Eli Gillman

Class:
Redshirt Senior
Height:
6-0
Weight:
213
Position:
RB
Hometown:
Dassel, Minn.
High School:
Dassel-Cokato HS

2026 (R-Sr.):
• Graduated with a degree in marketing in the spring of 2026
Gillman enters his senior season on the cusp of becoming Montana’s all-time leading rusher… Starting the year with 3,677 rushing yards, Gilman is fourth on UM's all-time list but needs just 394 more yards to pass Hall of Famers Yohance Humprey, Chase Reynolds, and Lex Hilliard at the top of the Grizzly career record books… With 49 rushing TDs he starts the year third in program history behind Lex Hilliard (50) and Chase Reynolds (52), but with 53 total TDs he's second on that all-time list behind Reynolds' career mark of 59... With 318 total points scored Gillman is fifth among UM's all-time scorers and needs 95 more points to pass Dan Carpenter's one-time Big Sky record of 413 to top the UM points scored list… Gillman also needs 37 more points scored to become UM’s leading scorer for a non-kicker… After scoring 138 points in the 2025 season Cooper Kupp's Big Sky points record of 464 is also within reach, needing a big year and 147 points to take a league record.

2025 (R-Jr.):
• Big Sky Offensive Player of the Year
• Walter Camp FCS All-American
• Sports Illustrated/FCS Central First Team All-American
• AFCA, Stats Perform and Associated Press Second Team All-American
• First Team All-Big Sky Running Back
• Terry Dillon Award winner for 3^rd consecutive year
• Academic All-Big Sky
• Big Sky Player of the Week (9/13)
• Named to the Walter Payton Award Watch List
• Named to the Shrine Bowl 1,000 Watch List
• Stats Perform Preseason All-America 3rd Team
• Preseason All-Big Sky
After his second-straight season rushing for 1,000-plus yards, Gillman was named Big Sky Offensive Player of the Year, Montana's first since 2002 and the program's first running back to earn the title… He's the seventh all-time Grizzly to win offensive MVP honors but the first running back, impressive considering UM's long history of dominant backs... He joined a rare group of just 13 running backs in Big Sky history to earn Offensive MVP honors since 1974… He's also in elite company as one of just three players to be named Big Sky Freshman of the Year and go on to be named Offensive Player of the Year, alongside Troy Andersen and Cooper Kupp… He rushed for a Big Sky-best 1,540 yards (third-most in the FCS) and 21 touchdowns, the third-most ever in a single season at Montana in both categories in 2025… He averaged a league-high 102.7 yards per game, crossing the century mark eight times (including a new career-high 198 yards in the first game of the season), with an average of 6.2 yards per tote… He also caught 33 passes for 240 yards and two TDs this year, giving him 1,780 all-purpose yards (eighth-most in program history and 7th in the FCS), and a total of 138 points scored on 23 TDs… Both of those totals are tied with Chase Reynolds for the third-most ever in a season at UM… Was a consensus All-American, landing on five different teams… Was All-Big Sky for the third consecutive year… Earned the team’s Terry Dillon Award for UM’s top back or receiver for the third consecutive season. He’s now just the third Grizzly ever to three-peat as its recipient… Named Big Sky Offensive Player of the Week after rushing for a career-high 198 yards and tying his career high for rushing touchdowns (3) against Central Washington.

