BOZEMAN — Isaiah Ifanse, Montana State's all-time leading rusher, is transferring to play football next season at San Jose State.
Ifanse made the announcement via social media that he had committed to SJSU on Wednesday. San Jose State is a Division I FBS program in the Mountain West Conference. The Spartans are coached by Brent Brennan. They played in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl at the end of the 2022 season, marking the second time in three years the program played in a bowl game.
Ifanse, a Bellevue, Wash., product, is the Bobcats' all-time rushing leader with 3,742 yards. He missed the entire 2022 regular season recovering from knee surgery but returned for the playoffs, helping MSU reach the FCS semifinals where its season ended in a defeat to eventual national champion South Dakota State.
Let’s get it! #climbthemountain pic.twitter.com/W61zK1GxF9
— Isaiah Ifanse (@IsaiahIfanse) January 19, 2023
Ifanse announced on Dec. 29 that he was entering the NCAA transfer portal and that he intended to play elsewhere for his final season of eligibility. He conveyed over social media at the time: "I'd like to thank Coach (Brent) Vigen for pushing me to become a better player and person everyday. I'd also like to thank Coach (Jeff) Choate's staff for being the first to take a chance on me and giving me an opportunity to play in Bozeman."
Ifanse also thanked his teammates, writing, "I love you guys and some of the adversity we endured throughout my 5 years, I'll forever be grateful. The lifelong relationships that have been built will be cherished, and the way you treated me like family since day 1 will never be forgotten."
Ifanse broke the MSU's career rushing mark during a quarterfinal playoff victory over William & Mary in December at Bobcat Stadium, surpassing the previous record of 3,646 yards held by MSU hall of famer Ryan Johnson (1999-02).
Ifanse had 17 100-yard games in his career, which tied Johnson for the school record. Ifanse had eight 100-yard games in 2021, one shy of the record set by Troy Andersen in 2018. Ifanse's 25 career rushing touchdowns are sixth-most at MSU.
