2026 Montana Recruits

[VimSince03]

2026 - Initial Ranking

Tier 1 - "The Rare Ones"

Matt Ludwig (Billings West) - TE/DE - 6'4", 235 lbs. (uncommitted but will end up at a Power 4)

Thoughts: "Six members of the Michigan coaching staff (including the head coach) visited one of his basketball games in Billings this spring...we have not had a prospect like Matt come out of Montana since Will Dissly a decade ago."

Tier 2 - "The Blue Chips"

Jackson Presley (Kalispell Glacier) - QB - 6'2", 195 lbs. (committed to Boise State)
Elias Bonner (Billings West) - WR/S - 6'0", 180 lbs. (also holds UM offer; MSU offered back in October 2024)
Carter Dahlke (Bozeman Gallatin) - ATH - 5'9", 165 lbs. (also holds AF/UM offer; MSU offered back in October 2024)
Brit Linder (Helena Capital) - FB/LB - 6'3", 210 lbs. (MSU offered on 1.16.25; also holds UM offer back in December)
Tommy Lewis (Havre) - OL - 6'5", 295 lbs. (MSU offered on 2.1.25; holds UM offer)
Derek Opitz (Helena Capital) - OL/DE - 6'3", 235 lbs. (holds UM offer)
Maverick Diede (Kalispell Glacier) - OL/DL - 6'4", 280 lbs. (holds UM offer)

Thoughts: "Jackson is a blue chip QB prospect for the state of Montana but its also arguably true he was not the best QB in the state in 2024 meaning there is still room to grow before I put him in Tier 1. Elias is one of the best two-way athletes in the state as you could plug him into WR or S at the next level and he has an All-Big Sky ceiling. Carter is yet another explosive slot receiver coming out of the state of Montana and nearly all of his predecessors have had success at UM or MSU. Brit is the #1 LB prospect in the state and he translates to the inside at the next level. Tommy has interior OL written all over him and he is the back-to-back runner up at the heavyweight class for State A wrestling his sophomore and junior seasons. Derek isn't as explosive as his brother Hayden (currently plays for the Griz) but he's also a different athlete as he plays on the lines and that's what is intriguing about him as you could recruit him as an IOL or DL at the next level. Maverick is one powerful OL recruit who packs a punch when he throws his hands into defenders and one of the best at moving bodies when he gets engaged."

Tier 3 - "The Partials"

Wesley Ehret (Belgrade) - WR/ATH - 6'2", 180 lbs. (holds UM offer)
Bridger Alexander (Florence) - TE/DE - 6'2", 210 lbs.
Merek Fisher (Billings Skyview) - OL - 6'7", 235 lbs.
Evan Pyron (Missoula Hellgate) - TE - 6'3", 230 lbs.
Logan Humphrey (Bozeman) - TE - 6'4", 230 lbs.
Hudson Luedtke (Butte) - WR/S - 6'2", 185 lbs.
William Snell (Billings Central) - WR - 6'4", 190 lbs.

Thoughts: "Wesley starts at Belgrade and is projected to have a big senior season at WR. Bridger has the tools to be a h-back or hybrid edge rusher at the next level. Merek is still growing into his body but he's already very strong for his size so if he continues to add mass he arguably is a better long-term prospect than Maverick or Tommy above. Evan and Logan are no-nonsense TE recruits (good blockers and pass-catchers) who you could plug and play after a few years in your development program. Hudson is 99.9% going to play basketball but he is a very intriguing WR prospect...frisbee catching dog. William Snell is a build-a-WR out of Billings Central as he has the build, athleticism, and ability to compete at the next level."

Tier 4 - "PWOs"

Jack Robinson (Kalispell Glacier) - S - 6'2", 200 lbs.
Kade Robinson (Missoula Sentinel) - TE - 6'6", 210 lbs.
Ayden Salter (Billings Central) - ATH/RB - 6'1", 190 lbs.
Evan Hughen (Bozeman) - CB - 6'2", 170 lbs.
Titus Newman (Missoula Big Sky) - DE/LB - 6'2", 190 lbs.
Colter DeVoss (Great Falls High) - DE/LB - 6'1", 205 lbs.
Tyton Larsen (Billings Central) - DE/OL - 6'4", 220 lbs.
Kingston Oe (Laurel) - DL - 5'11", 250 lbs.
Noah Blom (Helena Capital) - C - 6'0", 250 lbs.
Kougar Kappel (Red Lodge) - ATH - 6'0" 170 lbs.
Hunter Lee (CMR) - LB - 6'2", 220 lbs.
Lane Bradley (Billings Senior) - OL - 6'6", 240 lbs.
Howie Martin (Billings Central) - QB/ATH - 6'4", 185 lbs.
Bobby Gutzman (Bozeman Gallatin) - WR/S - 6'2", 180 lbs.
Mason Swanson (Red Lodge) - DE - 6'4", 215 lbs.
Truman Giese (Fort Benton) - NB - 5'11", 170 lbs.
Dawson Hammond (Malta) - WR/DB - 6'1", 165 lbs.
Caleb Taylor (CMR) - S - 6'3", 190 lbs.
Cormac Batt (Missoula Big Sky) - SS/WR - 6'2", 160 lbs.
Brody Duchien (Florence) - WR - 6'1", 165 lbs.
Parker Link (Missoula Hellgate) - WR/S - 5'11", 185 lbs.
Carsen Ross (Bozeman Gallatin) - DL - 6'2", 250 lbs.

