MISSOULA — Trevor Welnel remembers driving over from the Capital City to attend Griz games in the Garden City as a kid. Now the Helena Capital standout will have a chance to follow in the footsteps of his brother, a current Griz, and his mentor, a former Montana standout player.
Welnel, a 6-foot-4, 250-pound offensive lineman, has accepted a preferred walk-on offer from Montana head coach Bobby Hauck. Welnel will sign an admissions waiver on National Signing Day on February 7.
“I remember going to a bunch of Griz games when I was a little kid with my uncle because he had season tickets,” Welnel said on Thursday morning shortly after posting his commitment on Twitter. “Now I get a chance to play there. It’s pretty cool to think about.”
Hauck signed 15 recruits during the first-ever early signing period December 20 through December 22. The Griz are expected to sign at least seven more players, including Welnel and previously committed preferred walk-on David Koppang from Missoula Loyola. Montana is also expected to sign Arizona transfer safety Gavin Robertson, Northern Arizona transfer safety Robby Hauck, San Diego State transfer fullback Adam Eastwood, Vancouver, Washington standout wide receiver Cole Grossman and St. John Bosco Catholic (California) offensive lineman Cole Sain.
Welnel’s older brother, Marcus, was a first-team Class AA All-state selection for the Bruins as a senior in 2016 before signing with Montana last February. He redshirted at Montana last season.
“He had a little influence on me because this makes it easy for my family to cheer for one team, not have to pick and choose where they go for game day,” said Trevor Welnel, who also held offers from Carroll College, Rocky Mountain College, Montana Western, Montana Tech, Montana State-Northern, Minot State and Division II Pacific in Oregon. “And I love him.
“He says he has a ton of fun in Missoula. I’ve been down there, my family will bring him meals sometimes. I go down there and talk to all of his buddies. I really like those guys too. I just fit in.”
Trevor Welnel also had a Grizzly guiding him the last few seasons. Former Montana standout defensive end Ryan Fetherston, a Helena High product who wore UM’s vaunted No. 37 during his playing career, is Capital’s offensive line coach.
“I’ve learned so much from him, just like how the run schemes really work,” Welnel said. “My freshman and sophomore year, I just learned who to block. These past two years with him, he taught me about how the whole offense works, the pass options, where the running back is going to squeeze through. It’s really helped me the last two years.”
Although almost the entire Frontier Conference recruited both Welnel brothers, Montana State did not express interest in either prospect. Montana landed on Trevor Welnel’s radar last spring when offensive line coach Chad Germer first reached out.
Welnel attended Montana’s individual camp last summer. He kept in contact with the Griz throughout the fall. His senior season, Capital won five of its first six games to rise to the No. 2 ranking in Class AA. But injuries combine with a tough schedule — the Bruins played Kalispell Glacier, Billing Senior and Missoula Sentinel during a three-game losing streak to end the regular-season — before beating Kalispell Flathead 24-10 to advance to the semifinals of the playoffs.
In the semis, Helena High dominated its crosstown rival and ousted the Bruins from the playoffs with a 30-7 win.
“It was a blast and we had a lot of great guys but the thing I will remember most is just freakin’ losing, honestly,” Welnel said. “That sucked. We had a stellar group and it just didn’t turn out the way we wanted it. But I’m glad I get chance to keep playing now.”
On January 7, the Griz officially offered Welnel a spot on their 94-man roster for fall camp in August. He had a tough decision to make considering every Frontier school offered some form of scholarship assistant while Montana offered an opportunity to compete at the Treasure State’s highest level.
“When I thought about getting a chance to play for the Griz, it made it an easy choice,” Welnel said.
That Capital team also featured Conor Quick, an all-state center who signed with the Grizzlies in December. Welnel and Quick work out together daily. Quick was among the first to hear the news from Welnel that they will be teammates moving forward.
At UM, Welnel plans to major in marketing. On the football field, he is eager to maximize his opportunity.
“It’s really cool,” Welnel said. “I’m excited to prove myself. I know I can do it.”
Photos contributed by Welnel. All Rights Reserved.
