MISSOULA — In the current landscape of college football, Eli Gillman continues to be a rarity.
The standout running back for the Montana Grizzlies announced Monday morning that once again he will be coming back and will finish his college football career in Missoula. Gillman, a native of Dassel, Minn., posted a video to his social media accounts thanking UM and the fans, hinting he was leaving, before saying, "I'm just messing around, I'm not going anywhere."
The news comes after Gillman posted his best season yet in his Montana career. In 2025 as a redshirt junior, Gillman carried the ball 250 times for 1,540 yards and 21 touchdowns. He also caught 33 passes for 240 yards and two more scores. Gillman posted just the fourth season ever that a Griz running back eclipsed 1,500 yards rushing in a single season.
Love this place pic.twitter.com/mG8CqwBK3V
— Eli Gillman (@eli_gillman) January 12, 2026
For his efforts, Gillman was named the Big Sky offensive player of the year and was named an All-American across multiple outlets.
In 2026, Gillman — the 2023 Jerry Rice Award Winner for the nation's top freshman — has the opportunity to shatter a number of UM's all-time rushing marks. His 3,677 career yards rank fourth all-time behind Yohance Humphery (4,070), Chase Reynolds (4,067) and Lex Hilliard (4,018). Gillman's yards-per-carry mark suggest he could break the record early in the 2026 campaign.
His 49 career rushing touchdowns are third behind Reynolds (52) and Hilliard (50). His 53 total touchdowns in his career are also second all-time behind Reynolds (59).
Gillman's return is the latest good news that completes the three-headed monster for an offensive unit that is set to return plenty of firepower next season. Quarterback Keali'i Ah Yat, a first-team All-Big Sky selection, also announced he'd be returning for his redshirt junior season as did freshman All-American Brooks Davis, who will be back as a redshirt sophomore in 2026.
