

[RobertCats]

I watched a couple games with those Conrad boys. They have a great coach there and they know how to compete!

They both had scholarships to MT Tech among other Frontier Conference Schools. Judisch is very athletic and has great size, didn't have a future as a Division 1 QB but VERY intriguing as a TE. Even better is that the head coach is a DIEHARD, VOCAL, Griz Fan so I can't wait to give him a ton of sh!t for this.

[Bozcat003]

Just watched the first 30 seconds of Brain Campbell's highlights . . .

I see him as a mean safety, seems to have very good arm strength though. Excited about all these guys

[bobcat99]

I watched a couple games with those Conrad boys. They have a great coach there and they know how to compete!

They both had scholarships to MT Tech among other Frontier Conference Schools. Judisch is very athletic and has great size, didn't have a future as a Division 1 QB but VERY intriguing as a TE. Even better is that the head coach is a DIEHARD, VOCAL, Griz Fan so I can't wait to give him a ton of sh!t for this.

One of the Jusisch's is married to a Perkins, I think she ran track at UM. Very good runner. Anyways, her brother is Lee Perkins. I'm assuming that's a connection here.

[dcbeck]

FWIW, Denver Krone played at Choteau, not Augusta

[BigBruceBaker]

FWIW, Denver Krone played at Choteau, not Augusta

Who is Choteau? I only know about Fairfield.

[Hi-Line Bobcat]

I watched a couple games with those Conrad boys. They have a great coach there and they know how to compete!

They both had scholarships to MT Tech among other Frontier Conference Schools. Judisch is very athletic and has great size, didn't have a future as a Division 1 QB but VERY intriguing as a TE. Even better is that the head coach is a DIEHARD, VOCAL, Griz Fan so I can't wait to give him a ton of sh!t for this.

One of the Jusisch's is married to a Perkins, I think she ran track at UM. Very good runner. Anyways, her brother is Lee Perkins. I'm assuming that's a connection here.

Lonnie is my relative and she did run track at UM, and her brother Lee, as many of you know and as you said, was our TE. If the Judisch kid isn't Ross's brother, which is Lonnie's husband, he definitely is a relative to Ross.

[RobertCats]

I watched a couple games with those Conrad boys. They have a great coach there and they know how to compete!

They both had scholarships to MT Tech among other Frontier Conference Schools. Judisch is very athletic and has great size, didn't have a future as a Division 1 QB but VERY intriguing as a TE. Even better is that the head coach is a DIEHARD, VOCAL, Griz Fan so I can't wait to give him a ton of sh!t for this.

One of the Jusisch's is married to a Perkins, I think she ran track at UM. Very good runner. Anyways, her brother is Lee Perkins. I'm assuming that's a connection here.

Lonnie is my relative and she did run track at UM, and her brother Lee, as many of you know and as you said, was our TE. If the Judisch kid isn't Ross's brother, which is Lonnie's husband, he definitely is a relative to Ross.

Lonnie's husband Ross got a scholarship to MSU in 2003 and was the best player, not named Loren Utterback, that I EVER played against (Utterback coincidentally also lives in Conrad now). Ross had to retire after his freshman or redshirt freshman year due to back injuries. I believe Clark's dad and Ross's dad are cousins if I remember the lineage correctly, very athletic family.

[Mr Lisle]

Just watched the first 30 seconds of Brain Campbell's highlights . . .

I see him as a mean safety, seems to have very good arm strength though. Excited about all these guys

Campbell does a nice job of locating the right receiver and getting him the ball. What I enjoyed the most was watching the bad tackling. I was looking for the right adjective, but I'm sure the word I came up with couldn't be used on the internet even using a pseudonym. So I'll be nice and just call it "pretty funny".

[Common Cat]

I watched a couple games with those Conrad boys. They have a great coach there and they know how to compete!

They both had scholarships to MT Tech among other Frontier Conference Schools. Judisch is very athletic and has great size, didn't have a future as a Division 1 QB but VERY intriguing as a TE. Even better is that the head coach is a DIEHARD, VOCAL, Griz Fan so I can't wait to give him a ton of sh!t for this.

Is it Mick Morris?

[RobertCats]

I watched a couple games with those Conrad boys. They have a great coach there and they know how to compete!

They both had scholarships to MT Tech among other Frontier Conference Schools. Judisch is very athletic and has great size, didn't have a future as a Division 1 QB but VERY intriguing as a TE. Even better is that the head coach is a DIEHARD, VOCAL, Griz Fan so I can't wait to give him a ton of sh!t for this.

