MISSOULA -- Another year, another Montana quarterback leaving the football team via the NCAA transfer portal.
Logan Fife announced his intention to enter the transfer portal on Sunday, one day after the Grizzlies ended their season in the second round of the FCS playoffs with a 9-5 record. The portal officially opens on Monday, Dec. 9.
Fife made eight starts and played in 13 games in his lone season at Montana after transferring from FBS Fresno State. He played a complete game just two times as he and Keali'i Ah Yat rotated for most of the year.
He was the Big Sky Conference offensive player of week following his first start. He threw for 364 yards and five touchdowns in a 52-49 win over Eastern Washington on the road to begin league action.
Fife, a fifth-year junior, completed 63.5% of his pass attempts (167 of 263) for 1,890 yards, 14 touchdowns and two interceptions. He carried the ball 57 times for 135 yards and five touchdowns.
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"First and foremost I'd like to thank God for the many blessing in my life and allowing me to continue to live out my dream," he wrote in a social media post on X. "I'd like to thank my family and friends for the endless support through this journey. I'd also like to thank my teammates and the city of Missoula for welcoming me with open arms in this past year.
"With that being said, it is in my best interest to enter the transfer portal as a grad transfer with 1 year of eligibility remaining. I am extremely excited for what the future has in store."
Fife saw his reps increase when Ah Yat got injured, first happening in the fourth game of the year against Western Carolina. He played the next three weeks while Ah Yat got only one series in that span.
They split time after the bye week when Ah Yat returned, including in a loss to UC Davis. Ah Yat got his first start since WCU the next week against Portland State, but an injury led to Fife rallying the Griz to a win in the second half. That game included Fife and head coach Bobby Hauck getting into multiple heated exchanges on the sideline before they hugged it out.
Fife played the whole game the next week in the regular-season finale against Montana State, a 34-11 loss. He started in the first round of the FCS playoffs against Tennessee State and wasn't pulled until he fumbled twice in the second half. He did not play in the second-round loss at South Dakota State.
Following the 2023 season, Clifton McDowell transferred and ended up at McNeese State after leading the Griz to the national championship game. Sam Vidlak, who lost the in-season QB battle, also transferred and became a second-team All-Southland honoree at Stephen F. Austin in 2024.
"Somebody will get a really good player and a great dude," Vidlak wrote on X in sharing Fife's post. "Hope you find the fit you deserve. Best of luck Logan."
After the 2022 season, Daniel Britt entered the transfer portal. He had said, "I just felt I wasn't developing enough as a player in the QB room."
Fife is the first-known Griz player to enter the transfer portal this offseason.
Frank Gogola is the Senior Sports Reporter at the Missoulian and 406 MT Sports. Follow him on X @FrankGogola or email him at frank.gogola@406mtsports.com.
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