Montana ranks No. 16 in HERO Sports’ FCS Preseason Top 25.
The Grizzlies lost 49-26 at North Dakota State in the second round of the 2022 FCS playoffs after beating SEMO 34-24. They finished 8-5 overall.
Here’s a look at this year’s Montana football squad.
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Returning 2022 FCS All-Conference Players (7)
1st Team
OL Hunter Mayginnes
DT Alex Gubner
2nd Team
ST Tyler Flink
3rd Team
OL AJ Forbes
AP Junior Bergen
Honorable Mention
TE Cole Grossman
LB Levi Janacaro
Players In 2023 FCS Positional Rankings (4)
Transfer Portal Movement
Transfers Lost To The FCS (3)
AJ Abbott (QB) to Texas A&M-Commerce
Daniel Britt (QB) to Northern Arizona
Marcus Knight (RB) to Tennessee Tech
Transfers Coming In From The FBS (8)
Sam Vidlak (QB), Boise State
Riley Wilson (LB), Hawaii
Grant Glasgow (K), Kansas
Travis Benham (P), San Jose State
Hayden Harris (DL), UCLA
Matai Mata’afa (DL), Mississippi State
Ronald Jackson Jr. (DB), Akron
Jelani Warren (DB), UCLA
Transfers Coming In From The FCS (2)
Cannon Panfiloff (OL), Utah Tech
Clifton McDowell (QB), Central Arkansas
Offensive Outlook
The Griz offense was up-and-down last year, not helped by injury, but they still finished No. 12 in FCS scoring (36.2 points per game). Montana returns its entire offensive live and some top playmakers.
Montana will have a new starting quarterback for the third season in a row, though.
Kris Brown is a junior and a long-time backup who has seen some starts due to injuries. The Griz also brought in transfers to compete for the starting spot. Sam Vidlak is a sophomore from Boise State. Clifton McDowell is a grad transfer from Central Arkansas with two years of eligibility left. Vidlak appears to have the upper hand heading into preseason camp after a sharp spring.
The Griz lose their two leaders in receiving yards (Mitch Roberts and Malik Flowers), but they have four more impact players returning.
Tight end Cole Grossman is a special talent and was a 2022 HERO Sports Sophomore All-American after catching 28 passes for 397 yards and five touchdowns. His return would be huge for the offense. Wide receivers Aaron Fontes (35 catches, 384 yards, two TDs), Keelan White (23 receptions, 237 yards, five TDs), and Junior Bergen (17 catches, 214 yards, four TDs) have all shown flashes. Bergen was an all-purpose All-Big Sky Third Team selection last year.
Nick Ostmo is back after leading Montana with 743 rushing yards, plus seven rushing scores. Isiah Childs also returns, rushing for 299 yards (No. 2 on the team) and four TDs. Xavier Harris is an experienced back. He ran for 666 yards in 2021, but was limited to 53 carries for 274 yards in 12 games last fall.
The starting offensive line remains intact.
Hunter Mayginnes (6’5” 325 lbs) was a 2022 First Team All-Conference guard, and AJ Forbes (6’2” 302 lbs) was a Third Team All-Conference center. Tackles Chris Walker (6’6” 291 lbs) and Brandon Casey (6’5” 295 lbs) are also back along with guard Liam Brown (6’5” 310 lbs). Mayginnes, Forbes, and Walker have been solid additions to Montana’s o-line over the last few years after starting their careers at the Power Five level.
Montana rushed for 170.8 yards per game in 2022 (No. 40 in the FCS) and threw for 225.4 YPG (No. 53).
Defensive Outlook
Montana loses three All-American and All-Big Sky First Team players on defense in OLB Patrick O’Connell, CB Justin Ford, and safety Robby Hauck. No. 2 tackler Marcus Welnel (behind Hauck) is also gone. But the Griz do return six of their top 11 tacklers from a unit that allowed 21.3 points per game (No. 18 in the FCS).
Linebacker Levi Janacaro is the top returning tackler after finishing third on the 2022 team with 87 stops, including 10 TFLs, 1.5 sacks, and six quarterback hurries to be named All-Big Sky Honorable Mention. He forms a solid LB duo with Braxton Hill, who was No. 6 on the team with 66 tackles, including five TFLs and three sacks.
Montana has experience at safety, led by Nash Fouch (71 tackles, three TFLs, four pass breakups) and TraJon Cotton (44 tackles), who has played a lot of snaps as the starting nickel.
Cornerbacks are less experienced, though. Jayden Dawson joins Ford as a departing cornerback who saw significant snaps last year. Corbin Walker provides a veteran presence for the 2023 CB room. He had 31 tackles, two interceptions, and six pass breakups in 2022.
Alex Gubner (6’3” 285 lbs) is a stud to lead the defensive front. He was named to the 2022 All-Big Sky First Team, totaling 44 tackles, seven TFLs, and 3.5 sacks. Six-foot-5 DE Kale Edwards (24 tackles, 3.5 TFLs, two sacks) emerged last year as a sophomore and is looking toward an even stronger season this fall.
The Griz also added depth, and potentially impact players, through the portal.
Five of Montana’s eight FBS transfers are on the defensive side of the ball: LB Riley Wilson (Hawaii), DL Hayden Harris (UCLA), DL Matai Mata’afa (Mississippi State), DB Ronald Jackson Jr. (Akron), and DB Jelani Warren (UCLA).
Schedule
9/2 vs Butler
9/9 at Utah Tech
9/16 vs Ferris State
9/23 at Northern Arizona
9/30 vs Idaho State
10/7 at No. 18 UC Davis
10/14 at No. 5 Idaho
10/28 vs Northern Colorado
11/4 vs No. 10 Sacramento State
11/11 at Portland State
11/18 vs No. 3 Montana State
HERO Sports’ rankings
Bold indicates Big Sky games
