Portal Recruits

[MSU01]

So what positions of need do we go after in the Transfer Portal? Seems awfully quiet on that front as far as recruiting goes.

Vigen has done such a good job of recruiting and building the roster that it's tough to identify a clear position of need. Maybe CB because of the transfers, maybe DL because all four starters are graduating. But they have a huge luxury of not having a ton of spots they need to fill, so can be pretty selective. I wouldn't expect to hear about dozens and dozens of offers to portal guys like you will for some other schools. Lamson might be able to recruit on his own to bring in a few former Syracuse/Stanford teammates!

[BlueAndGoldNation]

So what positions of need do we go after in the Transfer Portal? Seems awfully quiet on that front as far as recruiting goes.

What I would see as "Priority"
1. 1-2 DTs
2. 1 Edge
3. 2 CBs
4. 1 WR

I don't really see any other position we should go after. Even those 6 players I listed might not be completely necessary due to very talented redshirt freshman and incoming freshman classes... In Vigen we trust!

[AFCAT]

[BobcatBuiltTexan]

No source but I'm assuming Tayden Gray is getting offers too. If he does leave, we are in great hands with Bryant Meredith or JJ Dolan. Meredith was great in the Natty as was Gray. Luke Oxarart also impressed on the scout team at nickel as a true freshman. Nickel will be in a good spot regardless.

Nickel and safety seems like it’s in a really good place. Corner might need some portal attention.

A lot of attention if we don't have quality coming up. Not sold on Carr -- always saw him as a weak link in the secondary.

I think he’s better than McMillan.

I actually tried to rank the four corners weekly and that ranking changed every week because all four of them made big plays but had some tough games interchangeably. Seth Johnson was the most physical in the run game and had the honor of covering #2 in the title game. Carson was the best in short/intermediate coverage and still decent against the run. Jhase could run with anyone so he got the speed burners on the outside. Jhase was also solid in run support. Carr probably has the best ball skills and feel for that part of the game. I don't know...I'm not a secondary whiz by any means so if @BobcatBuiltTexan wants to throw down a ranking of these four or just discuss them one last time, that would be great. It was an Incredibly fun group to watch and all four helped us win the title in 2025.

If rather not rank them as depending on what you value in a cb or the style you like to see will influence that.

Carr - good speed.... not scared to hit in the run game. Typically it's where he is supposed to be and is good on anything short to intermediate. His down tasks were that he is very undisciplined. He got beat a lot it just never hurt us. On the tdv in OT he lost contain and the wr scored, he did that routinely throughout the year. He also d wears his emotions on his sleeve such further causes instability out there. He's good in the run have but he also misses a lot if tackles because of terrible tech.

Johnson - again great on anything short. Speed, he's only faster than carr, who's the slowest of the group. Very payday in the run game, tackles well. He didn't seem to play the ball all that great but again didn't hurt us into the natty and he was outmanned by #2. Johnsons downfall is his lack of speed and fluidity. I think he's a great zine corner but I see a liability in man, please see the natty.

Mcmillan - by far the fastest of the group. His site alone discourages the deep ball and when they threw it he was there to make a play on the ball. Aggressive in the run have not necessarily always physical. He isn't a knock down tackler on rbs, he's a wrap up and wait for help guy. He never got beat by ability or because he wasn't where he was supposed to be, but fast the most reliable as far knowing his job abs doing his job. His downfall is that he got beat 3 times in the fade ball. He had to learn to play that better. You could also trek he was thinking too much which made him a step slow on short routes. I don't know if that's coaching or how the coverage is designed because he didn't play like that in high school. His tackling needs improvement... it Anne's to get worse as the season went on.

Carr - he's the least physically gifted by he also is going to be exactly where he's supposed to be. He doesn't bust coverage. The ints he had this year honestly were because people just didn't fear him over the younger guys abs he rightfully made them pay. He is like a C+ to B- in everything. He won't get you beat but he also isn't going to block a kick to send you to over time. Very solid tackler, knows leverage points and protects them.


Throughout the year mcmillan was attacked the least followed by Johnson, then carr and Williams was targeted the most which accounts for his production being slightly higher than the others. Whoever said carr is better than mcmillan truly doesn't know db play at all. I'm not knocking the kid but from hs to college carr hasn't done what mcmillan has done. He's a good player but there's a reason 3 redshirt frosh were in front of him and 2 started...ijs..... they are all good players and depending on what you value each can fit the bill or not be your cuon of tea... personally I want athleticism. I need to be able to run jump and change direction at the cb position. I could careless if you're a knock down tackler, do you make tackles and not give up extra yds. Are you were your supposed to be and do you know your job.... are you reliable and do you masher the big play when it's there.

[MrGoodKat]

I guess I don’t know DB play at all

McMillan is a stellar athlete and I wish he was coming back. If he doesn’t like his offers and decides to return, that would be great. Without access to all-22, I can see that his speed and quickness puts his downfield coverage on another level. All that to say, I’m a fan not a critic.

However, the structure of the Cats’ defense funnels the vast majority of the opponents’ passing game underneath, where corners need to take proper angles so that they don’t overpursue and then make the tackle or at least slow the pass catcher down. That’s where I prefer Carr and why I said what I did.

If the Cats were a heavy man team, I’m sure I would feel differently.

No need to be so sensitive and attack someone’s intelligence for an opinion you don’t share.

[BobcatBuiltTexan]

I guess I don’t know DB play at all

McMillan is a stellar athlete and I wish he was coming back. If he doesn’t like his offers and decides to return, that would be great. Without access to all-22, I can see that his speed and quickness puts his downfield coverage on another level. All that to say, I’m a fan not a critic.

