Montana State lands in-state tight end Laytin Erickson for 2027 class

Montana State kept its 2027 class rooted in the state line with another in-state commitment, landing Saco tight end Laytin Erickson as the Bobcats continue to use their national-title momentum to protect the Montana border.

Erickson, a 6-foot-4, 215-pound product of Saco who also plays football at Class B Malta in the fall, gives Brent Vigen’s program another homegrown body with clear developmental upside. He becomes Montana State’s third verbal commitment from Montana in the 2027 cycle, joining Choteau junior Dax Yeager and Laurel’s Kade Leibrand in a class that is already showing how aggressively the Bobcats want to keep top local prospects from leaving the state.

That matters in Bozeman because the pitch changed after Montana State beat Illinois State 35-34 in overtime on January 5, 2026, to win its first FCS national championship in 41 years. The title did more than add hardware. It gave the Bobcats a fresh proof point with in-state recruits, a championship brand they can now sell before regional powers get too deep into the process.

Erickson fits the kind of tight end Montana State has room to develop. At his size, he brings the frame to add more strength and become a versatile piece in an FCS offense that values players who can grow into multiple roles. For a program built on physical football and roster development, a Montana athlete with Erickson’s length and multi-sport background fits the mold of a player who can be coached up without losing the local connection that makes those commitments especially meaningful.

Vigen has been direct about where the Bobcats’ recruiting foundation begins, saying the class starts with the in-state group. That approach is showing up in the 2027 numbers. Montana State already has three Montana commitments, and 247Sports lists Yeager, Erickson and Leibrand as the trio from the state. In a conference where regional identity still matters, that is more than a feel-good storyline. It is roster strategy.

The Bobcats have spent years trying to turn Montana football into a closed loop, keeping elite homegrown talent in Bozeman instead of watching it scatter across the FCS map. Erickson’s pledge suggests the championship changed the scale of that effort, giving Montana State a stronger hand in the fight for the next wave of players who will have to grow into the program’s future.