Zach Redd already feels right at home at Montana State. And the Rocky Mountain High senior will not even officially move to campus until the summer of 2017.
The two-star center from the Idaho powerhouse located in the Boise suburb of Meridian first heard from MSU during Jeff Choate’s first spring on the job after being hired in December of 2015. Choate and Montana State offensive line coach Brian Armstrong played college football at Montana Western with Rocky Mountain offensive line coach Art Roper. Redd and offensive tackle teammate Connor Wood were two of the first players Choate, Armstrong and the Bobcat coaching staff offered scholarships to for the 2017 recruiting class after the duo helped lead the Grizzlies to the Idaho 5A state title as juniors.
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Redd first heard from Montana State wide receivers coach Matt Miller, a former Boise State standout who is MSU’s primary recruiter in Idaho’s capital city and the surrounding areas. Redd remembers watching Miller, MSU defensive line coach Byron Hout and secondary coach Gerald Alexander when each starred for the Broncos in the mid-2000s. Choate was on Chris Petersen’s staff for the duration of Boise State’s run to national prominence.
Redd and Wood came to MSU’s individual camp last June and stood out, further affirming their offers and increasing Montana State’s interest in the talented offensive linemen. Redd, Wood and outside linebacker Kyle Frazier came to MSU for homecoming in mid-September to watch as Montana State battled North Dakota in front of a sellout crowd.
Shortly after Rocky Mountain High lost to Capital High in the semifinals of the Idaho 5A state playoffs, Redd and Wood gave their verbal commitments to Montana State. The duo are among 13 players who are committed and will sign with MSU in February of next year on National Signing Day.
“Throughout the process, Montana State always sent letters, would always reach out to me, which was a main reason why I picked them,” Redd said. “Them being on top of their recruiting was awesome and they are really good at it. They made me feel like they really wanted me.
“I love campus, how it’s packed up in the mountains. It seems…it’s not remote but it doesn’t seem like it’s in a big city, which is kind of nice too. I love the school and the football team. It seemed like the perfect fit.”
The 6-foot-1, 275-pound is ranked among the top 35 true centers in the country according to 24/7 Sports and Rivals.com. He is considered one of the top 10 prospects in the Gem State and is the fifth player from the Treasure Valley region to commit to a Division I school. Redd, Wood and Mountainview quarterback Tucker Rovig are all committed to Montana State.
Redd and Wood will both receive full scholarships from Montana State. The two have played football together for most of their lives, so the chance to continue was a selling point but not the deciding factor in going from Grizzlies to Bobcats.
“Him and I are pretty much brothers,” Redd said. “I wanted to make my decision not based off where he was going to go and same with him, he wasn’t going to base it off of me. But with him committing a little earlier, it definitely helped me make the decision a lot easier. I’m excited to play with him.”
Redd chose MSU over offers from Idaho, Rhode Island, Columbia, West Point and Big Sky Conference schools Portland State and Eastern Washington. He has a cumulative 3.7 grade-point average and is weighing his options between majoring in business or physical therapy.
Redd’s film shows an athletic, cerebral player with a good first step and an explosive punch after snapping the ball. Montana State currently has sophomore center Alex Neale manning the interior of its offensive line, the first true center the Bobcats recruited to play the position out of high school since Shaun Sampson earned first-team All-Big Sky in 2012.
“I’ve battled the whole height thing throughout the process but the one thing I think I have over the taller guys is the speed and quickness and natural leverage compared to them,” Redd said. “I’ve been playing tackle football since I was in first grade and the game is just natural to me. I can pick up on things pretty easily, which helps me out too.
“Not being tall gives you a natural chip in your shoulder,” he added.
Like many Boise-area kids, Redd grew up rooting for the Broncos. Dan Hawkins laid the foundation from 2001 to 2005, winning four straight WAC championships before giving the reigns to Petersen, who led the Broncos to a win in the 2006 Fiesta Bowl and two other finishes in the AP Top 10. Miller, the school’s all-time leading receiver, Hout, a two-time all-league linebacker and Alexander, a former second-round draft pick all stood out for the Broncos.
“I remember all those guys well,” Redd said. “It’s kind of cool they have strong connections to here. I love Boise State and I love the blue-collar mentality they had there. That’s what Matt and all those other guys used in their careers, which is pretty cool. They worked their tails off.”
During the recruiting process, Redd has been in touch with Miller, Choate, Armstrong and even Montana State captain guard J.P. Flynn, a departing senior. The way Armstrong strives to relate to his pupils on a personal note was a huge selling point for Redd.
“I think as a coach, (Armstrong) is really good at connecting with the players,” Redd said. “I’ve been in contact with J.P. Flynn for a little bit, just asked him some questions and how coach Army is as a coach. He just says that coach Armstrong’s philosophy is when I have a marriage or my first kid, he wants to be one of the first people I call. That hit home.
“Football matters but it’s also the connection outside of football as player and coach. That’s special to me. That’s what J.P. was telling me to — he connects on a different level than just football.”
Flynn graduates but Neale, junior left tackle Dylan Mahoney, junior right guard Monte Folsom and redshirt freshman Mitch Brott are all back for MSU’s staring unit. Redshirt freshman Jake McFetridge, junior Caleb Gillis and sophomore Wade Webster would all compete to replace Flynn at left guard. The underclassmen are flush with seven players who redshirted this season, including scholarship linemen Jake Sessions and Taylor Tuiasosopo.
Redd will likely redshirt the upcoming fall before making a run at being Neale’s replacement. Having a place he feels comfortable to chase the success he covets is a rewarding feeling for the future Bobcat.
“Going from high school to college is a big life stepping stone and making this decision is a big deal in my life,” Redd said. “I’m just hoping it pans out on the football field and in the classroom. I think Montana State is a really great place to be to excel in both those parts of my life.”
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