However, the structure of the Cats’ defense funnels the vast majority of the opponents’ passing game underneath, where corners need to take proper angles so that they don’t overpursue and then make the tackle or at least slow the pass catcher down. That’s where I prefer Carr and why I said what I did.

If the Cats were a heavy man team, I’m sure I would feel differently.

No need to be so sensitive and attack someone’s intelligence for an opinion you don’t share.

Sorry if you felt attacked but I'm flatly telling you Carr isn't a better player. I did say that forensic on what you value you may like one over the other but if you go down the line of what each does mcmillan does way more way better. The degree is designed for players like Carr, decent athletes, such is why when you put stellar athletes like the 3 cbs that left the pass defense was out of sight this year. Carr is great for this scheme mcmillan can play in ANY scheme and be great, which he was this year. That's why I say you trait don't know db play, and that's ok...I don't fully know ol play, so I don't take offense if someone says I don't really know it... because I don't.

[thefrank1]

Bobcat Nation posters tend to wear their emotions on their sleeves. They are mostly adults and will eventually get over it.

[AFCAT]

From Great Falls via Montana Tech.

[tetoncat]

From Great Falls via Montana Tech.

Is he same age as Cole Taylor?

[MrGoodKat]

He should have been a Cat.

[RangeCat]

I'm not sure we will have any portal recruits AS OF NOW, given these facts:

1. The 105-roster limit from opting into Rev Share. Rember it's roster spots, not scholarships.
- The 2025 team was at the 105-roster limit when I counted.

2. Our 2026 recruiting class has 20 players.

3. We have 9 seniors and 9 transfers for a total of 18 open roster spots, as of now.

So, given the fact that we have 20 players coming in, we are at the roster limit currently, and we only know of 18 players existing, I would anticipate that at least 2 more players will be leaving. Whether that's from retirement or transferring, I don't know.

[VimSince03]

From Great Falls via Montana Tech.

Is he same age as Cole Taylor?

Cole Taylor's high school teammate. Same class. I felt Anthony deserved a shot at one of the in-state schools out of high school. Needed to develop and it appears he did. Strength was never an issue for him that's for sure. Him and Cole used to actually post weight lifting videos during their junior and senior seasons. I feel we need another DE from the portal and Anthony certainly fit the mold. Hopefully it works out for him at NDSU.

[tetoncat]

He should have been a Cat.

Why.

[tetoncat]

From Great Falls via Montana Tech.

Is he same age as Cole Taylor?

Cole Taylor's high school teammate. Same class. I felt Anthony deserved a shot at one of the in-state schools out of high school. Needed to develop and it appears he did. Strength was never an issue for him that's for sure. Him and Cole used to actually post weight lifting videos during their junior and senior seasons. I feel we need another DE from the portal and Anthony certainly fit the mold. Hopefully it works out for him at NDSU.

Was he hurt senior year and hindered his recruiting.

[VimSince03]

From Great Falls via Montana Tech.

Is he same age as Cole Taylor?

Cole Taylor's high school teammate. Same class. I felt Anthony deserved a shot at one of the in-state schools out of high school. Needed to develop and it appears he did. Strength was never an issue for him that's for sure. Him and Cole used to actually post weight lifting videos during their junior and senior seasons. I feel we need another DE from the portal and Anthony certainly fit the mold. Hopefully it works out for him at NDSU.

Was he hurt senior year and hindered his recruiting.

Still was All-State at LB and selected for the Shrine Game. Won the discus in AA as a junior. I thought he was a sure-fire top PWO kid....arguably a partial scholarship kid.

[nanacat]

So I wonder if the Cats are picking up any new players from the portal ? The portal closes next Friday, correct? Or is that just for MSU and ISU guys due to playing in the natty? Can't keep it all straight.

[CodyCat]

So I wonder if the Cats are picking up any new players from the portal ? The portal closes next Friday, correct? Or is that just for MSU and ISU guys due to playing in the natty? Can't keep it all straight.

It closes for players entering. They can be added whenever. But, at some point soon they wouldn’t be able to enroll and join the team until summer. Similar to Lamson

[Montanabob]

So I wonder if the Cats are picking up any new players from the portal ? The portal closes next Friday, correct? Or is that just for MSU and ISU guys due to playing in the natty? Can't keep it all straight.

It closes for players entering. They can be added whenever. But, at some point soon they wouldn’t be able to enroll and join the team until summer. Similar to Lamson

School starts 13 jan 2026.
Last day to add 20 Jan. Special cases 27 jan is last day.

[CodyCat]

So I wonder if the Cats are picking up any new players from the portal ? The portal closes next Friday, correct? Or is that just for MSU and ISU guys due to playing in the natty? Can't keep it all straight.

It closes for players entering. They can be added whenever. But, at some point soon they wouldn’t be able to enroll and join the team until summer. Similar to Lamson

School starts 13 jan 2026.
Last day to add 20 Jan. Special cases 27 jan is last day.

No kidding? So if a kid hasn’t signed by the 20th or 27th they aren’t playing college football next fall?

[kwcat]

So I wonder if the Cats are picking up any new players from the portal ? The portal closes next Friday, correct? Or is that just for MSU and ISU guys due to playing in the natty? Can't keep it all straight.

It closes for players entering. They can be added whenever. But, at some point soon they wouldn’t be able to enroll and join the team until summer. Similar to Lamson

School starts 13 jan 2026.
Last day to add 20 Jan. Special cases 27 jan is last day.

No kidding? So if a kid hasn’t signed by the 20th or 27th they aren’t playing college football next fall?

Same as Lamson good night join until summer