As 2016 winds down and temperatures plummet across the Treasure State, recruiting season is heating up for both Montana Division I football programs.
Since Montana State’s 24-17 win over Montana in Missoula on November 19, the Bobcats have garnered six verbal commitments, including those from Bozeman High quarterback Callahan O’Reilly and wide receiver Lance McCutcheon. Despite the Cat-Griz loss, the Grizzlies have picked up five verbal commitments over the last six days, including a pledge from Montana Gatorade Player of the Year Nathan Dick of Billings Senior. Helena Capital linebacker Marcus Welnel verbally committed to Montana on Thursday.
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The Griz now have 18 verbally committed players, 15 of whom plan on signing with UM the first Wednesday in February, including 10 from in state. Dick, Welnel, the Polson duo of quarterback Tanner Wilson and wide receiver Matt Rensvold, Billings West twins Braydon and Bryson Deming, Missoula Sentinel quarterback Mitch Roberts, Columbia Falls linebacker Tanner Hoerner, Sidney athlete Michael McGinnis and Thompson Falls athlete McKenzie Holt have all committed to UM head coach Bob Stitt.
Montana signed junior college transfers defensive ends Chris Favoroso (Arizona Western), Dylan Gilfoy (Diablo Valley College) and quarterback Caleb Hill (Blinn Junior College) on Dec. 14.
The Bobcats have received six verbal commitments since the beginning of December, raising their total to 18 as well. MSU has six in-state prospects committed. Dillon athlete Troy Andersen and the Kalispell Glacier pair of defensive lineman Jaxen Hashley and linebacker Tadan Gilman all committed last summer. Billings Senior safety Keaton Anderson, the Class AA Defensive Player of the Year, verbally committed the first weekend of September. The Bozeman pair committed in earlier this month.
The rest of MSU’s verbal commits during the season came from either high schools in the Trinity League in Southern California or from the greater Boise area, the one outlier being Eastside Catholic (Seattle) offensive lineman Brody McKnight. MSU also signed mid-year transfers defensive lineman Stephen Omorogbe (Air Force Prep), cornerback Darren Gardenhire (Washington) and running back Edward Vander (Saddleback CC).
When Jeff Choate was hired in December of 2015, he preached the slogan “Beat the Sky, own the state” from the outset. Last winter, MSU signed 10 Montana prospects, while the Griz signed five. Now the tables have turned in terms of numbers, although Andersen, Anderson and Hashley are the only known in-state products receiving full scholarships. The Demings have elected not to talk about their recruitment until National Signing Day, but Kyle Sample of Skyline Sports confirmed the West twins are receiving partial scholarships like all the other Griz in-state commits.
When Rob Ash was Montana State’s head coach, MSU recruited Holt but stopped when Choate took over. Welnel received interest last spring from MSU but it ceased once the season began. Dick held the same partial scholarship offer from MSU as UM. Montana State offered Braydon Deming on signing day last year. It is unknown if MSU offered Bryson Deming. The Bobcats showed interest in Roberts and Rensvold last spring but never extended offers. Wilson and McGinnis said they had no direct contact with MSU’s coaching staff.
Andersen, Anderson, Gilman and Hashley received offers from both schools. McCutcheon went on an official visit to Montana during the season but committed to his hometown Bobcats. O’Reilly received some interest from Montana but no offer.
As many as eight in-state prospects who might garner some sort of scholarship or preferred walk-on offer from UM or MSU remain available in state. In many years, the team that won Cat-Griz carried the momentum into the recruiting season. This season seems like a stalemate with six weeks remaining until National Signing Day.
“I definitely think the win gives us some momentum here in state simply because at the end of the day, we understand that game is one of our main priorities and it’s going to help us continue to build this program the way we want it to go, which is winning the state of Montana in every aspect and getting the best players here in state to be in blue and gold,” MSU recruiting coordinator Michael Pitre said earlier this month.
