Montana lands versatile athlete Rye Roberts over Air Force, Army

Montana turned a trip into Texas into a notable recruiting win Monday, landing New Braunfels Christian Academy athlete Rye Roberts over scholarship offers from Air Force and Army.

Roberts made the call after visiting Missoula with his father, Jason Roberts, and the Grizzlies clearly made the strongest push. He spent time with recruiting director Keaton Johnson, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Brent Pease, defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Eric Sanders and safeties coach Wes Nurse, a level of staff involvement that suggests Montana was not simply checking a box on an evaluation list. The Grizzlies wanted to know Roberts as a person and as a fit, and Roberts came away impressed enough to choose Montana’s Big Sky program over two service academies known for appealing to disciplined, high-character, multi-sport athletes.

That matters because Roberts profiles as the kind of adaptable piece Montana has increasingly tried to stockpile. The Grizzlies do not need every addition to be a one-position specialist; they need players who can handle multiple jobs as the roster develops. Roberts’ background as a versatile athlete gives Montana options, whether that means building him into a defensive back, using him in a hybrid role, or creating value on special teams while the staff sorts out the best long-term fit. For a program that has stayed in the playoff conversation by maximizing athleticism and positional flexibility, that sort of recruit fits the model.

The commitment also says something about Montana’s reach. The Grizzlies are no longer limiting themselves to the traditional Western footprint, and Texas has become a legitimate part of the map. Montana already showed that in 2025, when it signed 16 players on the first day of the early signing period and later said that class finished with 36 total newcomers, including 17 incoming freshmen and 18 players from the collegiate ranks. Eight of the 16 early signees were rated as three-star prep prospects, and one member of that class came from Texas. Roberts gives that trend another data point.

For Hauck and his staff, winning a battle over Air Force and Army for a Texas prospect is more than a single commitment. It reflects a broader recruiting strategy built around personality, versatility and travel appeal, and it shows Montana’s brand still travels well when the visit is handled properly. In a Big Sky race where roster construction keeps getting more competitive, Roberts is the kind of addition that can help define the next layer of the Grizzlies’ depth and upside.