• MT Tech signee - LB
• 2x Class A All-State
• 2018 Badlands Bowl selection – LB
• 2018 Shrine Game selection – MLB
• 3 Yr. Varsity (2 as starter both ways)
• Career 371 carries – 2056 rushing yards; 22 touchdowns
• Career 38 receptions – 410 receiving yards; 5 touchdowns
• Career 187 solo tackles; 16 TFLs; 2 sacks; 7 interceptions
• 2nd Team All-Conference basketball in 2018
• 11th ranked LB
On Jameson: "A versatile athlete who played his high school ball at Fergus High School. Showed great durability/production in his two years as a starter for the Golden Eagles playing both ways and rarely coming off the field while still maintaining a high level of production. As a linebacker, he is a strong tackler when he gets his hands on a ball carrier, using his long arms to wrap aggressively. Shows good pop when he engages ball carriers. Good agility in pass defense to get to his drop in coverage and make plays. Needs to work on getting off blocks and improving his ability to read/react in the run game. Can get lost in the shuffle when lineman get their hands on him. Overall, a good football player who was one of the key pieces to his team's success in 2018. Should be a great fit at Tech as a LB."
49.) Grady Koenig – Helena High (6’0”, 190 lbs.)
• MT Tech signee - RB
• 2018 HM All-State AA - RB
• 247 carries – 1257 rushing yards; 14 touchdowns (senior year)
• 13 receptions – 180 receiving yards; 1 touchdown (senior year)
• 274 rushing yards vs. GFH for 5 touchdowns (senior year)
• 8th ranked RB
On Koenig: "Finally got to be the starting back his senior season and Grady didn't disappoint. Behind a top OL, Koenig and the Bengals produced a potent rushing attack in 2018. Grady's crowning moment his senior season was a 274 rushing yard, 5 touchdown effort against Great Falls High. The game showed off why I believe Grady is a Top 10 RB in the state in this recruiting class. He is one of the best power running backs in the state as he relishes contact and fights through tackles. Grady has good vision and patience as he trusts the scheme and OL in front of him (a staple of RB's from Helena High). He didn't get a ton of opportunities but he has underrated catching ability out of the backfield. The biggest knock on Grady would probably be his lateral elusiveness and "home run" ability. However, there is more to playing RB than speed. Overall, he is a north/south runner who understands how to operating in a power-run scheme. He has room to add weight. Will add toughness to the MT Tech RB room."
48.) Brock Field – Missoula Sentinel (6’1”, 220 lbs.)
• MT Tech signee - DE
• 2018 2nd Team All-State AA FB, HM All-State AA DE
• 2016 Class C 6-Man All-State (St. Regis, MT)
• 2018 Shrine Game selection – TE
• 9 receptions – 107 receiving yards; 2 touchdowns (senior year)
• 19 solos; 7 TFLs; 4 sacks (senior year)
• Starter on the Spartan basketball team
• 2018 State Track Placeholder (throws) – 5th in Discus; 6th in Javelin
• 7th ranked TE; 6th ranked DE
On Field: "Brock transferred to Missoula Sentinel his junior year and immediately made an impact on the football team as a versatile two-way player. On offense, he is more of an H-back type instead of a protypical TE hence why he was selected as an All-State FB. His athletic ability shows when blocking in space and strength is on full displayed when finishing off blocks until the whistle. Brock has the big three characteristics as a blocker: technique, footwork, and willingness. Not a ton of receiving stats but he was definitely an asset for the Spartan passing attack. On defense, he plays with a relentless motor. When rushing the passer, he shows the ability to bend mixed in with good burst off the line. Brock shows a good mix of moves when rushing the passer but his greatest asset is his overall stamina. He just keeps coming. I'm surprised Brock didn't have more production in the sack department for Sentinel because he has the skill set to dominate at DE. If Brock continues to hone in on his technique and using those long arms to his advantage more consistently, he could be a diamond in the rough talent for Chuck Morrell at Tech. His versatility will make him very valuable to the Tech football program."
47.) Kobe Nelson – Billings West (6’5”, 245 lbs.)