Thoughts: "Only doing PWOs this year as most PWOs are still projects at the next level. As usual, a ton of intriguing prospects in this list but my favorites are Jack Robinson, Tyton Larsen, Kingston Oe, Kougar Kappel, Mason Swanson, Dawson Hammond, and Parker Link."

[ike11ike]

Favorite thread of the year. When do you expect to have your full list?

[VimSince03]

Favorite thread of the year. When do you expect to have your full list?

After February signing day in 2025. I'll put kids in Tiers at that point.

[VimSince03]

Here is a list of a few more kids that just got offered by UM (no known offer from MSU yet):

Derek Opitz (Helena Capital) - OL/DE - 6'3", 235 lbs. (brother Hayden plays for UM)
Tommy Lewis (Havre) - OL - 6'5", 295 lbs. (great wrestler and top OL recruit in this class)
Brit Linder (Helena Capital) - FB/LB - 6'3", 210 lbs. (the best LB in this class...one would think Bobby Daly wants him)
Wesley Ehret (Belgrade) - WR/ATH - 6'2", 180 lbs. (projected to have a big senior season)

Hey look at that!

[RockyBearCat]

Niiiiice!

[AFCAT]

He is a 2027 recruit but thought I’d put it here.

[AFCAT]

[Cataholic]

Luedtke is now a 3 time AA first team All State in football and will be a 3 time AA first team All-State in basketball. Has there ever been an athlete to be first team All State in both basketball and football for all 4 years?

[TomCat88]

Luedtke is now a 3 time AA first team All State in football and will be a 3 time AA first team All-State in basketball. Has there ever been an athlete to be first team All State in both basketball and football for all 4 years?

Not many. Probably Marc Gilman from Flathead. I think he might've been both all four years.

[LTown Cat]

Luedtke is now a 3 time AA first team All State in football and will be a 3 time AA first team All-State in basketball. Has there ever been an athlete to be first team All State in both basketball and football for all 4 years?

Not many. Probably Marc Gilman from Flathead. I think he might've been both all four years.

Maybe Matt Miller
Dane Warp from Havre--I'm pretty sure he was.

[Cataholic]

Luedtke is now a 3 time AA first team All State in football and will be a 3 time AA first team All-State in basketball. Has there ever been an athlete to be first team All State in both basketball and football for all 4 years?

Not many. Probably Marc Gilman from Flathead. I think he might've been both all four years.

Maybe Matt Miller
Dane Warp from Havre--I'm pretty sure he was.

Was curious about this.

Miller was “only” 2 time all state in basketball.

https://www.montanasports.com/high-scho ... -receiver/

Gilman was only 3 time in both football and basketball.

https://www.montanasports.com/high-scho ... pell-star/

I thought maybe Dane Warp in Class A, but he wasn’t 4 time All state either.

https://carrollathletics.com/news/2016/ ... 65007.aspx

[TomCat88]

Luedtke is now a 3 time AA first team All State in football and will be a 3 time AA first team All-State in basketball. Has there ever been an athlete to be first team All State in both basketball and football for all 4 years?

Not many. Probably Marc Gilman from Flathead. I think he might've been both all four years.

Maybe Matt Miller
Dane Warp from Havre--I'm pretty sure he was.

Was curious about this.

Miller was “only” 2 time all state in basketball.

https://www.montanasports.com/high-scho ... -receiver/

Gilman was only 3 time in both football and basketball.

https://www.montanasports.com/high-scho ... pell-star/

I thought maybe Dane Warp in Class A, but he wasn’t 4 time All state either.

https://carrollathletics.com/news/2016/ ... 65007.aspx

During one of Tom Osborne’s weekly shows he had Gilman on with him and he made sure to point out what a great basketball player he was.

Flathead played HHS for the state title his senior year and Chris Spoja was a junior at HHS. Gilman came down the middle of the floor at top speed and Spoja came to try to stop him from throwing down a dunk. Spoja fouled him and the ball caromed off the back iron all the way past halfcourt. Great play by two of the best to ever go head to head in a Montana state title game.

[VimSince03]

#1 OL recruit in the state for 2026.

[BobcatDel]

Luedtke is now a 3 time AA first team All State in football and will be a 3 time AA first team All-State in basketball. Has there ever been an athlete to be first team All State in both basketball and football for all 4 years?

Not many. Probably Marc Gilman from Flathead. I think he might've been both all four years.

Maybe Matt Miller
Dane Warp from Havre--I'm pretty sure he was.

I know Pat Donovan was all state in Basketball and Football and had half dozen or so first place state track finishes. But I don't know if he was both multiple years. Helena folks on here would know better than I.

[AFCAT]

Luedtke is now a 3 time AA first team All State in football and will be a 3 time AA first team All-State in basketball. Has there ever been an athlete to be first team All State in both basketball and football for all 4 years?

Not many. Probably Marc Gilman from Flathead. I think he might've been both all four years.

Maybe Matt Miller
Dane Warp from Havre--I'm pretty sure he was.

I know Pat Donovan was all state in Basketball and Football and had half dozen or so first place state track finishes. But I don't know if he was both multiple years. Helena folks on here would know better than I.

...or his brother, who posts on here once in a while.

[TomCat88]

Luedtke is now a 3 time AA first team All State in football and will be a 3 time AA first team All-State in basketball. Has there ever been an athlete to be first team All State in both basketball and football for all 4 years?

Not many. Probably Marc Gilman from Flathead. I think he might've been both all four years.

Maybe Matt Miller
Dane Warp from Havre--I'm pretty sure he was.

I know Pat Donovan was all state in Basketball and Football and had half dozen or so first place state track finishes. But I don't know if he was both multiple years. Helena folks on here would know better than I.

...or his brother, who posts on here once in a while.

Donovan was all state in basketball his junior and senior years but just his senior year for football. Kind of amazing he wasn’t even all conference his junior year in football.

[AFCAT]

Luedtke is now a 3 time AA first team All State in football and will be a 3 time AA first team All-State in basketball. Has there ever been an athlete to be first team All State in both basketball and football for all 4 years?

Not many. Probably Marc Gilman from Flathead. I think he might've been both all four years.

Maybe Matt Miller
Dane Warp from Havre--I'm pretty sure he was.

I know Pat Donovan was all state in Basketball and Football and had half dozen or so first place state track finishes. But I don't know if he was both multiple years. Helena folks on here would know better than I.

...or his brother, who posts on here once in a while.

Donovan was all state in basketball his junior and senior years but just his senior year for football. Kind of amazing he wasn’t even all conference his junior year in football.

Even more amazing to me is that he was drafted as a defensive lineman, changed to the o-line just a few days into camp, and later become an all pro.

[TomCat88]

Donovan was a rare case. Perhaps the best athlete in Montana history. Things were different back then in terms of all state selections. Frosh on varsity level teams was almost unheard of. Even sophomores were very rare. So many more kids went out for sports, especially football and basketball.

Anyway, getting back to Luedtke and other Montana recruits, I haven't seen many of them play. But I always like athletes that are productive in one way or another. Some rack up big totals in yards, TDs, points, pins, etc., while others do good things at a high percentage and it may not show up in the stats people are looking at since they don't get as many opportunities. Sometimes you're good at all those things but once you get up against a better caliber opponent, it all falls apart. Sometimes your totals aren't great but once you get on a team that uses your skills, you take off.

Coaches at the HS level can been stubborn or not well-educated or lack vision. It can be hard to tell just who is and isn't an upper echelon athlete.

[tetoncat]

Coaches at the HS level can been stubborn or not well-educated or lack vision. It can be hard to tell just who is and isn't an upper echelon athlete.

But coaches also try to win. What might be best for a HS players long term success, might not help his HS team the most. Kid might be a college WR, TE, etc but needs to play QB because he is best athlete. Or might be a 6'4 post when he will be a wing in college.

[Team10]

Coaches at the HS level can been stubborn or not well-educated or lack vision. It can be hard to tell just who is and isn't an upper echelon athlete.

But coaches also try to win. What might be best for a HS players long term success, might not help his HS team the most. Kid might be a college WR, TE, etc but needs to play QB because he is best athlete. Or might be a 6'4 post when he will be a wing in college.

Of the two top Oline guys in the state for the '26 class I would put Maverick Diede from Glacier at the same level or ahead of Tommy Lewis of Havre. Cats signed Diede's counterpart Ben Winters in the '25 class. I caught a couple Glacier games this year and the better Olinemen of the two was Diede and was pretty easy to see.