Is it Mick Morris?

Yes

[FTG247365]

Quick Question, is this group of players considered PWO? Will there be another group in the fall once schools starts, regular Walk On's? Those guys are typically announced at the start of school right? Thanks in advance.

[VimSince03]

Quick Question, is this group of players considered PWO? Will there be another group in the fall once schools starts, regular Walk On's? Those guys are typically announced at the start of school right? Thanks in advance.

These are the 11 preferred walk-ons meaning they are guaranteed a spot on the fall roster. Depending on the roster in the fall, a few walk-ons make it onto the team through tryouts around the beginning of the new school year.

[dcbeck]

FWIW, Denver Krone played at Choteau, not Augusta

Who is Choteau? I only know about Fairfield.

That "other "team in teton county

[Bozcat003]

Vim, have you gotten a chance to write about these guys yet? Interested to see what you have to say about them - especially the guys we didn't know about

[VimSince03]

Vim, have you gotten a chance to write about these guys yet? Interested to see what you have to say about them - especially the guys we didn't know about

Working on it over my lunch break. Hang tight!

[mslacatfan]

Vim, have you gotten a chance to write about these guys yet? Interested to see what you have to say about them - especially the guys we didn't know about

Working on it over my lunch break. Hang tight!

dude, quit slackin. It would be nice if you could contribute something to this site every now and then.

[VimSince03]

The In-State Preferred Walk-Ons:

Kyle Murack - 6'5", 235 lbs. - Conrad, MT http://www.hudl.com/athlete/2789043/kyle-murack


Photo credit to the Choteau Acantha

Kyle is #33 in the photo above. Ignore his listed size on hudl. Kyle was only 6'2", 190 lbs. as a sophomore and now AFTER his senior season he is up to 6'5", 235 lbs with still a lot of room to add weight. I guess in the recruiting process, you should ask about the family genetic history. He has been an all-conference player for the 1B conference the past two years and traditionally the 1B is one of the toughest conference in Class B. He played offensive tackle and defensive end during his two all-conference seasons. Personally I thought he would be a good offensive tackle prospect but MSU wants him to start out at DE (or just the defensive line in general). Kyle moves around pretty well for a 6'5" kid who is still growing physically. His build is similar to John Weidenaar out of high school. As a defensive end, he doesn't look like he has any problem getting down into a good stance and his first step out of his stance is decent. He uses his long arms and frame to his advantage on both offensive and defensive. Mostly, I just like how he engages blockers on both sides of the ball. Kyle has no problem getting after it. I still think he will end up on offense but as of right now, a player you can compare him to on the current roster is Zach Wright.

Clark Judisch - 6'4", 200 lbs. - Conrad, MT http://www.hudl.com/athlete/2984964



#4 in the photo above. Judisch is a quarterback/safety who comes from an athletic family but I didn't see a Big Sky level player...if he were to play Quarterback or Safety. Then the release said he will become a tight end and that changes things with Clark. As a QB, Clark had a quick release and the ability to be a threat outside the pocket. Like Kyle, he is a kid who has developed a bit late but is now starting to come into his own as an athlete from a physical standpoint. Clark has a long, long way to go if he ever wants to see the field as a tight end. I hope the kid likes to eat because he will be doing a lot of it in the next few years if he wants to get big enough to be a contributing tight end. However, he does come from a very athletic family and you can tell he is a natural athlete with a nice long stride when running with the football. The easy choice for a Bobcat comparison would be Austin Barth due to the fact both were tall quarterbacks who transitioned to tight end. Keep in mind though Austin was about 15-20 lbs. heavier than Clark coming out of high school when making that transition. The athletic traits are there so get to eating Clark!

Denver Krone - 6'2", 250 lbs. - Choteau, MT http://www.hudl.com/athlete/3127273/denver-krone


Photo credit to the Choteau Acantha

Another 1B kid, Denver was all-state for the Bulldogs his senior season and first team all-conference both ways as a junior and senior. He plays physical with a good punch off the line. They pulled him a lot during his career at Choteau and with great success in the run game. He also lined up at guard and center on offense and defensive end, defensive tackle, and middle linebacker on defense. Denver was also a solid heavyweight wrestler for the Bulldogs. At the Class B level, he was always one of the better players on the field whoever Choteau played. He will line up at offensive guard for the East squad in the Montana East-West Shrine game this summer. Perhaps Denver's best trait is that he is a rodeo standout as well. I don't mind bringing on a defensive line prospect who can wrestle calves. Looking at his film, there is room for a ton of improvement on technique but Denver is a kid you can mold into a solid three tech player and maybe even a nose later on. How about a Beau Clark comparison because of his rodeo background and the fact that he will be playing defensive tackle at MSU! Welcome aboard Denver!

