Biggest Offseason Questions For The Top Big Sky Teams

Timothy Rosario | Mar 31, 2025

Montana quarterback Keali'i Ah Yat / Tommy Martino (Montana Athletics)

As teams head into spring football, we are going to take a look at some of the biggest question marks for some of the top teams in each FCS conference.

Each team will have an opportunity to address their question marks through development and the upcoming spring transfer portal window. The next portal window will open on April 16 and close a few days later on the 25th.

We take a look at the top five Big Sky teams based on last season's final standings.

Montana State

Who Will Start At Quarterback?

The Bobcats enter the 2025 season without Walter Payton Award winner Tommy Mellott. Jordan Reed and Chance Wilson return with some limited experience over the last two seasons. Montana State also added three-star freshman River Warren and Grant Vigen.

The x-factor in this race will be former Stanford quarterback Justin Lamson. Lamson was recruited by Brent Vigen when has was at Wyoming. He was a top-50 prospect out of California and spent two seasons at Syracuse. After transferring to Stanford, he saw action in 23 games with four starts, throwing for 804 yards, four touchdowns, and four interceptions. He only completed 46% of his passes, while rushing for 428 yards and 13 touchdowns.

Will The Young Secondary Click?

Montana State lost the most starters in the secondary, but there is a silver lining for the Bobcats. Due to the amount of blowout wins last season, the younger players were able to get some much-needed experience. The unit still has seven players that played at least 95 snaps in 2024, including Tayden Gray, Caden Dowler, and Taki Uluilakepa, who played over 200 snaps.

UC Davis

Who Will Replace Miles Hastings and Lan Larison?

The Aggies need to replace two All-Americans of the offensive end in quarterback Miles Hastings and running back Lan Larison. Hastings started the last 41 games for UC Davis, was an All-Big performer, and threw for over 11,000 yards and 80 touchdowns in his career.

The Aggies lack proven experience in their quarterback room. Junior Grant was the backup last season, playing in four games. The Aggies also add multiple three-star quarterbacks in the 2025 class. At running back, UC Davis has more proven options with senior Matteo Perez and sophomore Jordan Fisher. Both have playing experience and are familiar with the offensive scheme.

How Will The Staff Revamp The Defense?

Only two starters return from last season's defense, making this unit one of the biggest question marks ahead of next season. The Aggies have added multiple transfers, including some with significant experience, to the defensive side of the ball. Coach Tim Plough will have to hope that these new additions gel quickly and the younger players take a step forward in development if they want to find the same success as last season.

Idaho

Can Thomas Ford Replace & Replenish The Roster?

The Vandals lost 17 players to the FBS level, several following head coach Jason Eck to New Mexico. Up to this point, Coach Thomas Ford has added six Division I transfers, which may force a talented freshman class to be immediate contributors. The defense will need to be reloaded as only three players who played over 200 snaps last season return.

Northern Arizona

Can The Lumberjacks Take The Next Step After A Promising 2024 Season?

Head coach Brian Wright had a great start at NAU, finishing 8-4 overall in his first season. The Lumberjacks made an unexpected appearance in the FCS Playoffs, falling in the first round. The question here is whether or not they can be a consistent threat in the Big Sky.

The Lumberjacks return eight offensive players and 10 defensive players who played over 250 snaps last season. All the potential building blocks are there. Standout quarterback Ty Pennington also returns and could be a breakout player for the Lumberjacks.

Montana

Will The Quarterback Position Find Any Stability?

Last season, the quarterback battle seemed to hang over this program as the staff shifted back and forth between Logan Fife and Keali'i Ah Yat. Both quarterbacks really struggled to find a rhythm and never gave Montana anything more than inconsistent play.

With Fife transferring out, one would figure that this is Ah Yat's team now. Will he take a step forward to help Montana get back in contention for the Big Sky title? Ah Yat only completed 59% of his passes in 2024, throwing seven touchdowns and six interceptions. The Grizzlies added Jake Jensen as a transfer from USC. He is a redshirt senior with one year of eligibility and lacks true game experience.

How Will The Defense Reload?

The bigger question may be the defense. Montana took a step back defensively after a dominant 2023 campaign. The Grizzlies ranked 6th in the Big Sky in conference play in defensive yards per play (5.8). They only return five players that played at least 100 snaps a year ago, with their most experienced player being a rotational defensive tackle. Montana added 12 defensive transfers and will have to hope they can rebound to the standard.

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