You'll recall that our 2015 class was strong as well. Some are no longer here (Ena never made it, Pflug supposedly cut, McCullough gone). Hopefully some of these young kids are ready to contribute and make a name for themselves. Who would you say are ready to take it to the next level? Here's the list, minus the transfers who all contributed (Chalich, Y. Sanders, M. Sanders) as well as those no longer here:
Offense
Colin Bingham•TE•6-3 1/2•235•Missoula Big Sky•Missoula
Caught 20 passes for 176 yards and five touchdowns as a senior ... primarily a blocker for Eagles team that advanced to the Class AA semifinal game ... father, Guy, played at UM from 1976-79 before playing 14 seasons in the NFL and is part of Montana Hall of Fame.
Jeremy Calhoun•RB•5-11•187•Long Beach Poly•Long Beach, California
Named California Interscholastic Federation All-League as a senior ... ran for more than 1,100 yards, averaging more than 6.8 yards per carry. Scored 11 touchdowns on the ground and one more receiving ... twin brother, Justin, also committed to Montana to play wide receiver.
Justin Calhoun•WR•5-10-160•Long Beach Poly•Long Beach, California
Named CIF All-League as a senior ... moved to receiver during his senior season ... caught 28 passes for 771 yards and 10 touchdowns. Average per catch was 27.5 ... twin brother, Jeremy, also committed to Montana to play running back
Dalton Daum•WR•6-1•175•Butte High•Butte
Originally committed to Montana State ... caught 53 passes for 766 yards and six touchdowns playing with a broken hand as a senior ... totaled 196 receptions for 2,997 yards and 32 touchdowns at Butte ... holds single-season school records of catches (76), yards (1,217) and touchdowns (16) ... second-team All-State as sophomore, first-team as a junior and senior.
Kobey Eaton•WR 6-3•185•Evergreen High•Vancouver, Washington
Caught 19 passes for 526 yards and six touchdowns as a senior for the Plainsmen ... four-year starter in football; two at quarterback and two at wide receiver ... named a team MVP ... All-League selection as a junior and senior.
Dallas Hart•OL•6-5•295•Pacifica High•Cypress, California
First-team All-Conference selection ... voted team MVP as a senior after he was named captain ... three-year letterman
Cody Meyer•OL•6-3•270•San Marcos High•San Marcos, California
Officially accepted an admissions offer and will walk on with football team ... all-League selection as a junior and senior ... three-year starter and two-year captain ... earned letters in football and volleyball.
Donovan Rooks•WR•6-2•185•Yuma Catholic•Yuma, Arizona
Earned nine letters at Yuma Catholic, four in football. Part of three state championship teams ... caught 60 passes for 1,262 yards and 21 touchdowns as a senior. During his three years he had 110 catches, 2,575 yards and 35 touchdowns ... All-State as a senior.
Holden Ryan•WR•6-2•215•Billings Central Catholic•Billings
Played running back in high school ... rushed 227 times for 1,451 yards and 21 touchdowns as a senior. Also caught 22 passes for 346 yards and three scores ... selected first-team All-State running back as a junior and senior ... cousins Casey and Kyle Ryan played for UM.
Angel Villanueva•OL•6-5•310•Duarte High•Duarte, California
Earned 12 letters at Duarte, four in football ... team captain in three sports as a sophomore, junior and senior ... three-time All-League selection and Most Valuable Lineman as a senior ... registered 95 pancake blocks as a senior earning All-Mid Valley and All-San Gabriel Valley nods.
Defense
Andrew Harris•DE•6-4•215•Kalispell Glacier•Kalispell
Officially accepted an admissions offer and will walk on with football team ... first-team All-State as a senior for AA Champion Glacier ... registered 91.5 tackles, four fumble recoveries and two sacks ... named team captain and special teams MVP as a senior ... father, Greg Harris, played for UM from 1971-75 before playing in the NFL for the Jets and 49ers. Brother, Josh, was a defensive end at UM from 2008-2012.
Dante Olson•LB•6-3 1/2•230•Cascade Christian•Medford, Oregon
Four year letterman on four consecutive conference champion teams ... three-year captain and defensive player of the year ... led team in tackles three consecutive years ... voted MVP of conference and state for two years ... had 135 tackles, five sacks and four forced fumbles as a senior ... three-time All-State selection.
Josh Sandry•S•6-1•190•Bigfork High•Bigfork
All-State selection and team MVP as junior and senior. Team captain as a senior ... played quarterback, defensive back, kicker, punter and return specialist for the Vikings ... all-state in basketball for state champion team as a junior ... grandfather, Bruce Olson, played at Montana and lettered in 1957-58.
Jesse Sims•DE•6-4•235•Corvallis High•Stevensville
Originally committed to Oregon State ... transferred to Corvallis from Stevensville for senior season ... named All-Conference as a senior ... was named MVP of the Class A state basketball tournament as a sophomore ... sister, Alycia, is a sophomore for the Lady Griz.
Cy Sirmon•LB•6-3•225•Wenatchee High•Wenatchee, Washington
Three-year starter at Wenatchee ... as a senior he had 106 tackles, 10 TFLs, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries ... first-team All-Conference selection as junior and senior ... team captain and MVP as senior ... uncle, David Sirmon, played on Montana's 1995 national championship team.
Jerrin Williams•S•6-2 1/2•200•Evergreen High•Vancouver, Washington
Earned four letters in football ... was a team captain as a senior ... three-time All-Conference selection ... senior year he had 30 tackles and six interceptions and deflected 10 passes while registering two sacks.
