2026 FCS Football Spring Preview: Montana Grizzlies

It's time for another edition of our all-new FCS Spring Football Preview series.

In this series, we will take a look at where some of the top teams in the FCS stand entering spring camp. This will allow us to take a snapshot of the roster, key returning starters, potential breakout players, and discuss some of the biggest storylines for each team.

Our series continues with the Montana, which is entering a new era under head coach Bobby Kennedy. The Grizzlies made a run to the semifinals last season, falling short against Montana State, but have their sights set on a potential run to Nashville in 2026.

Positional Battles To Watch

Cornerback

The Grizzlies lost a ton of key contributors at cornerback, including Kyon Loud and Kenzel Lawler. It's the one position that Montana doesn't return a single player who played over 200 snaps in 2025. Brady Beaner is listed as a safety, but played 145 snaps at cornerback last season due to injuries. This means it'll most likely be a transfer or a younger, developmental player who steps up into a starting role.

Redshirt freshman DeAnte Gentry saw limited action last year before he suffered a season-ending injury. It would be promising for the Griz if Gentry or redshirt freshman Sage Salopek emerge as potential starters or are ready for an increased role in 2026. Elijah Brady played nearly 100 snaps in a rotational role in 2025, allowing only 4 catches on 10 targets. He could be due for a bigger role as a redshirt junior in 2026.

There's also Arizona State transfer Chris Johnson and North Texas transfer Gabe Stroud, who are expected to be firmly in this battle. Stroud and Johnson were both highly-touted 3-star prospects, but lack proven starting experience at the college level. I like the upside with Stroud, but keep an eye on these two throughout Montana's spring camp.

Wide Receiver

Brooks Davis is one of Montana's top returners, but outside of him, the Griz have a ton of questions to answer. There's a really good chance that Korbin Hendrix earns one of the outside starting spots. The biggest question will be in the slot, where All-American Michael Wortham put together a record-setting season last year.

There's a ton of young talent that appears to be ready for a breakout season. Jordan Dever played nearly 300 snaps last year and should be in a position to see an increase in snaps for the Griz. There's also Ian Finch and Lekeldrick Bridges, who are both high-upside players who could push for a rotational role with a good performance in spring camp.

Potential Breakout Players

Hashim Jones (RB)

There's not a question of who the No. 1 running back will be next season, but the No. 2 spot is open for someone to take. My pick is Hashim Jones, who saw limited action as a true freshman in 2025 but was productive when he did see the field. He only played 32 total snaps, but still found a way to rush for 131 yards and 2 TDs. He had a career-high 61 yards and 1 TD on 11 carries against Portland State.

Jones is going to have to compete with Washington State transfer Dylan Paine, but I love the upside in his game. He has excellent size at 208 pounds, plus has the speed to break away from defenders in the open field. People may have overlooked his production coming out of high school, but you don't average 12.2 YPC accidentally. Make sure to keep an eye on Jones in 2026.

Korbin Hendrix (WR)

I discussed the wide receiver battle earlier, which included former Arizona State transfer, Korbin Hendrix. He played in a reserve role last season, posting 12 catches for 174 yards and 3 TDs in only 177 snaps. Hendrix appears to be the favorite to earn a starting role at the X, replacing Blake Bohannon, who graduated.

Hendrix has the size at 6-3 to consistently win 1-on-1 matchups, plus he showed his ability to make special plays, including this impressive touchdown catch against Eastern Washington. Ah Yat needs another outside threat that he can trust, which makes Hendrix's development extremely important to Montana's offensive success.

WHAT A CATCH‼️@HendrixKorbin with the grab pic.twitter.com/QrcrO63rnW
— Big Sky Conference (@BigSkyConf) November 8, 2025

Kade Boyd (S)

Boyd was a key rotational player for the Griz at strong safety last season. He played nearly 350 snaps, finishing the year with 33 tackles, 2 INTs, 4 pass breakups, and 1 fumble recovery. He appears to be the clear option to step into a starting role, replacing TJ Rausch.

With the loss of Micah Harper, Diezel Wilkinson, and Rausch, the Griz will have new starters at both safety spots and nickel. Boyd's experience from last season puts him in a position to be a leader in a revamped secondary. If the Griz find themselves in a position where Boyd and NAIA transfer Braeden Orlandi are the primary starters at safety, they should be in a really good spot entering 2026.

