Montana

Griz land former Alabama walk-on QB Harris

on

MISSOULA — The Montana Grizzlies continued to hit the quarterback transfer market this week, adding a third signal caller with FBS credentials to the position group with Bobby Hauck’s first season of his second tenure at UM quickly approaching.

On July 5, Skyline Sports confirmed the Griz will add Wheeler Harris, a former walk-on at Alabama who redshirted for the Crimson Tide last season. The 6-foot-3, 198-pounder’s transfer to UM first surfaced on Twitter with a tweet from his mother, Kyle Cavolo.

Harris prepped at Mountain View High School in Mesa, Arizona. His senior season, he threw for 1,888 yards and 15 touchdowns, completing 57 percent of his passes. But he received no Division I scholarship offers.

Griz offensive coordinator Timm Rosenbach guides freshman backup quarterback Tanner Wilson during the first day of spring practice in Washington-Grizzly Stadium on March 5, 2018. This will be Rosenbach’s first season as a coach for the Griz.

He was however recruited by Timm Rosenbach at Division II Adams State. Rosenbach is now UM’s offensive coordinator after spending three seasons as the head coach at Adams State. Harris landed a preferred walk-on offer from Alabama the day after he graduated high school. Because he is dropping down from the FBS, he will be eligible right away.

Harris will join a quarterback group of almost all new faces. In January, Hauck and Rosenbach added former UNLV and Fort Scott College quarterback Dalton Snead. Gresch Jensen, a FCS Freshman All-American in Bob Stitt’s last season last fall, left the program following a competitive set of spring practices spent dueling with Snead.

Following spring drills, Montana added Saddleback College quarterback Cam Humphrey, a sophomore who redshirted two seasons ago at Boise State. The Griz also have redshirt freshman Tanner Wilson on the roster. Garrett Graves, a two-time Class B state champion from Eureka, will also start his Griz career under center.

Last season at Alabama, Harris redshirted but still dressed for games. He guided the scout team while also serving as the third-string quarterback behind Jalen Hurts and Tua Tagovailoa as the Crimson Tide claimed their fifth national title in nine seasons under Nick Saban.

Photos attributed. All Rights Reserved.

 

 

About Colter Nuanez

Colter Nuanez is the co-founder and senior writer for Skyline Sports. After spending six years in the newspaper industry with stops at the Missoulian, the Ellensburg Daily Record and the Bozeman Daily Chronicle, the former Washington Newspaper Association Sportswriter of the Year and University of Montana Journalism School graduate ('09) has cultivated a deep passion for sports journalism during his 13-year career covering the Big Sky Conference. In August of 2014, Colter and brother Brooks merged their passions of writing and art to found Skyline Sports.

Recommended for you