COLUMN: 2021 Griz have a certain blue and green feel

Jackson Pepe may not have much game tape at the University of Montana yet — he got on the field in a playoff win over NE Louisiana in 2019 and didn’t record a stat — but he has highlights nonetheless.

Bursting out of the tunnel in front of a sellout crowd at Washington-Grizzly Stadium leads the way.

“It’s one of the best feelings in the world,” the junior safety said. “All of this — it’s pretty surreal.”

Pepe (pronounced pep-ay) is one of five Glacier High products going through the paces at the Grizzlies’ fall camp, a bit of controlled chaos that sets up the season opener at the University of Washington on Sept. 4.

He’s a little banged up; similarly running back Drew Turner had a hamstring injury and missed the two-game spring season. But Pepe hangs in, hoping the plays he made on special teams and defense for the Pack translate to the bigger stage.

“I had a really good junior season and I kind of got noticed and everything just fell into place,” he said this week. “I was an early commit, and it was nice to not have to worry about that my senior year of high school. Now I get to play football at an amazing university and earn a great degree.”

Both players committed to the Griz when Bob Stitt was the Grizzlies’ head coach, then were part of Bobby Hauck’s first recruiting class in December of 2017.

Turner has some film: A 48-yard burst against UC Davis in 2019; a fumble recovery on special teams against Weber State the same season. With record-setting Marcus Knight recovering from his knee injury, Turner — who had back-to-back 1,600-yard seasons at Glacier — is getting carries in August.

So are a host of others, including the dynamic Xavier Harris and experienced thumper Nick Ostmo. Ryan Arntson, son of Griz alum Tony Arntson, has looked good. Akron transfer Isiah Childs is getting totes, as is recent Missoula Big Sky graduate Colter Janacaro.

“It’s all mixed together,” Turner said. “It’s fall camp. That’s how it works.”

“When the program’s in good shape, you should have to work your way up the depth,” Hauck, gearing up for the third fall of his second tenure at Montana, said. “If young guys or even transfers are coming right in and playing, we’ve messed up in recruiting.”

There are five Glacier products with the Griz currently, including redshirt freshmen Drew Deck at receiver and Henry Nuce at defensive end. They are, as you might expect, a ways down the depth chart though they have their moments.

“Henry’s had a good couple of days actually,” Hauck said this week. “He had probably his best day (Monday). It wasn’t the defense’s best day yesterday, so he kind of stood out.”

The fifth Wolfpack alum is making the biggest impact, and perhaps illustrates Hauck’s point: Patrick O’Connell transferred over from Division II Mary, redshirted Hauck’s first season back and then took off in 2019 with 6.5 sacks.

“Pat walked in the door with nobody knowing his name within the program and really emerged as a key player on our defense,” Hauck said. “He’s been really good.”

We know O’Connell’s name now, and jersey No. 58 shows up on every opponent’s tape study. Another four Glacier products would like to get to the same level.

“I don’t ever want to use the term wait their turn, because I don’t want them to wait, I want them to compete,” Hauck said. “In a good program with a good foundation you should have to work hard for a while to move up.”

Fast guys don’t get hamstring injuries, and Turner came in a 205-pounder who finished second in the 2018 State AA 200 meters.

“That was 20, 30 pounds ago,” he said, smiling. “That was track weight; different story.”

If he lost a step, he’s still going to be on the field.

“Being on special teams is a big role for me,” Turner said. “If I can’t get some offense I’ll stick to that. I’m just excited to be out there practicing and playing.”

The home opener is Sept. 11 against Western Illinois, and it could have a blue-green feel: Only Missoula Sentinel (six) has more alums on the current Griz roster.

“It’s a position where a lot of guys get to play, especially early in the year,” Hauck said of Turner’s position. “They’ve just got to keep working and when it comes time and you get the chance, do the job.

“It’s not like any of these guys don’t belong here. They belong here.”

Sports reporter Fritz Neighbor can be reached at 758-4463 or fneighbor@dailyinterlake.com.