“I also think it sets the precedent for future classes as well when we start getting some of the best players in the state about what we are doing here.”
The Grizzlies graduate 17 seniors from last season’s 6-5 squad. Since the end of the season, sophomore quarterback Connor Kaegi, junior wide receiver James Homan and redshirt freshman running back Brody Martinez have left the program.
Montana State had 14 seniors on its 2016 roster. Since the end of its 4-7 season, MSU has seen seven players removed from the roster: junior linebacker Blake Braun, sophomore cornerback Tre’Von Strong, redshirt freshmen safety Sidney Holmes, fullbacks B.J. Ojo and Keegan Bray and offensive lineman Kash Perry along with true freshman offensive lineman Luke Channer.
During the open recruiting period between November 27 and December 14, both coaching staffs hit the highway for in –home visits, both in state and outside the state.
“We got out to as many schools as we could so we could get an eye on these kids to see if they looked a little different because they are only 17 years old,” Pitre said. “We want to do a good job of continuing to find guys who love football.”
The remaining top prospects in the state includes: Baker athlete Luke Gonsioroski, Billings Skyview linebacker Ryan Davis, Billings Central Athlete Peyton Hanser, Billings Senior lineman Luke Poetzl, Bozeman defensive lineman Cade Wessel, Fairfield tight end Chandler Allen and the Ennis duo of running back/linebacker Jacob Ennis and defensive end Ty Morgan.
Montana State directly contacted Gonsioroski last spring before a cancerous tumor was found in his lung. After three rounds of chemo therapy and a 16-hour surgery to remove the eight-pound tumor, he returned to start at quarterback and safety at Baker. The 6-foot-2, 195-pounder has received heavy interest from the ‘Cats and Griz but has no solid offer.
Davis is the younger brother of former Montana State offensive lineman Leo Davis and former Montana State basketball player Steven Davis. The 6-2, 220-pounder was a Class AA first-team all-state selection in 2016. One source said Davis could net partial or preferred walk-on offers from UM or MSU.
Hanser is a 6-4, 195-pounder who totaled 66 tackles for the Rams last fall. His older brother, Dylan Hanser, is a linebacker at Washington State. Hanser also plays basketball and runs track. He holds no known solid offer from either school, but one source said he may receive a preferred walk-on offer from both the ‘Cats and the Griz after signing day.
Laurel’s Casey Cole committed to Rocky Mountain College on Wednesday. The 6-foot-1, 195-pounder received interest from both Montana and Montana State after a standout junior year but that interest cooled when Cole broke his ankle in September and missed the rest of the season.
Poetzl was a first-team all-state selection at offensive tackle and defensive end for the Class AA state champion Broncs. Once source described him as a “big-body kid with potential who should be a preferred walk-on.”
Wessel is a 6-foot-3, 200-pounder who was a Class AA first-team all-state selection at defensive and an honorable mention all-league pick at tight end. Wessel, who began his prep career in Big Timber, threw the javelin a Bozeman school record 191 feet, 5 inches to win the Class AA state championship as a junior.
Allen is a 6-2, 200-pounder who received direct contact from MSU’s coaching staff last spring but holds no solid offer. As a junior, he hauled in 19 catches for 513 yards and seven touchdowns while rushing for 382 yards and six touchdowns during Fairfield’s run to the state championship.
Knack, a 6-foot, 190-pounder, rushed for 1,072 yards and 27 touchdowns on just 87 carries during the Mustangs’ undefeated run to the state championship. He also caught 17 passes for 399 yards and seven more scores. He tallied 77 touchdowns on 339 offensive touchdowns in his high school career.
Morgan, a 6-5, 225-pounder piled up 82 tackles, including 25.5 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks as a senior at Ennis. He totaled 42.5 tackles for loss and 16 sacks in his prep career. Both are preferred walk-on candidates.
[/restrict]Photos by Brooks Nuanez. All Rights Reserved.
