grizfan1984
Well-known member
Just 12 seniors dotted the roster of last year’s Montana Grizzly football team, which went 5-6 and took major losses at tight end, receiver and running back.
But when Mick Delaney announces his first signing class as head coach Wednesday, there could be as many as 23 players listed.
Delaney said Tuesday that four players are already on campus as transfers or walk-ons.
That group is made up of running back Travon Van, a transfer from Marshall; Kendrick Van Ackeren, a transfer safety from Hawaii; Jamaal Anderson, a walk-on who played cornerback in 2010-11 at San Bernardino (Calif.) Valley College; and Jordan Harper, a Great Falls Russell graduate who enrolled at UM after completing an LDS mission.
Harper was a first-team all-state tight end for the Rustlers in 2010, and played in both the East-West Shrine game and Knights of Columbus Badlands Bowl in 2011.
The number of new faces is remarkable given how few Griz were seniors in 2012 – though tight end Hayden Craig left UM after playing sparingly as a true freshman and other departures seem to be in the offing.
“Some creative financing is the way to put it,” Delaney said Tuesday. “We split up some of the scholarships. There’s a grey shirt in there and a walk-on, so the number is really 17.”
Harper is one of three tight ends to commit to the Griz, joining Noah Scarver of Minneapolis and Mike Ralston of Eugene, Ore.
The Griz also have had three running backs commit for 2013: John Nguyen out of Bellevue, Wash., Tre Favors out of Glendale, Ariz., and Van.
Receivers who have committed are Missoula products Nico Graham (Big Sky) and Josh Janssen (Loyola) and Marq Rogers out of Fort Wayne, Ind.
Another CMR product, Josh Horner, could line up at either receiver or tight end for the Griz. No Mention of Curtis white even though he is enrolled in school?
But when Mick Delaney announces his first signing class as head coach Wednesday, there could be as many as 23 players listed.
Delaney said Tuesday that four players are already on campus as transfers or walk-ons.
That group is made up of running back Travon Van, a transfer from Marshall; Kendrick Van Ackeren, a transfer safety from Hawaii; Jamaal Anderson, a walk-on who played cornerback in 2010-11 at San Bernardino (Calif.) Valley College; and Jordan Harper, a Great Falls Russell graduate who enrolled at UM after completing an LDS mission.
Harper was a first-team all-state tight end for the Rustlers in 2010, and played in both the East-West Shrine game and Knights of Columbus Badlands Bowl in 2011.
The number of new faces is remarkable given how few Griz were seniors in 2012 – though tight end Hayden Craig left UM after playing sparingly as a true freshman and other departures seem to be in the offing.
“Some creative financing is the way to put it,” Delaney said Tuesday. “We split up some of the scholarships. There’s a grey shirt in there and a walk-on, so the number is really 17.”
Harper is one of three tight ends to commit to the Griz, joining Noah Scarver of Minneapolis and Mike Ralston of Eugene, Ore.
The Griz also have had three running backs commit for 2013: John Nguyen out of Bellevue, Wash., Tre Favors out of Glendale, Ariz., and Van.
Receivers who have committed are Missoula products Nico Graham (Big Sky) and Josh Janssen (Loyola) and Marq Rogers out of Fort Wayne, Ind.
Another CMR product, Josh Horner, could line up at either receiver or tight end for the Griz. No Mention of Curtis white even though he is enrolled in school?