• 2018 1st Team All-State AA - OT; HM All-State AA - DE
• 2017 HM All-State AA - OL
• 2018 2nd Team All-USA Today Montana – OL
• 2018 Badlands alternate - OL
• 2018 Shrine Game selection – OT
• Starting center on basketball team
• 6th ranked exterior OL
On Nelson: "It was no secret that the final four AA teams in the playoffs had the top 4 offensive lines in the state. The best was arguably the state champion Billings West's front five and the strength was the left side comprised of Kobe Nelson at left tackle and Connor Paul at left guard. Kobe's best attribute is his agility which helps him in pass pro and climbing to the 2nd level in the run game. Kobe also has prototypical size for a tackle at 6'5". He will play to the whistle in the run game and won't shy away from putting the defender in the dirt if he gets the opportunity. I like that he continues to chop his feet when locked on to a defender in the run game. If he does play at the next level, pad level will have to improve while his overall lower body will have to get stronger. Kobe is already a good athlete and he makes up for his deficiencies with that agility. Overall, I think he's a solid offensive line prospect who can develop into a multi-year starter at the NAIA level."
46.) Michael Nehring – Manhattan (6’2”, 200 lbs.)
• MT Tech signee - LB
• 2018 Class B All-State
• 2017 Class B 2nd Team All-Conference - LB
• 2018 Badlands alternate - LB
• 2018 Shrine Game selection – OLB
• Basketball and Baseball standout
• Brother Alec is a thrower for MSU track
• 10th ranked LB
On Nehring: "Michael switched from TE to QB during his senior season just like his older brother Alec two years ago for Manhattan. The result? A quarterfinal appearance in the Class B playoffs eventually losing to the state champion Fairfield Eagles. With him as the point man, the Tigers offense hummed along and was competitive in every game all season. Michael's versatility also extends over to the basketball court and on the baseball diamond as a shortstop. He is an intriguing football prospect because of his potential to develop at different positions at the next level. But LB is arguably Michael's best position and he plays it well. He's physical as a run defender and can shed blocks using his strength. His read and react ability is good not great and will be something to work on at the next level. He freelances a little too much in terms of technique (pad level and first step) but makes up for it by being a clutch playmaker. Overall, Michael has a great frame and plenty of untapped potential to develop at LB. Once again, another good in-state prospect for Chuck Morrell at Tech."
45.) Dillon Botner – Whitefish (6’6”, 225 lbs.)
• UM signee
• 2018 Class A 2nd Team All-Conference - OT/DE
• Starting center on basketball team
• 2018 state qualifier in the shot put
• 6th ranked TE; 5th ranked exterior OL
On Botner: "Dillon signing with the Griz was by far the biggest surprise (for me) of the early signing period in-state. However, shame on me for not predicting Bobby and Germer would try to bring in at least one kid with god-given length and the potential to develop on the offensive line. Dillon is raw as a football player, especially as an offensive lineman, and is 100% a project. He played primarily TE and DE in high school while fighting injuries along the way. But you can definitely see the potential in Dillon. Aside from his obvious length, he's a smart player even if it didn't translate to a ton of playmaking ability in high school. He's a good basketball player and has good functional strength. Current Griz right tackle Colton Keintz beat the odds and let his confidence and length push him into a starting role in his redshirt freshman season. I'm a big fan of Chad Germer's ability to develop offensive lineman, specifically offensive tackles, so it will be intriguing to see if he can turn Dillon into a capable offensive tackle. Comes from a good family and wants to be a doctor. Intelligence is always a good place to start when developing an offensive lineman so I'll be rooting for Dillon."
44.) Max Evenson – Billings Senior (6’2”, 210 lbs.)
• 2018 2nd Team All-State AA - OLB, HM All-State AA - TE
• 2017 2nd Team All-State AA - OT/DE
• 2018 Badlands selection – LB
• 2018 Shrine Game selection – MLB
• 100+ tackles his senior season
• Played RB, TE, OL, DE, OLB, MLB during two years as a starter
• 9th ranked LB
On Evenson: "A theme throughout my list will be player versatility and Max has plenty of it. When players say "I'll do anything to help the team win", sometimes they don't put their words into action but Max absolutely does. During Senior's 2017 title run, Max was a starter on the offensive line while being a standout defensive end. His play his junior year earned him 2nd-Team All-State honors on both sides of the ball. He was moved to TE and MLB his senior season and continued to produce. In my opinion, Max's best position is at DE where he can grow into the position. His second best spot is MLB. You can tell he has taken coaching well as he always attempts to play with the proper technique regardless of position. At defensive end, he can hold the point of attack and set the edge. He plays with good pad level and shows the ability to extend his arms to lock out the opposing blocker. At linebacker, he plays with an aggressive, physical mindset which translates in stopping the run. He's a decent tackler and his abilities that make him a good defensive end translate to his linebacker play in terms of shedding blocks. Max's athleticism is limited in certain areas and it hurts his ability to make a play if he doesn't read/react correctly. He also doesn't make a ton of plays in the backfield which is a common trend with the lower-ranked linebackers on my list. Overall, Max is one of those kids that doesn't do anything spectacular...but I want him on my team. He's reliable and trustworthy which is why I believe Max has the ability to walk on to either UM/MSU and make the team.