2024 (R-So.):
• Second-team All-Big Sky running back
• Preseason All-Big Sky running back
• Third-team Preseason All-America running back (Stats Perform)
• Big Sky Player of the Week (9/23)
• Academic All-Big Sky
One of the best rushing seasons in Montana history… Finished his sophomore campaign with a career-high 1,104 net rush yards on 167 carries, a top 10 season in Grizzly history and the most yards in a year for any Grizzly since Jordan Canada in 2014… Also the third-most yards in the Big Sky and a top 25 total in the FCS… Rushed for 15 touchdowns – the seventh-most in a season ever at UM, the third-most in the Big Sky in 2024 and the ninth-most in the FCS… Averaged 6.61 yards per carry, the sixth-best season average in program history and the best average since Josh Brannen averaged 6.82/carry in 1995… Also the sixth-best average in the Big Sky (min 50 attempts) and the eighth-best average in the FCS… Caught 18 passes for 176 yards and two TDs for 17 total scores, tied for the fifth- most TDs in the FCS and the second-most in the Big Sky… Led the team with 1,280 all-purpose yards, the fifth-most in the Big Sky… Scored 102 points, a top 13 total in program history…. Had a career-high day of 175 rushing yards against Western Carolina and was named Big Sky Player of the Week, a career second-best day against Tennessee State with 136 yards, and the third-best day of his career against Portland State with 134 yards… Posted fife games of 100+ rushing yards total… Also had a career-high three rushing TDs against Weber State and added a receiving TD as well for 4 total, a career best.

2023 (R-Fr.):
• Jerry Rice Award winner for FCS Freshman of the Year
• First-team Freshman All-America (STATS Perform)
• Big Sky Freshman of the Year
• Second-team All-Big Sky running back
• Academic All-Big Sky
• Named FCS National Freshman of the Week on 11/4
• Team’s Terry Dillon Award winner for best back or receiver
Gillman was a breakout star for the Grizzlies as the team’s leading rusher and the third-leading rusher in the Big Sky with 968 total yards on 194 attempts – the second-most in the league… Was a runaway winner of the 13th annual Jerry Rice Award for the FCS Freshman of the Year. A national, 56-member panel voted Gillman the winner with 203-points total, No. 1 among 22 finalists, and nearly 100 points more than the runner-up… Was also the first Grizzly to ever win the Big Sky Freshman of the Year… His 968 yards on the ground were a top-16 season among all rushers in Grizzly history and the third-most for a freshman in all D-I football… Had three 100-yard rushing games lineup and missed out on a fourth by three yards at Portland State. His 12 rushing TD's this season are a top-20 mark in program history, and he set a new school record at UC Davis with an 85-yard touchdown run, the longest from scrimmage in program history. With 65 yards and one TD his true freshman year, Gillman's career total of 1,033 yards and 13 TD puts him in the career record books as well… Added 140 receiving yards and 34 kick return yards to come in second on the team in all-purpose yards with 1,142… Broke loose for an 85-yard touchdown sprint at UC Davis to set a new school record and record the third-longest TD rush in the Big Sky that season… Started 14 of Montana’s 15 games and played in each one… Led Montana with 72 points scored.

2022 (Fr.): Impressed in two games as a true freshman, retaining his redshirt status… Totaled 65 yards rushing on 8 attempts, averaging over 8 yards per carry… Scored his first career touchdown in his collegiate debut against Eastern Washington

High School: A two-time All-District RB… Accounted for 43 TDs during his senior season and ran for more than 1,900 yards… Led Dassel-Cokato to their first undefeated season and state championship in program history… Named one of the 10 finalists for the Minnesota “Mr. Football” Award… Totaled 21 touchdowns and 1,585 total yards in 2019 as a sophomore. Went on to total 1,205 all-purpose yards and 15 touchdowns in eight games as a junior… Also lettered in basketball for the Chargers.

Personal: Son of Brian and Dawn Gillman… One of five children… Brother, Monte, plays football at Montana… Also held offers from Central Michigan, Northern Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Georgetown, and Dartmouth, with interest from Iowa.

Career Single-Game Highs
Rushing Yards: 198 (vs Central Washington, 2025)
Longest run: 85 (at UC Davis, 2023)*
Rushing touchdowns: 3 (vs Weber State, 2024, Central Washington, 2025, & Indiana State, 2025)
Reception yards: 79 (vs Weber State, 2024)
Long reception: 68 (vs Weber State, 2024)
Total touchdowns: 4 (vs Weber State, 2024)
* School record