Dylan Snyder transfers from Montana State to hometown Montana Tech

BOZEMAN — After about eight months away from home, Dylan Snyder decided to go back.

Snyder transferred from Montana State to Montana Tech to continue his college football career, he announced last week. Several factors led to Snyder, a wide receiver who graduated from Butte High in 2022, to make that decision. Playing in his hometown was near the top of the list.

"I kind of resorted to going back to Butte on the weekends and hanging out with my friends, and I always heard how fun Tech was," Snyder told 406mtsports.com on Monday. "I just never really felt at home at MSU, even though I like the coaches and the players."

Snyder committed to MSU in 2021 as a preferred walk-on. As MSU's 2017 recruiting class showed, walk-ons are capable of becoming key contributors for the Football Championship Subdivision program. There's a less publicized but much larger population of walk-ons that barely sniffed the field during their time as Bobcats.

"College football is a huge commitment. When you're a walk-on and not getting any money for it, it kind of sucks because you're putting in all that work and there's no end result," Snyder said, adding, "I just thought I'd never play receiver until one of my later years there. I was kind of sick of practicing and doing all that stuff and not being able to play."

Snyder will never know if he would've turned into a starter at MSU, but he knew the odds, especially after the Cats added Football Bowl Subdivision transfers Lonyatta Alexander Jr. and Ty McCullouch to a receiving corps that includes 2022 starter Clevan Thomas Jr., standout rising sophomore Taco Dowler and other promising players.

"I actually really liked the coaching staff there," Snyder said. "I just never saw the light at the end of the tunnel."

Snyder left MSU about halfway through 2023 spring camp, which wrapped up Saturday. Shortly after he entered the transfer portal, Tech head coach Kyle Samson reached out. Samson said he had an open spot at receiver and extended a full-tuition scholarship offer, Snyder said. That, the opportunity to play in Butte and the more realistic chance to earn playing time made Snyder's decision easy. 

"A lot of my buddies play there, and they have nothing but great things to say about Tech," Snyder said, adding, "I'm pretty excited to get started this summer."

Snyder, a business management major, still has four seasons of eligibility left.

The 6-foot-2 rising redshirt freshman praised MSU receivers coach Justin Udy for all the wisdom he imparted, from the fundamentals to the mental aspect of playing wideout. Snyder's eight months as a Bobcat will make him a good Oredigger, he believes.

"I've got to give it to that coaching staff at MSU. They really know what they're doing, and they changed me as a football player a lot," he said. "I learned a ton in the past year, gained a ton. I feel like I've gotten a ton better playing at MSU."