43.) JJ Lindsay – Billings West (5’10”, 190 lbs.)
• 2018 1st Team All-State AA - LB
• 2018 2nd Team All-USA Today Montana – LB
• 2018 Badlands selection – LB
• 2018 Shrine Game alternate – MLB
• 100+ tackles (63 solos); 6.5 TFLs; 1 interception (senior year)
• 8th ranked LB
On Lindsay: "JJ is a LB who plays bigger than his size. He sat behind two great linebackers (Tyler Buckingham and Jacob Resch) his junior season and got an opportunity to show his ability this past fall. JJ ended his senior season with a masterful performance in the AA state title game. He plays with a tremendous amount of passion and physicality which is exactly what a coache wants at linebacker. He is a great tackler and plays sideline to sideline at a high level. He moves well and is tough to block because of his quickness in space. JJ can read and react with the best in the state when playing the run or pass. Unfortunately, it take all of those characteristics to overcome his only major deficiency...his size. Against some of the best offensive lineman in this class, JJ had a tendency to get washed out in the run game and his lack of size/length hurt his ability to get off of blocks in the run game. However, JJ has everything else a coach would want out of a linebacker. He overcomes his lack of size by doing everything else at a high level. It also helps that JJ is arguably the biggest hitter in this class. His tape is fun to watch. JJ is being sought after by nearly every NAIA program in Montana and hopefully gets a chance to play LB at the next level."
42.) Preston Blain – Kalispell Glacier (5’10”, 190 lbs.)
• 2018 2nd Team All-State AA - RB
• 2018 Badlands alternate - RB
• 2018 Shrine Game alternate – RB
• 274 carries – 1622 rushing yards; 24 rushing touchdowns (senior year)
• 2018 AA - 3rd in rushing yards, 2nd in rushing touchdowns
• 7th ranked RB
On Blain: "The Wolfpack have produced all-state RB's since the program started. Preston Blain's 2018 campaign can now be added to the list. His elusiveness and playing speed are his two best attributes. His tape shows a back with promising balance with how he gets his pads squared to the line of scrimmage (nearly every Glacier RB is good at doing this). He displays excellent short-area quickness with his ability to cut on a dime and he stick his foot in the ground to turn up field. Preston plays fast out of the gate and it catches defenders off guard at times. He takes the handoff, gets his pads square, and lets his natural running ability take over. Preston has a promising competitive streak and it shows on tape. His size does hurt some areas of his game. He's not a power runner as he breaks tackles with his elusiveness. Strength and explosion aren't his top traits but he makes up for it by playing the game fast. Even though he doesn't have elite speed, he still can get to the edge and break off big runs. Shows traits on film that would make him a solid special team player as either a returner or gunner. Overall, Preston is a solid back that could help a team as a change of pace back or slot receiver (has good hands). Will likely get his pick from multiple NAIA programs for football."
41.) Maverick Roberts – Billings Central (6’0”, 245 lbs.)
• 2x Class A All-State
• 2018 GFT Super-State – OL
• 2018 Badlands selection – OL
• 2018 Shrine Game selection – OC
• Billings Central ran 981 times for 7471 yards the past two years for 7.62 ypc
• 6th ranked interior OL; 6th ranked DT
On Roberts: "Maverick is has one of my favorite highlight tapes in this class. He plays the center position at a high level and has for the past two seasons at Billings Central. The Rams run the ball at a high percentage every year and it all starts up the middle. First and foremost, Maverick has an excellent mix of power/strength. It all starts with his lower body strength and his pad level discipline. Maverick's puts on a clinic as an interior run blocker. He can move large defensive lineman off their spot due to his ability to stay low, snap his hips, and chop his feet until the whistle. He's good at angle blocking and understands where his hand and helmet placement need to be on a given run play. He is comfortable snapping the ball out of shotgun and it doesn't effect his ability to fire off the ball. Basically, Maverick excels at everything needed out of a center in the run game. As a pass blocker, he naturally anchors well against the bull rush as not many dudes are going to run through him and does a good job of helping his guards in pass pro (good awareness). In spurts as a defensive tackle, his talents as an offensive lineman carried over to the defensive line. Hard to move off his spot and played to the whistle. For negatives, Maverick has limited agility and struggles with speed. However, he has a ton of pluses in his game and I see him as a PWO FCS to Full Scholarship NAIA level of talent. If you put him in the correct offensive scheme, you may have your starting center for three years. If I were an OL coach, I would make prospective centers watch Maverick's tape because of what he shows in the run game. He is a talented run blocker."