Montana football: Grizzlies ink 15 in early signing period

In the first-ever Early Signing Period, the Montana Grizzlies welcomed 15 new student-athletes to the football team on Wednesday. It was the first recruiting class for Coach Bobby Hauck since his return to the program.

The class includes 14 high school signees, nine of which are Montana players, and one junior transfer.

"We are very excited about the first half of our recruiting class, and I appreciate the kids who have signed with us for believing in the future of Grizzly football," Hauck said. "The coaches on staff have done a great job and worked their tails off over the past two weeks. We will put together the rest of the group in the new year, and complete what I believe to be an outstanding recruiting class."

The class is loaded with Montana talent, which composes 60 percent of the 15-man class. Kalispell provided the most players (3) with Max Morris, Jackson Pepe, and Drew Turner all committing. The Griz picked up two players from Missoula in Janacaro and Nick Germer.

Elsewhere in the state Montana picked up the Gatorade Player of the Year in Billings Senior's Gabe Sulser, the Montana all-class record holder for receptions, receiving yards and touchdown catches. Eureka's Garrett Graves, the top quarterback prospect in the state according to MaxPreps, also committed.

There are some commits with Griz in their blood like Valier's Colten Curry, whose father Scott Curry played for Montana before being drafted by the Green Bay Packers. Nick Germer also comes from Griz lineage. His father Chad was an All-American center at Montana and is currently the offensive line coach.

There were six out of state recruits for the Griz as well, including three-star safety Nash Fouchfrom Woodinville, Wash., whose brother Nick is a safety for the Griz.

Dalton Sneed transfers from Fort Scott CC to Montana for his junior season. The athletic playmaker also spent time at UNLV where he still holds the record for longest play from scrimmage with a 91-yard touchdown in 2016.

The class is very balanced, featuring multiple offensive linemen, wide receivers and tight ends on the offensive side. Defensively, the Griz add a couple of end rushers that can get to the quarterback and help fill out the secondary with a couple of safety prospects.

Transfer

Player Bios

1. Eli Alford, DT, 6-1, 280, Park City, Utah (Air Force Prep)

2018: Alford will enroll at the University of Montana as a freshman in the fall of 2018.

High School: A two star prospect by Scout and 247Sports at Air Force Prep and Park City High prior to that… Was also recruited by Air Force, Utah and Utah State… Recorded 51 tackles, nine sacks and forced three fumbles in his final year at Park City High. Second-team 3A All-State selection as a defensive lineman by the Salt Lake Tribune. … Regional champion and state runner-up in shot put and regional runner-up in discus in track. Also threw javelin.

Personal: His father, the late Aaron Alford, coached at Southern Utah, Western Illinois, Wyoming, Akron and Utah… Uncle is Coach Tony Alford, the assistant head coach and running backs coach at The Ohio State University.

2. Sean Anderson, OL, 6-7, 305, Litchfield Park, Ariz. (Verrado HS)

2018: Anderson will enroll at the University of Montana as a true freshman in the fall of 2018.

High School: A three-time letterwinner in football at Verrado High School under coach Tom Ward… Also a two-time letterman in track… First team All-State 2017… First team All-Region in 2016 and 2017… Honorable mention Academic All-State in 2016… Named player of the game three times.

Personal: Plans to major in finance at UM… Parents are Kim and Art Tomlinson of Litchfield Park, Ariz.

3. Lorenzo Brown, DE, 6-4, 230, Las Vegas, Nev. (Desert Pines HS)

2018: Brown will enroll at the University of Montana as a true freshman in the fall of 2018.

High School: A three-time letterman in football and two-time basketball letterman at Desert Pines High School… Named team captain in both football and basketball his senior season... Two-time state, region and division football champion… State basketball champion in 2017... Two-time All-State honoree… Played football under head coach Tico Rodriquez… Named Southern Nevada lineman of the year in 2017… Posted 11 sacks, 81 tackles, 20 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles his senior year.

