Nagler inks with Montana Grizzlies

A trio of Whitefish Bulldogs signed letter of intents to play football at the next level Wednesday on national signing day.

Headlining the class is Whitefish all-state wide receiver Jed Nagler who committed to join the Montana Grizzlies football program. Listed at 6-4 and 207 pounds, Nagler brings size, speed and strength to the Grizzlies’ pass-often offense.

Grizzlies coach Bob Stitt thinks Nagler can be a force in one-on-one coverage. He spoke in Kalispell on Wednesday night at an event hosted by the Flathead Chapter of the Grizzly Scholarship Association.

“You’ve got a tall guy that has great ball skills running a 10.9 (second), 11-flat 100 meters, with a 6-6 high jump,” Stitt said. “You just don’t find a kid that can do that (who’s) that big.”

“To be able to put him on the outside as a wide receiver, it would be tough to play man-to-man on him because he’ll just be a physical mismatch with a corner.”

Nagler likely will be a redshirt his first season.

“(Freshmen) are going to be better in five years than they would be playing at 19 years old,” he said. “We want (Nagler) to be good enough that we could put him in there (as a freshman) if we had to but we don’t want to.”

Nagler was one of five in-state players to commit to Montana among the class of 31 recruits.

Recruits from Montana included Nagler, defensive lineman Trace Bradshaw of Bozeman, linebacker Trase LeTexier of Boulder, linebacker Jace Lewis of Townsend and defensive lineman Cole Rosling of Helena.

Joining Nagler on signing day were State A championship teammates Brian FauntLeRoy and Steven Quimby.

FauntLeRoy will play for Carroll College while Quimby is headed to North Dakota State College of Science.