Montana Lands Commitment From In-State ATH Jack Ryan

The recruiting process is different for every prospect, and can be an incredible feeling when a recruit's dream school comes calling.

That was the case for Billings West High School linebacker Jack Ryan when he received his first Division I offer from the University of Montana on April 15, after speaking with defensive coordinator and linebacker coach Eric Sanders.

“I talked to Coach Sanders, and he told me he’d keep it straightforward. He said he loved my ability to quickly read the offense and make that split-second decision to go get the ball. He also said they see me playing at a boundary safety type position,” Ryan said.

On Monday, he announced his commitment to the Grizzlies, which was an easy decision for him to make, as he has always been a fan of them, and because of family connections to the team.

“Missoula is a second home for me. Both of my uncles, Kyle and Casey Ryan, played for the Griz and currently live there. Plus, I’ve always been a Griz fan, and I feel like this coaching change could greatly benefit this program. Montana is already in the lead in in-state recruiting, and Coach Kennedy (head coach Bobby Kennedy) is doing a great job. Between his and Coach Sanders' coaching resumes, they are very experienced and well respected.

"The culture Coach Kennedy has been building during this offseason has just been very enticing. Both Coach Sanders and Coach Kennedy have great leadership skills, and they’re great guys, and those are the types of people you want to surround yourself with.”

I am extremely blessed and excited to announce my commitment to the University of Montana!! Thank you to both my West High coaches for allowing me to reach this point and to the staff at UM for giving me this opportunity!!🐻🐻@RobStantonr @Coachbk_griz @Coach_ESanders pic.twitter.com/vxSjyL3d1V
— Jack Ryan (@jack11ryan) April 20, 2026

Recapping His All-State Season

Last season, Ryan finished with 85 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, three forced fumbles, three interceptions, and two fumble recoveries for the Golden Bears, who advanced to the Montana Class AA state championship games before falling to the Glacier Wolfpack 16-3. He was named a First-team All-State selection.

“Individually, I had a great season, which played into our playoff run, where we unfortunately lost in the state championship game.”

The team's success and his big season helped his recruitment and eventually led to his dream offer from the Grizzlies.

“The recruiting process was good, but overall slow. I had a lot of NAIA interest and some Ivy League interest, but Montana was my first Division 1 offer. I had offers from the University of Mary and Montana Tech. But the University of Montana was my dream school, so I immediately took the offer.”

Junior Day Visit To Missoula

Ryan was in Missoula for the Grizzlies Junior Day on March 30, which was the first time he met both Sanders and Kennedy. Since then, he has developed good relationships with them both.

“The visit was great! One of the highlights was definitely meeting and talking with Coach Sanders. That was my first time meeting him, and we got along right away. Our relationship is great. We have a lot in common, and he’s just a really easy guy to get along with. He's big on martial arts and wrestling, and I, being a state finalist placing second this year, have a lot to talk about,” Ryan said.

“Visiting with Coach Kennedy was also a blast. He’s a super personable guy, and I think he’s more than capable of leading Montana to a championship. We’ve had a few phone calls in the last few days, and he will be coming to my high school this week. Being able to see the facilities while I was there was super cool.”

Offseason Development

In addition to his success on the football field, Ryan is also a standout wrestler and was the state runner-up in his weight class this season.

“The off-season is going well so far. I’ve been gaining strength very quickly. Coming off of wrestling season, I’ve put on around 15 pounds, and I am working on the transition from outside linebacker to more of a safety-type player.”

He becomes the 7th commit in the Grizzlies 2027 class, which includes six players from the state of Montana. Ryan joins three-star ATH Drew Almquist, Cooper Pelc, Quincy King, Eli Kasberg, and Sam Sirmon as in-state commits in the 2027 class.

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