Personal: Born in Chicago, Ill… Parents are Lorenzo Brown and Charkita Moore

4. Colten Curry, DE, 6-7, 210, Valier, Mont. (Valier HS)

2018: Curry will enroll at the University of Montana as a true freshman in the fall of 2018.

High School: A four-time letterwinner in football and a three-time letterwinner in basketball and track at Valier High School (to date)… Named football team captain and offensive MVP as a senior… Also named team captain as a junior in 2016… Two-time conference football champion… 2017 All-State and two-time All-Conference selection in football… Named basketball All-State and All-Conference selection… two-time All-State performer in track… 100 meters PR of 11.22 in track… High jump PR of 6-2 at District 10-C meet… Northern C divisional track champion in 4x100 relay with a time of 45.84… A 2018 USA Football U-18 International Bowl Selection… Caught 45 passes for 742 yards and 13 touchdowns his senior season… Rushed 25 times for 191 yards and 5 touchdowns… Also recorded 37 tackles, nine interceptions, one pick-six, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and a sack as a safety

Personal: Parents are Scott and Shawna Curry of Valier… Father Scott played on Montana's offensive line from 1994-1998 before being selected in the sixth round of the NFL draft by the Green Bay Packers… Enjoys snowboarding, hunting, fishing, and kayaking… Plans on studying business at UM.

5. Nash Fouch, S, 6-2, 190, Woodinville, Wash. (Woodinville HS)

2018: Fouch will enroll at the University of Montana as a true freshman in the fall of 2018.

High School: Four-time letterman at Woodinville High School under prep coach Wayne Maxwell… A three-star prospect according to 247Sports… Conference champion in 2016 and 2017…. 4-A State runner-up in 2017… 2017 Woodinville Team MVP… Two-time first team All-State and All-Area… 2017 All-State game nominee… Made 80 tackles at safety and caught 12 interceptions… Returned three touchdowns on special teams with 720 return yards… Caught 130 passes for 1,702 yards and 23 touchdowns as a wide receiver… Also received offers from Montana State, Eastern Washington, Idaho, Northern Iowa, Cornell, and Air Force.

Personal: Older brother Nick is a wide receiver on the Grizzly football team… Parents are Toby and Katrina Fouch of Woodinville, Wash…. Was once nationally ranked in the video game Battlefront… Can't whistle… Plans to major in business and kinesiology at UM… Goal to become an athletic trainer…. Name pronounced Fowch (like couch).

6. Tyler Ganoung, OL, 6-5, 318, Hillsboro, Ore. (Sunset HS)

2018: Ganoung will enroll at the University of Montana as a true freshman in the fall of 2018.

High School: A three-time letterwinner in football… Also a letterwinner in wrestling… Won team captain's award as a freshman… Second team All-6A Metro League as a senior… Honorable mention for All-6A Metro League as sophomore and junior… Started every varsity game sophomore through senior year… Prep coach was Damien Merrick.

Personal: Plans to pursue a degree in criminal law at Montana… Parents are Cary and Kristi Ganoung of Vancouver, Wash…. Also trained in boxing and jujitsu… Last name pronounced: Gan-NUNG

7. Nick Germer, WR, 6-2, 175, Missoula, Mont. (Sentinel HS)

2018: Germer will enroll at the University of Montana as a true freshman in the fall of 2018.

High School: Three-time letterwinner in football and basketball at Missoula Sentinel… Played under head coach and former Griz wide receiver Dane Oliver… Class AA All-State selection as junior and senior… Named offensive team MVP as a senior… Named team captain as a senior… Caught 55 passes for 861 yards and eight touchdowns as a senior.

Personal: Parents are Amy and Chad Germer of Missoula… Father Chad is the offensive line coach and former All-American center at Montana… Plans to major in business at UM.