Guys who came in later and were not part of original signing class:
Jerry Louie-McGee WR
David Fa'atuiese LB
Brody Martinez RB
Colin Mcgillvary OL
Nolan Timmons S
Offense
Colin Bingham•TE•6-3 1/2•235•Missoula Big Sky•Missoula
Caught 20 passes for 176 yards and five touchdowns as a senior ... primarily a blocker for Eagles team that advanced to the Class AA semifinal game ... father, Guy, played at UM from 1976-79 before playing 14 seasons in the NFL and is part of Montana Hall of Fame.
Jeremy Calhoun•RB•5-11•187•Long Beach Poly•Long Beach, California
Named California Interscholastic Federation All-League as a senior ... ran for more than 1,100 yards, averaging more than 6.8 yards per carry. Scored 11 touchdowns on the ground and one more receiving ... twin brother, Justin, also committed to Montana to play wide receiver.
Justin Calhoun•WR•5-10-160•Long Beach Poly•Long Beach, California
Named CIF All-League as a senior ... moved to receiver during his senior season ... caught 28 passes for 771 yards and 10 touchdowns. Average per catch was 27.5 ... twin brother, Jeremy, also committed to Montana to play running back
Dalton Daum•WR•6-1•175•Butte High•Butte
Originally committed to Montana State ... caught 53 passes for 766 yards and six touchdowns playing with a broken hand as a senior ... totaled 196 receptions for 2,997 yards and 32 touchdowns at Butte ... holds single-season school records of catches (76), yards (1,217) and touchdowns (16) ... second-team All-State as sophomore, first-team as a junior and senior.
Kobey Eaton•WR 6-3•185•Evergreen High•Vancouver, Washington
Caught 19 passes for 526 yards and six touchdowns as a senior for the Plainsmen ... four-year starter in football; two at quarterback and two at wide receiver ... named a team MVP ... All-League selection as a junior and senior.
Dallas Hart•OL•6-5•295•Pacifica High•Cypress, California
First-team All-Conference selection ... voted team MVP as a senior after he was named captain ... three-year letterman
Cody Meyer•OL•6-3•270•San Marcos High•San Marcos, California
Officially accepted an admissions offer and will walk on with football team ... all-League selection as a junior and senior ... three-year starter and two-year captain ... earned letters in football and volleyball.
Donovan Rooks•WR•6-2•185•Yuma Catholic•Yuma, Arizona
Earned nine letters at Yuma Catholic, four in football. Part of three state championship teams ... caught 60 passes for 1,262 yards and 21 touchdowns as a senior. During his three years he had 110 catches, 2,575 yards and 35 touchdowns ... All-State as a senior.
Holden Ryan•WR•6-2•215•Billings Central Catholic•Billings
Played running back in high school ... rushed 227 times for 1,451 yards and 21 touchdowns as a senior. Also caught 22 passes for 346 yards and three scores ... selected first-team All-State running back as a junior and senior ... cousins Casey and Kyle Ryan played for UM.
Angel Villanueva•OL•6-5•310•Duarte High•Duarte, California
Earned 12 letters at Duarte, four in football ... team captain in three sports as a sophomore, junior and senior ... three-time All-League selection and Most Valuable Lineman as a senior ... registered 95 pancake blocks as a senior earning All-Mid Valley and All-San Gabriel Valley nods.
Defense
Andrew Harris•DE•6-4•215•Kalispell Glacier•Kalispell
Officially accepted an admissions offer and will walk on with football team ... first-team All-State as a senior for AA Champion Glacier ... registered 91.5 tackles, four fumble recoveries and two sacks ... named team captain and special teams MVP as a senior ... father, Greg Harris, played for UM from 1971-75 before playing in the NFL for the Jets and 49ers. Brother, Josh, was a defensive end at UM from 2008-2012.
Dante Olson•LB•6-3 1/2•230•Cascade Christian•Medford, Oregon
Four year letterman on four consecutive conference champion teams ... three-year captain and defensive player of the year ... led team in tackles three consecutive years ... voted MVP of conference and state for two years ... had 135 tackles, five sacks and four forced fumbles as a senior ... three-time All-State selection.
Josh Sandry•S•6-1•190•Bigfork High•Bigfork
All-State selection and team MVP as junior and senior. Team captain as a senior ... played quarterback, defensive back, kicker, punter and return specialist for the Vikings ... all-state in basketball for state champion team as a junior ... grandfather, Bruce Olson, played at Montana and lettered in 1957-58.
Jesse Sims•DE•6-4•235•Corvallis High•Stevensville
Originally committed to Oregon State ... transferred to Corvallis from Stevensville for senior season ... named All-Conference as a senior ... was named MVP of the Class A state basketball tournament as a sophomore ... sister, Alycia, is a sophomore for the Lady Griz.
Cy Sirmon•LB•6-3•225•Wenatchee High•Wenatchee, Washington
Three-year starter at Wenatchee ... as a senior he had 106 tackles, 10 TFLs, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries ... first-team All-Conference selection as junior and senior ... team captain and MVP as senior ... uncle, David Sirmon, played on Montana's 1995 national championship team.
Jerrin Williams•S•6-2 1/2•200•Evergreen High•Vancouver, Washington
Earned four letters in football ... was a team captain as a senior ... three-time All-Conference selection ... senior year he had 30 tackles and six interceptions and deflected 10 passes while registering two sacks.
Guys who came in later and were not part of original signing class:
Jerry Louie-McGee WR
David Fa'atuiese LB
Brody Martinez RB
Colin Mcgillvary OL
Nolan Timmons S