Eight former Griz set to shine on Pro Day

Like so many Montana Grizzlies before him, Keelan White has taken the long road to becoming a professional football player.

As a walk-on receiver out of Canada with a dream of playing college football in the US, all he ever wanted was for someone to take a chance on him. Grizzly assistant coach Brent Pease took that chance, and the rest, as they say, is history.

White went on to be a staple of the Grizzly offense with 41 starts and an incredible 57 appearances during his time in maroon and silver. The sure-handed pass catcher from North Vancouver totaled 161 career catches for 1,862 yards and 14 touchdowns at UM, all marks that will live on in the team's top 25 lists for years to come.

Now White is looking for someone to take a chance on him once again as he and seven other Grizzlies prepare chase their dreams of professional football, showing out for scouts at Montana's annual Pro Day on Thursday morning.

To prepare for the day, White has been in Florida for the last three months, training six days a week at DeLaCruz Sports Performance in Orlando. The work has paid off, too. When he went south at the end of the season White tipped the scales at 179 pounds. When he checks in on Thursday morning he's expecting to weigh 190, with his body fat trimmed from 13 percent to just nine percent. A 6-foot-2 frame now built for life in the pros.

Pundits have taken notice as well, with recent reports slating White as a potential No. 1 overall CFL Draft Pick by the Calgary Stampeders.

Now is his chance to prove himself on the field, running routes and testing through strength and agility drills to prove he belongs among North America's elite receivers. All he needs is someone to take a chance.

"I'm excited. More anxious than anything. It's been a long three months, so I'm just ready to get started. The hay is in the barn at this point, so I just have to go perform and I'm excited for it," White said Wednesday.

"It would mean a lot to get the call and just have all this hard work recognized, for somebody to take a chance on me and see the value that I bring to the table. It's basically what I've been working for my whole life, so it would be awesome."

Returning to Missoula with White are former stars Junior Bergen (WR/Returns), offensive tackle Brandon Casey, receiver Aaron Fontes, tight end Cole Grossman, D-End Hayden Harris, safety Ryder Meyer, and running back Nick Ostmo.

Also expected to be in Missoula alongside NFL scouts are representatives from each of the nine CFL teams, and not just to scout White. Defensive end Hayden Harris, a native of Seattle with family citizenship in Canada, is also expected to feature heavily on draft boards up north in the coming weeks.

Montana has built heavily on its rich history with the CFL in recent years, with three other Grizzlies now signed to play north of the border next season. Offensive lineman Chris Walker signed with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and linebacker Braxton Hill signed with the Saskatchewan Rough Riders in the fall. 2023's Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year Alex Gubner also signed with Saskatchewan.

Grizzly great Dave Dickenson is currently the head coach and G.M. of the Calgary Stampeders. His brother, and former UM player and coach Craig Dickenson is the special teams coordinator at Calgary as well.

Pro Day Gets underway at roughly 9 a.m. with weigh-ins and measurements before moving to the testing phase for vertical jump, and the 225-pound bench press in the Washington-Grizzly Champions Center.

Testing then moves into the Grizzly Indoor Practice Facility for the broad jump and speed and agility portions at roughly 10 a.m. until approximately 11 a.m.

Testing inside the Washington-Grizzly Champions Center is closed to the public and media. Testing at the indoor facility is open to family, agents, and media only.

The 2025 NFL Draft gets underway on April 24 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The CFL Draft is held soon after on April 29.

The Prospects

Junior Bergen: Bergen capped his legendary career at Montana as one of the all-time greats in maroon and silver, tied for the most punt return touchdowns in NCAA FCS history with eight to his name… He also now holds the UM school record for average yards per punt return at 16.71 (1,136 on 68 returns) to pass former NFL All-Pro Marc Mariani's average of 15.01. That average of 16.71 per punt return lands him third in Big Sky history behind EWU's Cooper Kupp (17.0) and Weber State's Randle Anderson (18.48)…His average was bolstered by a pair of return TDs against Tennessee State, finishing his senior season at 24 yards per attempt (10-240), a new school record and the second-best average in Big Sky history behind Ellis Onic of UNC who averaged 24.5 (10-245) yards per return in 2015. They were also the fourth and fifth return TDs of his career in the playoffs alone… As an all-purpose threat, Bergen earned All-Big Sky honors at receiver, kick returner, and punt returner in his career. He finished his time at Montana with 4,468 all-purpose yards, placing him sixth all-time in Grizzly history. All those touchdowns place him in UM's top 25 all-time in points scored as well with 164, and he finishes top 13 in total touchdowns with 26. He's also top 25 all-time at UM in receiving yards with 1,760… He earned FCS All-America honors from both the Associated Press and Stats Perform and was named the FCS Athletic Director's Association Return Specialist of the Year.

Brandon Casey: Casey was a mainstay on the Grizzly offensive line as a three-year starter at right tackle with 43 career starts to his name… He earned All-America honors from both Stats Perform and the Associated Press after his senior season, and was a first-team All-Big Sky honoree as well, and was named the team's Paul Weskamp Award winner for the outstanding offensive lineman… The native of Sandpoint, Idaho, helped pave the way for the some of the most prolific rushing attacks in program history, racking-up 2,741 yards this season – the most UM has rushed for in the past four years and a top 20 rushing offense in the FCS. He also helped the Griz move the chains 305 times to date in 2024, a four-year high and the No. 7 first down offense in the FCS… Also a star in the classroom, Casey was an Academic All-District pick that maintained a 3.53 GPA while earning an undergraduate degree in management & entrepreneurship and his MBA from the UM College of Business… Was also a four-time Academic All-Big Sky honoree.

