Montana lands in-state linebacker Jack Ryan for 2027 class

Jack Ryan built a recruiting case on production that jumps off the page: 85 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, three forced fumbles, three interceptions and two fumble recoveries for Billings West, all while the Golden Bears pushed to the Montana Class AA title game. Montana saw enough to move first, offering the linebacker after his conversation with defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Eric Sanders and landing his commitment the same day.

That quick turnaround says as much about the Grizzlies’ recruiting approach as it does about Ryan’s tape. Sanders liked how fast Ryan could diagnose an offense and trigger downhill, then projected him as more of a boundary-safety type in Montana’s defense, a role that should let him use his processing speed and knack for getting to the ball. For a 2027 prospect with first-team all-state honors already on the résumé, the fit was clear enough for Montana to make him its latest in-state target to come off the board early.

Ryan’s season came against real pressure, not empty-stat competition. Billings West reached the Class AA championship game before falling 16-3 to Glacier on Nov. 21, 2025, a game in which Glacier’s Jackson Presley and Asher Knopik scored the touchdowns that decided the title. Ryan’s numbers were piled up in the middle of that kind of run, which helps explain why Montana treated him like a priority instead of a late developmental flier.

The pull was not only football-related. Ryan has longtime family ties to Missoula, where his uncles Kyle Ryan and Casey Ryan played for Montana and still live. He already followed the program as a fan, and the atmosphere around Bobby Kennedy and Sanders made the Grizzlies feel like the right place to stay close to home. That matters in a state where the top programs often compete as much for local identity as for wins.

Ryan now fits a clear pattern in Kennedy’s early roster-building. Montana has emphasized keeping Treasure State talent home, and Ryan’s pledge gives that approach another visible win inside the state lines. As the Grizzlies build out their 2027 class, the commitment carries more than one body count for the depth chart. It strengthens the in-state pipeline, sharpens the Billings-to-Missoula recruiting lane and adds another layer to the bragging rights that travel with every Montana prospect who chooses the Grizzlies over leaving early.