Key Transfer Portal Additions

Braeden Orlandi (S)

This is a massive transfer portal victory for the Griz, who beat out multiple FBS programs and top FCS contenders for Braeden Orlandi. Last year, Hunter Peck was an instant contributor from the Frontier League, and I think Orlandi could be even more impactful in 2026.

Orlandi was an NAIA All-American selection and was named the Frontier Conference West Defensive Player of the Year. He finished his sophomore season with 136 tackles, 6.5 TFLs, 2 INTs, and 5 pass breakups. Orlandi was also a first-team All-Frontier selection as a freshman in 2024.

Tyler King (EDGE)

King was already listed as one of the top D2-to-FCS transfers this offseason. The Griz need someone to emerge as a threat off the edge, which is where I think King could shine next season. He has Division I size at 6-5, 250 pounds, and brings plenty of experience from his time at Central Washington.

Last season, King earned Division II All-American honors and was named the Defensive Lineman of the Year in the Lone Star Conference. He finished the year with 17 TFLs and 13 sacks, which also earned him first-team All-LSC honors.

Naiteitei Mose (LB)

The Grizzlies have a ton of returning depth at linebacker, but it's always a portal win when you add an All-Conference contributor with over 30 games of experience. Mose brings a ton of upside to the Griz defense if he remains healthy.

Mose put together a breakout season for the Hoyas in 2025, finishing with 63 tackles, 6 TFLs, and 1 INT. He also did an excellent job in coverage, posting an 85.1 coverage grade via PFF, one of the highest among MIKE linebackers. Where Mose fits into the rotation is yet to be determined, but I expect him to see plenty of snaps throughout the year.

Most Important Returners

Keali'i Ah Yat (QB)

The pressure was on Ah Yat entering last season after an up-and-down campaign in 2024, in which he battled through an awkward quarterback rotation. He took full advantage of being the full-time starter in 2025, throwing for a career-high 4,070 passing yards and 33 touchdowns, while also rushing for eight touchdowns.

Ah Yat grew up before our eyes, putting together some masterful performances, including two notable postseason games against South Dakota and South Dakota State. He enters his redshirt junior year with extremely high expectations, but I don't think he's reached his ceiling as a player. If he can find a way to be more consistent, Ah Yat has a real shot to win the Walter Payton Award.

Eli Gillman (RB)

There's not a more accomplished returning running back in FCS football. Gillman has been an absolute workhorse for the Griz since 2023, rushing for 3,677 career rushing yards and 49 touchdowns. He started his career as the Jerry Rice Award winner and is coming off his best season, where he was named the Big Sky Offensive Player of the Year and earned FCS All-American honors.

Entering the 2026 season, Gillman ranks 4th all-time for rushing yards in Montana history. He is a lock to rewrite the record book, needing only 393 yards to surpass Yohance Humphrey's record. He also only needs 4 rushing TDs to break the all-time rushing touchdowns record. Gillman is set to establish himself as the best running back in Montana football history this season.

Montana Grizzlies running back Eli Gillman (10) carries the ball against Montana State Bobcats defensive back Tayden Gray (7) | Michael Thomas Shroyer-Imagn Images

Peyton Wing (LB)

Wing was one of Montana's top transfer additions from a season ago, joining the Griz after an All-Big Sky year at Portland State. He became one of the most defensive pieces for the Griz last year, earning first-team All-Big Sky honors and second-team FCS All-American honors from FCS Football Central.

Wing's ability to be an asset in the run game, along with offering upside in coverage and blitz packages, is what makes him special. He finished with 78 tackles, 8.5 TFLs, 3.5 sacks, 4 INTs, and 5 pass breakups. With some new faces projected to start along the defensive line, Wing's experience and leadership will be key in helping this defense gel early in the season.

Brooks Davis (WR)

Davis exploded onto the scene with a record-setting freshman season. He set the new single-season freshman record with 698 receiving yards and 5 receiving TDs on 50 receptions. He earned Freshman All-American honors from FCS Football Central, along with being named a finalist for the Jerry Rice Award.

With Drew Deck's graduation, I expect Davis to see an even bigger role in 2026. He showed his ability to step up in big moments, which included his 2-TD performance against North Dakota in Week 2. He also had a career-high 113 receiving yards against Montana State in the Brawl of the Wild.

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