Aaron Fontes: One of Montana's most electric receivers, Fontes finished his career with 1,418 receiving yards, just outside of Montana's all-time top 30… Also logged 126 career catches in 43 games played with eight career TDs… Averaged 11.3 yards per catch and 33 yards per game… Also scored a rushing TD as a senior for nine total scores in his career… Was utilized in the return game as well with 142 career kickoff return yards on 5 attempts for an average of 8.4 per return and a long of 42… Also returned 9 punts for 56 total yards.

Cole Grossman: A versatile and dangerous tight end, Grossman earned several preseason accolades as a senior and a place on the Senior Bowl Watch List as one of the top tight ends in the FCS… He capped his career with 33 appearances for the Griz… He logged 897 yards on 69 career catches with 10 total TDs, and a long catch of 57 yards to averaged 13 yards per catch and 27.2 yards per game receiving… Attending Montana's Pro Day and is also expected to attend an Arizona Cardinals Pro Day later in the month of April.

Hayden Harris: In just two years at UM, Harris developed into the Big Sky's biggest disruptors on the defensive front in 2024, leading the league in forced fumbles with three, finishing second in the league with two fumble recoveries, and third in the league in sacks and tackles for loss to earn second-team all-conference honors… He finished his career at UM with 21.5 TFLs to tie him at No. 28 all-time in program history in that category. His 21.5 TFLs were responsible for 126 lost yards for opposing offenses, and his total of 84 tackles made one in every 4 of his stops a TFL… He earned second-team all-conference honors and was named both the team's Defensive MVP and the recipient of the Sims-Miller Award for outstanding D-lineman following a stellar senior season… Harris was named to the Canadian Football League Scouting Bureau's top 20 Canadians eligible for the 2025 CFL Draft, ranked at No. 9. He was born in Seattle but his mother hails from Regina, Saskatchewan… He trained for Pro Day in Annapolis, Maryland, at the U. S. Naval Academy and was also invited to attend a Seahawks Pro Day in Seattle later in the month… Also a star in the classroom, Harris was an CSC Academic All-American and All-District teams as a senior and earned Academic All-Big Sky honors as well.

Ryder Meyer: Meyer was the team's fourth-leading tackler in 2024 as senior with 79 total stops (36 solo), three TFLs, and one interception…. Capped his career having appeared in 48 games as a Grizzly and made 26 starts… Logged 183 career tackles (84 solo), with 8.5 TFLs, 2 INTs, 7 pass deflections, and 1 fumble recovery… Also scored on a pair of career two-point conversions… Following his senior year won the Tony Barbour Award for the UM player "who best exemplifies outstanding practice habits and makes an unselfish contribution to the betterment of the Grizzly Football Team."… Earned Academic All-Big Sky honors for a fourth-straight year.

Nick Ostmo: Ostmo was a staple of the Grizzly offense since his arrival on campus in 2019, persevering through injury and graduating from Montana as one of the best running backs in program history… Capped his career at No. 5 on UM's all-time leading rusher list with 2,625 yards, finished No. 8 in program history in rushing touchdowns with 24, and finished tied at No. 9 for total touchdowns with 28, which also put him No. 22 on the all-time scoring list with 168 points… With 53 career catches for 663 yards Ostmo also finished with 3,288 all-purpose yards, just outside of Montana's top 10 all-time… He was Montana's second-leading rusher with a career-high 769 net yards in 2024, despite missing the last two games to injury. That tally was bolstered by a season-high 160-yard day in a win at Eastern Washington, where he also rattled-off the second-longest run of his career at 62 yards. His 769 yards were the seventh-most in the Big Sky, and his yards per carry total of 6.2 was a top 10 mark in the league and just shy of Montana's top 15 list in a season… He also was a four-time Academic All-Big Sky honoree.

Keelan White: White rose to No. 5 on the CFL's Scouting Bureau's winter top 20 after slotting in at No. 10 on the same list in August…. One of only two FCS players on the list (along with UM's Hayden Harris) and one of just 11 players from NCAA member institutions… Received an honorable mention for the 2024 Jon Cornish Trophy in December, given annually to the most outstanding Canadian student-athlete in NCAA football… A former walk-on, White made 41 starts and 57 appearances at UM. In his senior season he led UM in receptions (57), reception yards (628) and touchdown receptions (four). He averaged just over 11 yards per catch and 48 yards per game, placing him among the Big Sky's 15 best receivers in 2024…. Capped his career with 161 catches (No. 11 in program history) for 1,862 yards (No. 21 in program history). His 14 touchdown catches are a Grizzly top 25 as well. He also holds the school record for the longest play from scrimmage, hauling in a 97-yard touchdown catch against Sacramento State as a junior… He was Montana's offensive MVP in 2023 and capped his senior year at UM with another team-high performance at just over 11 yards per catch and 48 yards per game – landing him among the Big Sky's 15 best receivers in 2024 and second-team all-conference honors.

GRIZ PRO DAY SCHEDULE

8-9 AM: Player check-in – Washington-Grizzly Champions Center (Closed to public/media)

9 AM: Body Measurements – height, weight, hand, wing – Washington-Grizzly Champions Center (Closed to public/media)

9:15-10 AM: Testing – vertical jump, 225-pound bench – Washington-Grizzly Champions Center (Closed to public/media)

10-11 AM: Agility testing – broad jump, 40-yard sprint, pro agility, 3-cone L drill, 60-yard shuttle, position specific drills – Grizzly Indoor Practice Facility (open to media on sideline, closed to general public)

*Schedule tentative and subject to change

University of Montana Athletics

Players Mentioned

Junior Bergen

Brandon Casey

Aaron Fontes

Cole Grossman

Hayden Harris

Ryder Meyer

Nick Ostmo

Keelan White

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