Callahan O’Reilly has an athletic frame and the potential to play Division I football. But no one in Montana, including his hometown Montana State Bobcats, knew if that potential could translate to playing quarterback in the Big Sky Conference.
The Bozeman High product played linebacker and tight end during the Hawks’ 2015 run to the Class AA state championship. Down the stretch of his junior season, the 6-foot-3, 205-pounder often lined up opposite his standout older brother, Payton, now a redshirt freshman linebacker at Miami (Ohio).
Montana State began recruiting Callahan O’Reilly in the spring of his junior year. A few weeks after MSU’s junior day, Montana State director of high school relations B.J. Robertson called to offer a scholarship. While the interest was strong, the offer was vague.
After O’Reilly attended MSU’s individual camp in June, the recruiting picked up. In mid-August, O’Reilly learned the offer was as an athlete and the scholarship was a partial offer.
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When O’Reilly threw for 522 yards and seven touchdowns in his first career varsity start against eventual Class AA runner-up Kalispell Glacier, Montana State offered the local product as a signal caller. Growing up in the Gallatin Valley, O’Reilly has attended Bobcat football games throughout his life and has always supported the local college football team. Earlier this week, O’Reilly gave his verbal commitment to Montana State. He is the 15th known verbal for the Class of 2017 and will receive a partial scholarship from the Bobcats.
“I played throughout the season knowing it was there and I had a good idea I was going to go there, but I wasn’t really sure,” O’Reilly said. “Once the season ended, I decided I wanted to make the commitment.
“I didn’t want to commit right away even though I knew I wanted to go here my whole life. I didn’t want to pull the trigger at the time. But I always knew this is where I would commit and to do it feels great.”
O’Reilly considered interest from Carroll College and Montana Tech of the Frontier Conference. But both schools shied away once they learned of MSU’s scholarship offer. O’Reilly considered pursuing a spot at Miami (Ohio) but knew ultimately where his heart resided.
“Ever since I was little, I knew I wanted to play college football,” O’Reilly said. “I’ve always wanted to play in the NFL too, that was me and my brother’s dream. We’ve been looking forward to it since we were in first grade so to make it happen is cool.”
O’Reilly’s stellar debut against Glacier was not a flash in the pan. He threw for more than 300 yards on four other occasions and threw at least three touchdowns four times as well. He finished his senior season with 3,178 yards and 26 touchdowns. He set Bozeman High records with 203 completions in 307 attempts. He also rushed for 13 touchdowns, ultimately accounting for 39 of Bozeman’s 43 touchdowns.
O’Reilly will be one of at least two quarterbacks the Bobcats sign in February of 2017. Tucker Rovig, a 3-star quarterback who Mountain View High in Boise to the Idaho 5A state title, will also sign.
O’Reilly joins a young group of Montana State quarterbacks that includes Chris Murray, the recently anointed Big Sky Conference Freshman of the Year. The group also includes Tyler Bruggman, the starter for the first five games of the season who will be a senior in 2017. Brady McChesney, a sophomore to be from Kalispell Glacier, was the scout team quarterback the last two seasons.
“It’s exciting for me because I love competition,” O’Reilly said. “I’m not intimidated by the competition and I think I can compete with anybody. I know there is a lot of good players to push me to be even better. It’s nice to know those guys are on the same team as you and you are on the same team come game day.”
The latest Hawk to join the Bobcats is the fifth Bozeman High product at MSU. Linebacker Balue Chapman and safety Will Martel redshirted last fall. Defensive end Grant Collins and wide receiver John D’Agostino both started as sophomores for the Bobcats.
“Balue talked to me before I went there telling me how great it was and that I should come there,” O’Reilly said. “I was really good friends with (Chapman and Martel) in high school so it will be so fun to play with them.”
O’Reilly said Montana State has sent him “close to 100 hand-written letters” over the last few months. He said the attention the staff showed him was a factor in his commitment.
The lanky, athletic quarterback will start out under center. If “it doesn’t work out”, O’Reilly said he is willing to move to tight end, linebacker or wherever the coaches see fit. Regardless, he proved himself as a quarterback last fall and he will get a chance to prove himself once again.
“All the work building up all the way from my freshman through my senior year, and it was exciting to get the opportunity to show what I can do. I always knew I could do it, I just never got the chance in a varsity game.
“I’ve been going to the games since I was young. It’s a pretty cool deal. The fans here are great. Ever since I was a little kid, I’ve been going to the games and seeing how the stadium has changed and the teams have changed. Just to know I’m playing for them and to help them out is pretty cool.”
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