The Bobcat Nation

DeCock may be the next Swaggert by the time he's done at MSU. Looks like he'll be starting as a freshman:

http://www.msubobcats.com/news.php?sid=h&nid=571

DeCock might be the starter at right tackel for this season, but what about Joe Hirst. Everyone is talking about the size of the kid but it means nothing if he cant move his feet! I don't think DeCock will ever be the next Brent Swaggert. Even though Hirst is out this year and will only have two years left he might be close to what swaggert was. But if you think anyone is going to be the next swaggert it is probably Peter Jensen. I think this kid has a chance at being a great bobcat. He is probably going to be the starter at left tackel for the next 4 years. John Madden said you build teams around the left tackel, now it seemed to work with Brent, and i think Peter could be better than Swaggert!!!

EastCat, welcome to the board.
Tell us why Peder has great potential. I've heard others say the same thing, but I don't know why. Is it his footwork? aggression? speed? I know he left this spring at about 240-245, and returned for camp about 280, so he has the ability to put on some size.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not doubting you or Peder. I just haven't seen him play, and would like to know why folks are so high on him.

Once again, welcome to the board.

and tell us, where exactly is Flordia? Is it warm there?

eastcat - welcome to the board. Dont take this the wrong way, but to predict Jensen becoming better than Swaggert?!?!?! Maybe I read your post wrong, but Brent was one of the greatest linemen to ever play at MSU, and currently finds himself on an NFL roster.

I hope you are right on Peder, but I think it is a little premature to make those kind of comparisons - not to mention unfair to Peder.

Can't Hirst get a medical redshirt and be back for three years, if he chooses?
I don't know what it is about our offensive line. We typically start out looking plush but by the time the season starts we're already improvising. Maybe Montana doesn't have the population to support two 1AA level schools at the skilled positions, but I find it hard to believe stud offensive linemen can't be cultivated out of places like Billings, Bozeman, Great Falls, Butte, Miles City, Havre, Helena, etc. Typically we're gonna recruit 3-5 per year. Question the necessity of going to Florida, California and other far away places to find them.

This would be an interesting statistical question. What % of males in the U.S. are, or have the potential to be, roughly 6'3" or taller and weigh over 280 pounds, while still being very athletic and very strong (and smart enough/mentally tough enough to play the position and make it through college)?

Then take that % and apply it to the number of males who graduate from MT high schools each year. I imagine that leaves us with a pretty small number, unfortunately.

It would be up to the NCAA to give Hirst another year of eligibility. In theory, that's what the redshirt season is for - in case a kid gets hurt.
I did talk to Hirst on Sunday, and he is lifting and rehabbing hard. He says that he's ahead of schedule, and is shooting to come back in October.

When it comes to the O-Line and depth, I think we are seeing some of the effects of our lower scholarships (the 1-aa limit) that we can offer. Every team, and especially 1-aa, runs into O-line depth trouble. If we could up our scholarships, it would help.

The other difficulty is who we recruit for the o-line. Kramer likes to get D-lineman and/or kids who were good basketball players. In both cases, too many times these kids need a few years to put on the beef they need for O-line. The reasoning is that they have good footwork (something that is more difficult to teach), and that with a good lifting program, they can put on the beef. Unfortunately, we've needed to play these kids before they may be ready.

I think the two MT kids we got this year (Beniger and Smith) may pan out to be All-Big Sky by the time they are done. Hopefully we won't need them this year.

As a side note, all this trouble sure makes you wish that Mataio had studied harder so he could have played this year.

rainy - I heard from someone that Hirst cant get a redshirt due to the fact that he injured his knee in the offseason, non football related, something like that. I'd love to hear some clarification on that though.

Great post on the recruiting that needs to take place in MT for the hogs in the trenches. But in the end, I could care less if the kid is from Mars. So long as he/she gives it all they can, I welcome them to the MSU family. More importantly than recruiting in-state, I'd rather see us give more schollies to high school kids and let them learn the ropes as opposed to taking chances on JCs.

I actually think Kramer has done a good job of recruiting the OL. Until Hirst went down, our OL had 2 rock solid sophs in Birkeland and Hirst, plus Bolton (Jr.) redshirtfrosh Jensen and DeCock, and we have true frosh coming up the ranks in Beniger and Chris Smith. I think the future is pretty bright with the OL.

Notice I just ripped off 4 MT kids sophomore and younger as blossoming studs.

HC95 - you might have just made my day! Hirst is thinking of coming back in October!!1 WOW!

Great comment about Mataio. Basically, you could say that we lost 2 starters this offseason in Hirst and Toilolo. Not to mention Blake Garrison who didnt qualify academically.

Bay Area Cat wrote:This would be an interesting statistical question. What % of males in the U.S. are, or have the potential to be, roughly 6'3" or taller and weigh over 280 pounds, while still being very athletic and very strong (and smart enough/mentally tough enough to play the position and make it through college)?

Then take that % and apply it to the number of males who graduate from MT high schools each year. I imagine that leaves us with a pretty small number, unfortunately.

7

and that includes 2 women shot-putters.

Also a couple of wannabe baskeball players

thanks for all of the welcomes y'all!
I think Peter Jensen has the talent to be better than Swaggert, now if he actually becomes that good (i pray for) is up to him and the msu football program. I am just real big on him because he has showed the want to be a good oline man by putting on 50 lbs or however much he did this summer. Also i saw him play this spring and he is very athletic for an oline man, he can move his feet well. I didn't mean to say he is going to be better than Brent, but i do think he has the ability.
I heard that Joe was unable to redshirt this year because his injury came off the football field, i might be wrong but that is what some one said. If that is the case i still hope he waits till he is absolutly 100% so that it doesn't affect his career and also later in life. But the oline does look very promising for the up coming years.