BILLINGS — Billings West junior tight end Matt Ludwig is blossoming into an absolute superstar.
Over the past several months, Ludwig, who goes by the nickname "Moose," has seen his recruiting profile explode and holds offers from a who’s who of power conference schools.
“At first it was a little overwhelming just because of how excited I was to see all these things coming in," Ludwig told MTN Sports. "Calls every day. Texts every day. Just building relationships every day with every school that's been in contact with me.
"It's been awesome seeing every opportunity come out and really building these relationships with these schools."
The end goal for Moose almost certainly runs through one of these schools, some of which have a history of sending tight ends to the NFL, especially of late. Ludwig is a 4-star recruit per multiple sites.
“It's been a dream since I was a baby. My dad coached in the college strength world, and growing up in that I always had a love for it and a dream to go on big and eventually play in the league someday," Ludwig said.
It’s clear Moose has worked his tail off in the weight room, adding even more muscle to his already imposing frame and now weights about 245 while standing 6-foot-4. Couple that with his time of 11.4 seconds in the 100 meters in the spring track and field season and you have one of the most sought-after athletes Montana has seen.
“He doesn't do some of the typical things that some of the kids do. He's going to take care of his body, his nutrition and his sleep, which is probably three of the most important things you can do as an athlete," Billings West head coach Rob Stanton said.
"Being around athletes your whole life, and especially at a level that's really high, you can see what it takes and what separates people that want to play and people that are born to play. And I think that's (Ludwig)."
Those big-time programs will have to be patient, as Ludwig is focused solely on helping West win games in 2024. The Golden Bears open up on the road at Butte inside Naranche Stadium on Aug. 30.
