MSU bolstered its offensive line on Wednesday
Photo by: R. Dean Hendrickson
Bobcats Land Four Mid-Year Transfers
1/12/2011 5:21:55 PM | Football
MSU bolstered its offensive and defensive lines and ground game
Montana State head coach Rob Ash took steps toward reinforcing his team's offensive and defensive lines and reinvigorating its ground game Wednesday, adding four players to the Bobcat football program.
Offensive tackle Stephen Memory transfers to MSU from San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton, Calif., while guard Tyler Thomas comes to MSU from Oregon State. Running back Dontrayevous Robinson joins the Bobcats – and rejoins Bobcat quarterback Denarius McGhee – from Nebraska, while defensive end Eric Homec returns to his hometown from Orange Coast Community College in California. Each of the four attended classes at MSU on Wednesday, Ash said.
Homec, a 6-4, 240 lb defensive end, earned all-state honors at Bozeman High as a senior in 2007, registering 14 tackles-for-loss, five sacks, and six pass breakups. He earned Great Falls Tribune Superstate honors, and was chosen for the East-West Shrine Game and the Mon-Dak All-Star Game. He registered 30 tackles, including 7.5 for a loss and two sacks, as a sophomore at Orange Coast last fall.
“Eric is a player we recruited as a senior in high school,” Ash said. “We wanted him to stay in Bozeman, but he chose a different direction, and he's grown physically and in terms of maturity in his time away. We're excited to get him here so he can show us what he can do during the spring.”
Memory, originally from Tracy, Calif., earned All-Valley Conference honors as a sophomore at Delta in 2010, when the team grabbed a share of the league title with a 4-1 conference mark. Delta averaged 30.2 points a game last fall and finished second in the league with 169.3 rushing yards a contest. Memory, 6-5 and 284 lbs, started for Delta as a sophomore last fall and arrives at MSU as a junior.
“Stephen is an outstanding student and a good citizen who decided he wanted to remain close to home for his first two years of college,” Ash said. “We like his size and footwork. He will bring us depth in the offensive line, and will have a chance to compete for playing time during spring drills.”
A former prep teammate of McGhee's at Euless (Tex.) Trinity High School, Robinson rushed for 67 yards on 24 carries for Nebraska as a sophomore last fall, including a 13-carry, 55-yard game against Colorado. As a freshman in 2009, Robinson carried 39 times for 165 yards. As a senior at Trinity in 2008, Robinson rushed for 614 yards on 112 carries, scoring 11 rushing touchdowns. He also caught 10 passes, and was rated one of the top 25 prospects in Dallas-Fort Worth and one of the top 70 running backs in the U.S.
“Dontrayevous is a big, powerful back with good speed,” Ash said. “He has experience at the FBS level, where he played in big games. He will contend for significant playing time during the spring. He has the reputation as a great worker who will bring dedication to our off-season workouts.”
A Kalispell native, Thomas transfers to MSU from Oregon State. He did not play for the Beavers in 2010, and redshirted in 2009. He started at offensive tackle for three years and at defensive tackle for two at Flathead High, earning first team all-state honors in 2008, and second team honors in '07 and '09. He played in the Mon-Dak all-star game, and as a heavyweight wrestler finished as state runner-up in 2008 and '09. He led Flathead in team points and pins as a senior.
“Tyler was one of the better players from the state of Montana in his class,” Ash said. “We're excited to get an outstanding lineman from Montana. We love recruiting players from Montana, and we have a need in the offensive line, so he's a good fit. Tyler has excellent size, we like his balance, he's light on his feet. I'm an Iowa guy and I always like linemen who were wrestlers, because they usually have good agility and the ability to win one-on-one battles.”
Ash said MSU's 2011 squad stands to benefit from the presence of the four transfers during off-season workouts and spring drills. “These guys will get to compete for spots on the two-deep during the spring, and we'll get to evaluate them extensively during that period. They can go through off-season conditioning before the spring and also in the summer, and that will help them get to know their teammates.”
Spring national letter-of-intent day is February 2 for students not enrolled at an institution for the current semester.
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