Editor’s Note: intermittent photos of Griz players are a “Best Of” the last few seasons courtesy of Skyline senior photographer Brooks Nuanez.
The early signing period for Division I college football opens on Wednesday. Despite a completely atypical recruiting year, the Montana Grizzlies are expected to sign at least 19 players, including 15 from the state of Montana and six from the city of Missoula.
Tootell and Nuanez breaking down in-state recruiting
Here’s a look at the players expected to make up most of Montana’s third recruiting class under head coach Bobby Hauck.
Missoulians
Jace Klucewich, Missoula Sentinel
Position: Athlete but projected as a safety initially
Measurables: 5-foot-10, 175 pounds
Accolades: After earning all-state and all-conference honors during a record-setting three-year varsity career at Frenchtown, Klucewish transferred to Sentinel and dominated the Class AA level as well. He earned first-team all-state honors as an athlete on offense and a safety on defense while also garnering all-state honors as a kick and punt returner as well.
Recruiting ranking: 3-star
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Other Griz connections: Klucewich’s father, Josh and his uncle, Joe, both played for the Grizzlies in the early 1980s for head coach Larry Donovan.
In their own words:
Camden Sirmon, Sentinel
Position: quarterback
Measurables: 6-foot, 200 pounds
Accolades: Class AA Offensive Player of the Year, Western AA Offensive MVP, firs-team all-state quarterback.
Other Griz connections: Sirmon’s older brother, Cy, was a senior on the 2019 Grizzlies and a second-team All-Big Sky Conference selection at center. Their sister, Claire, worked as a student assistant for Montana sports information last fall. Their father, John, played linebacker at Idaho and his brother, David, played linebacker at Montana on UM’s 1995 national title team.
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Recruiting ranking: 2-star
In their own words:
T.J. Rausch, Missoula Sentinel
Position: Wide receiver
Measurables: 6-foot-3, 185 pounds
Accolades: Rausch, earned first-team all-state honors at both wide receiver and at cornerback during his senior year for the Spartans.
Recruiting ranking: 2 stars
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Other Griz connections: Rausch’s mother, Ann (Lake) Rausch remains the 10th-leading scorer in the history of the Montana Lady Griz women’s basketball program with 1,364 points. She was a two-time All-Big Sky selection and the 1993-94 Big Sky MVP.
In their own words:
Geno Leonard, Missoula Sentinel
Position: linebacker
Measurables: 5-foot-11, 225 pounds
Accolades: Leonard earned Class AA and Western AA Defensive Player of the Year honors while also earning first-team all-state honors as a center while captaining the Spartans to the state title.
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Other Griz connections: Leonard does not have a direct family tie to the Griz but his father is friends with Hauck and Leonard’s family has lived in Missoula for several generations. Leonard’s grandfather, Gene Leonard, was the head coach for Sentinel the last time they won a state championship in 1972.
In their own words:
Soren Syvrud, Missoula Sentinel
Position: Athlete/ defensive back
Measurables: 6-foot-1, 210 pounds
Accolades: Syvrud was the Western AA Co-Defensive Player of the Year
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Other Griz connections: Syvrud was born and raised in Missoula. His commitment picture on Twitter is a picture of Syvrud as a toddler standing in the middle of Washington-Grizzly Stadium.
In their own words:
Colter Janacaro, Missoula Big Sky
Position: Athlete
Measurables: 6-foot, 210 pounds
Accolades: Janacaro was a first-team all-state selection as a athlete on offense and defense as well as first-team all-state honors as a long snapper.
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Other Griz connections: Janacaro is the first player from Big Sky to commit to the Griz since his older brother, Levi, committed to the Griz in 2018.
In their own words:
TOOTELL & NUANEZ IN-STATE BREAKDOWN
Other Montanans
Kellen Detrick, Havre
Position: Defensive end
Measurables: 6-foot-3, 230 pounds
Accolades: Detrick was named Class A first-team all-state at defensive end for the third year in a row and also earned first-team all-state offensively as a tight end.
Recruiting ranking: 3-star
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Other Griz connections: Detrick’s father, Kino, played at Montana State Northern before coaching for the Lights. That also helped Detrick connect with Marc Mariani, a Havre star who went on to become a Pro Bowler with the Tennessee Titans.
In their own words:
Jake Olson, Butte High
Position: Tight end
Measurables: 6-foot-7, 235 pounds
Accolades: Olson was a first-team all-state selection as a tight end and a honorable mention all-state pick as a defensive end.
Other Griz connections: Olson’s father, Bob, played for Blaine Taylor and the Montana Griz men’s basketball team in the mid-1990s.