8. Garrett Graves, QB, 6-3, 190, Eureka, Mont. (Lincoln County HS)

2018: Graves will enroll at the University of Montana as a true freshman in the fall of 2018.

High School: Four-time letterwinner in football, wrestling and track at Lincoln County High School… A two-time state champion in football… Also a state champion wrestler, undefeated at 182 lbs… Two-time All-State selection in football and wrestling… Threw for 42 touchdowns his senior season… Team averaged more than 44 points per game his senior season… Pulled in six interceptions on defense as well… Team captain for three years in wrestling and two years in football… Also named Most Valuable Athlete in track… No. 1 rated QB in the state of Montana by MaxPreps… Played prep football under coach Trevor Utter.

Personal: Plans to study business and sports marketing at UM… Parents are Joel and Leslie Graves of Eureka.

9. Levi Janacaro, FB, 6-0, 220, Missoula, Mont. (Big Sky HS)

2018: Janacaro will enroll at the University of Montana as a true freshman in the fall of 2018.

High School: Three-time letterwinner in football at Missoula Big Sky… Also a four-time letterwinner in track and earned one letter in basketball (to date)... Team captain in football and basketball… Offensive team MVP junior year… Team MVP senior year… First team All-State at QB and Western Conference Offensive MVP senior year… Second team All-State at QB as a junior… All-Conference honorable mention at QB as a sophomore… Rushed for 1,952 yards and 29 touchdowns, and passed for 1,343 yards and 10 touchdowns as a senior… Rushed for over 4,000 yards and passed for over 7,000 yards in his career as a three year varsity player… Played under head coach Matt Johnson at Big Sky.

Personal: Plans to major in business at UM… Parents are Bill and Michaele Janacaro of Missoula.

10. Max Morris, TE, 6-4, 230, Kalispell, Mont. (Glacier HS)

2018: Morris will enroll at the University of Montana as a true freshman in the fall of 2018.

High School: A three-year letterwinner in football and one-year letterwinner in basketball… Class AA All-State Honorable Mention as a senior… Second team All-Conference senior year… Two-time Academic All-State in 2015 and 2017… 16 catches for 177 yards and two touchdowns as a senior… Played high school football under Glacier head coach and former Griz QB Grady Bennett.

Personal: Plans on studying journalism at UM and hopes to one day work for National Geographic… Parents are Brian Morris and Cherche Prezeau of Helena.

11. Jackson Pepe, S, 6-0, 200, Kalispell, Mont. (Glacier HS)

2018: Pepe will enroll at the University of Montana as a true freshman in the fall of 2018.

High School: A three-time letterman in football and two-time letterman (to date) in track… Named captain of his football team as both a junior and senior… Three appearances in AA state playoffs… All-State honorable mention and Western All-Conference selection at safety as a senior… First team All-State punter and returner and second team All-State safety as a junior, also an honorable mention kick returner.

Personal: Plans to major in business at UM… Parents are John and Tonia Pepe of Kalispell… Enjoys spending time outdoors… Hopes to one day own his own business… Pronounced "PEP-y"

12. Conor Quick, OL, 6-3, 275, Helena, Mont. (Capital HS)

2018: Quick will enroll at the University of Montana as a true freshman in the fall of 2018.

High School: A four-time football and track letterman… Also lettered in wrestling as a junior… Named football team captain as a senior and freshman… A JV basketball captain as a sophomore… Track captain in 2017 and finished 5th at state in the shot put as a junior… Four-time academic All-State… Second team All-State as a center in 2017… First-team All-State at guard as a junior… Registered 102 career pancake blocks, averaging 3.1 per-game… On defense, logged 101 solo and 109 total tackles, one sack, one forced fumble, and one blocked kick… Played under head coach Kyle Mihelish at Helena Capital.

Personal: Plans to study biology at UM with a minor in zoology and pursue a career in wildlife biology… Parents are Dave and Becky Quick of Helena… An avid outdoorsman.

