To secure a commitment from Bozeman High School wide receiver Ryan Simpson, the Montana Grizzlies had to fend off early attention from Montana State — as well as the pull of basketball.
Simpson, a 6-foot-6 dual-sport star at Bozeman, had a football offer from the Bobcats, as well as basketball interest from several smaller schools around the state.
In the end, though, what Montana offered was too much to pass up. Simpson committed to the Griz via Twitter on Monday night after visiting the school over the weekend.
Thanks to all of my coaches, family and friends. I’m really excited to announce that I’ve committed to further my football and academic career at the University of Montana! GO GRIZ🐻 pic.twitter.com/Dtz7RU9FDg
— Ryan Simpson (@rysimp13) December 17, 2018
“Definitely the coaching staff and the facilities are great,” Simpson said. “I think I can grow a lot as a player there as compared to my other options I had, so I definitely felt like that was the place for me.”
Simpson becomes the second player from Bozeman, in Montana State’s backyard, to commit to the Griz over the ‘Cats. Unlike quarterback Kris Brown, who didn’t get recruited by Montana State, Simpson received some interest from Montana State.
“I definitely was leaning towards there at first, because they were the only ones talking to me,” Simpson said. “Then when the Griz started talking to me, and I got to know a little bit about their program, I definitely wanted to go there over the Cats.”
Not that there wasn’t some pain involved for a kid who grew up in Bozeman picking the Griz.
“As I grew up, I just always knew [Montana] as the bad guys,” Simpson said. “I was always a Cats guy, actually, because my dad went to MSU, but ever since high school, I’ve grown a little neutral in between them.”
As a tall receiver, Simpson bases his game around winning jump balls and being dangerous near the goal line.
It’s an archetype that Griz fans might be familiar with. Sammy Akem, at 6-foot-4, had 13 touchdowns on 59 catches for Montana in 2018. Akem was named a Sophomore All-American by HERO Sports on Tuesday.
Simpson had a similar ratio for Bozeman in his senior year, with 12 touchdowns on 65 receptions. He had 922 yards and was named first-team all-state for Bozeman. The Hawks ripped through the regular season undefeated and took the No. 1 seed into the Class AA playoffs before losing 21-17 to Kalispell Flathead in the state semifinals.
If Simpson can put some weight on his 185-pound frame, Simpson might also be an option at tight end for the Griz. He plans to study business at Montana.
Simpson becomes the second wide receiver commit for Montana in the Class of 2019, along with Billings West’s Jesse Owens, who also committed on Monday night. Simpson is the fourth Hawk expected to sign a National Letter of Intent with the opening of the early signing period on Wednesday.
Tight end Ryan Lonergan and running back Joe Olson are both committed to Montana State. The Bobcats and the Grizzlies each have eight in-state commits expected to sign on Wednesday.