Will Martel - 6'2", 195 lbs. - Bozeman, MT


Photo credit to Bozeman Daily Chronicle

Will was a first team All-State strong safety in AA for the state champion Hawks. He was selected for both the Badlands Bowl and Shrine Game as a safety. Good player will a ton of potential to develop, mostly due to his frame (6'2", 195 lbs). Athletically, I think he is a little stiff in the hips but I don't think it will limit his ceiling as a player. Why? Because I think Will has good instincts as a football player, especially on defense. He was good in run support on the outside for the Hawks and could lay a big hit playing middle field from his safety spot. Will can cover some ground from his position as he can read and react well when the ball is in the air. Will's tackling technique could use some work as he comes in too high at times but his size helps him get the job done. He also has long arms that help his overall game in many ways. Will is a kid who might be a better linebacker fit in the future but Bozeman recruited him as a safety. He will most likely be one of the starting safeties for the East in this summer's Shrine game. Good player and his game is similar to former Bobcat Joel Fuller in my opinion.

Luke Channer - 6'3", 290 lbs. - Corvallis, MT


Photo credit to the Bitterroot Star

He gained 30 or so pounds since his sophomore season. He is a two time all-conference offensive guard (1st team in 2015 and 2nd team in 2014) out of the Southwestern A conference. He has a good release off the line and gets into defenders quickly, shooting his hands. He also does a good job of finishing his blocks and his film is littered with pancake blocks. He takes good angles to get his defender turned but sometimes he tries to be too technical and instead should just get into the opposing player regardless of technique. Luke does have position flexibility which is key for lineman. From what I see on tape, he has the ability to be a good college lineman and possibly could be the diamond in the rough of this entire 2016 recruiting class. It also helps that he is a 4.0 student and a solid high school wrestler. I felt that Luke was slighted and underrated by the selection committees for both the East-West Shrine Game and Badlands Bowl. The best players should play and I thought Luke was overlooked just because he didn't make the All-State team in Class A. As I said last summer, his game is similar to former All-American tackle Conrad Burbank. Luke has all the tools and I'm interested to see how his career plays out.

Nick Van Horssen - 5'10", 200 lbs. - Helena, MT


Photo credit to the Helena Air

When Nick is on the field, he is one of the best all-around players out there. But that was the main problem for Nick these last couple of years...staying on the field. His junior season, Van Horssen split carries with fellow back Nick Winfield who earned All-State mention as a FB for Helena High. Winfield transferred to Jefferson his senior season and signed with Montana Tech. However, if you watch Nick's film his junior year, he just doesn't look as explosive as his senior year. Which leads me to his senior season. Van Horssen finally got fully healthy and it showed his first five games in 2015. He was stronger, faster, and more explosive than his junior year and it showed on tape. Then he broke his leg. A truly devastating injury for a kid who was on his way to a great senior season which would have surely garnered him All-State recognition and invites to the all-star games. Cramsey was recruiting him last year and I paid attention to that. Kudos to MSU for giving this kid a shot at the FCS level. The work ethic is there with Nick as he is a workout warrior in the weight room and a dedicated student. As for how he is recovering, Nick posted an 11.10 second 100m dash this season in track so he still has the speed. A good comparison is current cat Logan Jones. They play very similar brands of football and both can be that slotback type of player on offense.

Gabe Peppenger - 6'0", 190 lbs. - Missoula, MT


Photo credit to NBC Montana

Gabe has a booming leg and getting him to sign with MSU was big for the Cats because of their current kicking situation. They don't have much kicking depth at all so landing Gabe and picking up Jered Padmos was key. The Cats basically got the two best kickers in the state and I believe Gabe is the best pure kicker out of the two. His tape shows off his ability to kick the ball into the endzone on a regular basis. He shows consistently good technique every time he lines up for a field goal. He will push Tandberg for kicking duties next fall with Luke Daly likely on the shelf for the year. I see Padmos as our potential punter next fall unless coaches bring in a transfer. Good student to boot (kind of a trend with the Bobcats these days). He is built similar to former Bobcat kicker Jeff Hastings.