13. Dalton Sneed, QB, 6-1, 200, Scottsdale, Ariz. (Fort Scott CC/UNLV)

2018: Sneed will join the team for spring drills and will be a junior in the 2018 season.

2017 - Fort Scott CC: Transferred to Fort Scott Community College in Kansas… Played in eight games for the Greyhounds… Threw for 1,257 yards and seven touchdowns, completing 136 passes in 231 attempts, over a 63 percent average… Rushed for 295 yards on 79 attempts with a long of 42 yards… All-KJCCC honorable mention.

2016 - UNLV: Started six games for the Rebels as a redshirt freshman… Broke a UNLV school and Sam Boyd Stadium record with a 91-yard touchdown run – the longest offensive play in Rebel history – narrowly avoiding being sacked in the end zone for a safety… Posted the second-most total offensive yards on the team that season, passing for 632 yards and rushing for 348 more for a total of 980 total yards in nine games, an average of 108.9 per game… Completed 39 passes on 88 attempts with two interceptions… Passed for five touchdowns with QB efficiency of 118.85… Posted a career high day against Hawai'i, going 19-27-0 passing for 279 yards with two scores.

2015 - UNLV: Redshirt season

High School: A three-year letterwinner at Horizon HS under coach Kris Heavner ... Ranked as a three-star recruit by both 247Sports and ESPN ... Listed as the No. 79 pro-style QB and No. 28 overall recruit from his state in the 247Sports composite rankings... Earned All-State Division I honorable mention as a senior and an All-State Division I first team selection as a junior ... Passed for 3,565 yards and 28 touchdowns and rushed for 984 yards and 14 touchdowns as a senior ... Threw for 3,740 yards and 44 touchdowns as a junior ... Also a two-year letterwinner on the baseball team.

Personal: Parents are Mike and Tracey Sneed of Scottsdale, Ariz. ... Has two sisters, Tori and Riley ... Uncle Taber LeMarr played football at Wyoming and the University of San Diego ... Will major in journalism.

14. Gabe Sulser, WR, 5-9, 160, Billings, Mont. (Senior HS)

2018: Sulser will enroll at the University of Montana as a true freshman in the fall of 2018.

High School: Four-time letterman in football and three-time (to date) letterman in track… 2017 Montana Gatorade Football Player of the Year… 2017 Class AA state offensive MVP… Three-time All-State first team wide receiver… Two-time first team All-State cornerback… Two-time first team All-State kick returner… Two-time football state champion… Two-time football team captain and track captain… Overall career football record of 43-7 at Billings Senior under head coach Chris Murdock… 80 career touchdowns… 50 career touchdown catches (MT all-class record)... 4,007 career receiving yards (MT all-class record)... 261 career pass receptions (MT all-class record)... 2015 110m hurdles state champion in track with a time of 14.24.

Personal: Plans on studying physical therapy at UM… Parents are Mark and Jody Sulser of Billings… Father Mark played football at Montana from 1988 - 1991, Mother Jody is also a UM graduate… Sister Morgan Sulser currently runs track at UM… Brother Ben also played football at Montana Western.

15. Drew Turner, RB, 6-0, 200, Kalispell, Mont. (Glacier HS)

2018: Turner will enroll at the University of Montana as a true freshman in the fall of 2018.

High School: A three-time letterwinner in football and track (to date)... Two-time Class AA first team All-State running back… Glacier High school record holder in rushing yards in game, season and career… Rushed for 1,666 on 211 carries and 23 touchdowns as a senior… 3,466 career rush yards on 476 carries and 46 touchdowns... 2017 football team captain… Two-time team offensive MVP junior and senior seasons… Team "alpha dog" award as a senior… Team high point letter award as a senior…. Offensive scout team MVP as a sophomore… Two-time team sprint MVP in track… School record holder in 200m dash.

Personal: Plans to study business at UM… Parents are Chris and Susie Turner of Kalispell… Enjoys spending time outdoors.