In their own words:
Camden Capser, Billings Central
Position: Kicker
Measurables: 6-foot-2, 170 pounds
Accolades: Capser earned first-team all-state honors for the second year in a row for a Rams team that fell to Laurel in the Class A state championship game.
Recruiting ranking: 2-star
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In their own words:
Zac Evans, Helena High
Position: Linebacker
Measurables: 6-foot-1, 225 pounds
Accolades: Evans was a first-team all-state selection at linebacker and a second-team all-state pick as a running back during Helena High’s playoff run.
Other Griz connections: Evans has no direct ties to Montana but his family is connected to Montana State. Evans’ father, Scott, is the head coach at Helena High. Scott played at Montana Western and is close friends with Montana State head coach Jeff Choate.
In their own words:
Sloan McPherson, Savage
Position: Lineman
Measurables: 6-foot-4, 240 pounds
Accolades: McPherson was a Class C 6-man all-state selection offensively, defensively and as a kicker during the Heat’s run to the quarterfinals of the state playoffs.
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In their own words:
Corby Mann, Red Lodge
Position: Defensive end
Measurables: 6-foot-5, 220 pounds
Accolades: Mann was a Class B first-team All-State selection on offense and defense as the Rams advanced to the playoffs.
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Other Griz connections: Mann’s high school head coach John Fitzgerald played for the Grizzlies and was a senior on Montana’s 2001 national championship team.
In their own words:
Dylan Smith, Whitehall
Position: Defensive end
Measurables: 6-foot-3, 230 pounds
Accolades: Smith earned Class B all-state honors on offense and defense as the Trojans advanced to the quarterfinals of the playoffs.
In their own words:
Brady & Padraig Lang, Bozeman
Position: Safety
Measurables: 6-foot-1, 180 pounds
Accolades: The Lang twins are identical in size as well as post-season accolades. Each earned second-team all-state honors at safety as the Hawks advanced to the Class AA semifinals.
Other Griz connections: Former Hawks quarterback Kris Brown, running back turned linebacker Asher Croy and wide receiver Ryan Simpson are all former Bozeman teammates of the Langs who now play for the Grizzlies. Their father, Ken Lang, was a part of Montana State’s 1984 national championship team.
In their own words:
Out of state
Daniel Britt, Liberty High in Las Vegas
Position: quarterback
Measurables: 6-foot, 185 pounds
Accolades: Britt took an elbow to the face during spring ball leading up to his junior season. The injury healed incorrectly, causing him to have surgery again two months later to break 14 bones and reset his entire face. That cost him the starting quarterback job at Liberty High, at least for the first five games of the season.
After the team’s 0-5 start, Britt took over starting quarterback duties. He led an epic surge, totaling nearly 3,000 yards of total offense and accounting for 34 total touchdowns in leading his team to the Nevada state championship. Along the way, Liberty defeated Bishop Gorman, a nationally-rated prep school who has not lost a game to in-state competition in more than a decade.
Britt earned first-team all-state honors as a junior. He awaits his senior year, which is set to be played in the spring after the state moved the campaign because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Recruiting ranking: 2-star
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Other Griz connections: Britt essentially recruited himself to the University of Montana, sending the Griz coaching staff his film in December of last season. By June, he had an offer and by August, he was committed. Hauck also has experience recruiting that area because of serving five seasons as the head coach at UNLV.
In their own words:
Declan McCabe, Midway High in Hewitt, Texas
Position: Offensive line/long snapper
Measurables: 6-foot-4, 235 pounds
Accolades: McCabe was an all-district selection playing in 6A Division I, one of the bigger prep football classifications in the Lone Star State.
Recruiting ranking: 2-star
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In their own words:
Ben McGourin, Cheney (Washington) High
Position: Linebacker
Measurables: 6-foot-2, 220 pounds
Accolades: McGourin was an all-state selection as a junior but did not get to play a senior season in football because Washington cancelled all fall sports.
Recruiting ranking: 2-star
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Other Griz connections: McGourin’s older brother, Jacob, was arguably the standout freshman for Montana in 2019, notching four sacks in spot duty while still maintaining a redshirt. Their father played at Eastern Washington in their hometown of Cheney.
In their own words:
Liam Brown, Sunset High in Portland, Oregon
Position: offensive line
Measurables: 6-foot-5, 295 pounds
Accolades: Brown was an All-Metro League selection in one of the biggest cities in the Northwest during his junior year but did not play during his senior year because of the cancellation of football in the Beaver State.
Recruiting ranking: 2-star
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In their own words:
