MISSOULA — The quarterbacks once again take center stage with fall camp under way for the Montana Grizzlies.
Last year's starter, Clifton McDowell, transferred after the season concluded, but one player with plenty of buzz surrounding him is redshirt freshman Keali'i Ah Yat, who saw limited time splitting reps with McDowell last season.
"Last year, my first year, not really knowing anything, new plays, far from home. So definitely coming into this year I'm more confident, knowing my teammates more, just everything," Ah Yat said. "I'm more comfortable. So it's been good."
Ah Yat saw action in five games last season as the Griz worked him in toward the end of the season to maintain his redshirt. He completed 26 of 38 passes for 271 yards and threw one touchdown.
"You just never know when your number is going to be called," Ah Yat said. "So just last year, I just had to take an approach to always be ready and just be ready when my name was called."
Along with Ah Yat is Fresno State transfer Logan Fife, who played in 21 games with the FBS Bulldogs and brings experience into the QB room. In his career at Fresno State, Fife completed 143 of 224 passes for 1,585 yards, six touchdowns and nine interceptions.
"It was kind of the easy adjustment getting in here. Just learn new terminology," Fife said. "We got a strong run game. We can open it up, we can take shots, we can get the drop back game, the quick game, run some screens. We kind of do it all. So it's really similar to the system that I came from."
It's a quarterback battle in camp, but the expectation is the Grizzlies will run a two-QB system once again, with head coach Bobby Hauck saying both Ah Yat and Fife will play.
So the competition element for getting the snaps and playing is there, while this group simultaneously works toward the common goal as a team.
"We got a good camaraderie in the quarterback room, so we get along well, we help each other out," Fife said. "But at the end of the day, I'm here to compete, here to win a job, so at the end of day, I'm just worried about myself. I'm not worried about what anybody else is doing and trying to do the best job that I can."
Also improving and in the mix is redshirt sophomore and Helena High alum Kaden Huot, who shined in the spring game, and continues to grow and round out the experience and leadership in the QB room.
"Just repetition, just getting better every day, a little bit, and feeding off each other in the quarterback room, you know, helping each other out," Huot said. "You know, coaches aren't out there, so it's just us out there and just getting better and executing plays with the offense."
So this group will work together and work off of each other's strengths as they get set to lead the offense going forward.
"I think it's pretty common in college football right now, where you better have two as much as everybody's running guys, you know, you better have two guys," Hauck said. "I think the old thought that you have to have one guy and then a backup is somewhat antiquated. I'm not so sure we're not really tied to any of that, and I'm sure that we'll play two as well."
Griz quarterbacks on the 2024 roster by number
No. 8, Keali'i Ah Yat, R-FR, 6-foot-1, 181 pounds, Kaneohe, HI
No. 12, Logan Fife, R-JR, 6-foot, 205 pounds, Tracy, CA
No. 16, Kaden Huot, R-SO, 6-foot-4, 217 pounds, Helena, MT
No. 17, Luke Flowers, FR, 6-foot-1, 185 pounds, Rigby, ID
No. 18, Cody Schweikert, FR, 6-foot-3, 220 pounds, Columbia Falls, MT
No. 19, Gage Sliter, R-FR, 6-foot-1, 187 pounds, Kalispell, MT
