BOZEMAN/MISSOULA — The Brawl of the Wild is a game football players across Montana dream of playing in one day.
For a handful of high school seniors, that goal is one step closer to becoming reality with their commitments to either football programs.
MTN Sports has compiled a list of known commits for both the Bobcats and the Grizzlies with available stats to this point in the season. The early signing period for football is on Dec. 15. Incoming known college transfers are not on the list.
Here are the future faces of this game from the Class of 2022.
Montana State (10 known commits)
In-State
Rylan Schlepp - Bozeman Gallatin High - TE/DE
The 6-foot-4, 235-pound tight end hauled in 41 catches for 568 yards in his senior season with Gallatin Raptors, according to MaxPreps.
Jake Vigen – Bozeman Gallatin High – DE
The 6-foot-2, 205-pound player for Gallatin High School played defensive end for Gallatin, but will likely be playing a different position for the Bobcats. He had 45 tackles and four sacks on the season, according to MaxPreps.
Taco Dowler - Billings West - WR/DB/KR
The 5-9, 160-pound Golden Bears athlete has had a heck of a high school career. The last three years he has 148 receptions for 2,742 yards. He also has picked off five passes in his time at Billings West, according to MaxPreps.
Caden Dowler – Billings West – FS / SS / ATH
The 6-1, 198-pound athlete, like his twin brother, has played both ways for the Golden Bears. On offense he has 19 receptions for 667 yards and seven receiving touchdowns. On the defensive side of the ball for the 2021 season he has two interceptions and six passes deflected, according to MaxPreps.
Ethan Abbot – Florence High – OL/DL
The big 6-5, 280-pound lineman on defense has 49 total tackles, five sacks and 13 tackles for a loss in 2021, according to MaxPreps.
Burke Mastel – Red Lodge – OL/DL
No stats were available for Mastel.
Tommy Nilson – Missoula Hellgate – OL/DL
Nilson, who is listed at 6-foot-4, 250 pounds, has been Hellgate's starting left tackle since his sophomore year and has started on the defensive line since his junior season.
Out-of-state
Taylor Marcum - Timberline HS, Idaho - RB / WR
No stats were able to be found for the 6-foot, 180-pound offensive weapon out of Idaho.
Jordan Reed - Central Union High, CA – QB
A 2020 graduate, the 6-6, 205-pound QB took a grayshirt and will be with the program in 2022. In his final high school season he threw for just over 1,000 yards and 16 touchdowns in five games.
Logan Fredericksen Rigby Highschool, Idaho - LB/DE
No stats were available for Fredericksen.
Montana Grizzlies (11 known commits)
In-state
Kaden Huot - Helena High - QB
A three-year starter at QB for the Bengals, Huot finished the season completing 201 of 332 passes for 2,249 yards and 28 touchdowns to just six interceptions, according to MaxPreps. The top-ranked in-state recruit according to 247Sports, Huot, listed at 6-3, 195 pounds, also led the Bengals in rushing with 752 yards and nine scores.
Marcus Evans - Helena High - RB/LB
The 6-foot, 215-pound linebacker finished the 2021 season with 130 total tackles for the Bengals, incluidng 23 for loss according to MaxPreps. He also finished with three sacks and one interception. On offense, Evans rushed for 477 yards and six touchdowns and caught nine passes for 99 yards.
Chase McGurran - Helena High - WR/DB
The 6-foot, 175-pound McGurran finished the season as one of Huot's favorite targets, and caught 58 passes for 829 yards and 10 touchdowns, according to MaxPreps.
Zac Crews - Missoula Sentinel - QB/DE
The 6-5, 200-pound Crews made the switch from tight end to quarterback his senior year and has thrown for 1,651 yards and 17 scores to three interceptions as the Spartans are back in the Class AA state championship game. He's also rushed for 808 yards and nine more touchdowns, according to MaxPreps. Defensively, Crews has 25 total tackles, 8.5 for loss, and 2.5 sacks.
Ian Finch - Missoula Hellgate - WR/S
The 6-3, 200-pound Finch was a three-year starter at receiver for the Knights and finished his career with 162 catches for 2,741 yards and 28 touchdowns, including 64 receptions for 1,003 yards and 14 scores in 2021, according to MaxPreps.
Tyson Rostad - Hamilton - QB/DB
The 6-1, 200-pound Rostad will join his brother at UM after this year. Rostad has completed 136 of his 191 passes for 2,223 yards and 27 touchdowns to just two interceptions to lead Hamilton to the state championship game. Rostad has also rushed for 560 yards and 15 more scores. Defensively, Rostad has racked up 50 total tackles.
Patrick Rohrbach - Kalispell Glacier - K
Rohrbach went 3 for 5 on field goal attempts this year for the Wolfpack as well as 43 for 44 on PATs, according to MaxPreps.
Joey Visser - Jefferson - WR/CB
Visser's stats on MaxPreps are incomplete.
Beau Dantic - Laurel - RB/LB
Dantic, who committed to Montana on Wednesday, has eight rushing touchdowns and 881 yards on the season, according to the school, as Laurel has advanced to the Class A state championship game for the third straight year.
Out-of-state
Sam Alford - Park City High School, Utah - WR
The 6-3, 190-pound Alford is listed as having 18 catches for 314 yards and three touchdowns, according to MaxPreps.
Eli Gillman - Dassel-Cokato High School, MN - RB
The 6-foot, 192-pound Gillman does not have updated stats listed on MaxPreps but according to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Gillman has rushed for 1,926 yards this season and 36 touchdowns.
