Montana Grizzlies get commitment from Central Arkansas transfer QB Clifton McDowell

MISSOULA — Clifton McDowell couldn't pass up a visit to Montana this past week even though he had already committed to Southern University.

"These are my last two years," the transfer portal quarterback said, referencing his remaining college eligibility, "and I was on the phone with (Griz running backs) coach (Justin) Green and he was telling me before you make your final decision you got to come out here and see us, meet the guys on the team and the coaching staff.

"I went out there on the 10th (Wednesday) and it was everything that coach Green said: loving environment, family environment, they treated me like I was already on the team. It just felt too good."

McDowell liked his visit so much that he'll be calling Montana home starting May 30. He announced his commitment to the Grizzlies on Saturday after a three-day visit.

McDowell is immediately eligible as a grad transfer, having graduated from Central Arkansas with a bachelor's degree in psychology and a minor in sociology on May 6. He has two years of eligibility left after stops at the FBS, FCS and junior college levels.

"Competing for the starting job and making the team better, bringing a national championship to the team," he said of his goals before expanding on what gives him that confidence.

"Just the experience and places I’ve been. Coming from high school, fortunate enough to win a bowl game my freshman year and going to JUCO and betting on myself and going to UCA and my first year winning the conference championship. Two years down, two rings and trying to get two more."

McDowell enters a quarterback competition under new offensive coordinator Brent Pease. He joins junior Kris Brown, sophomore Sam Vidlak, redshirt freshman Kaden Huot, and true freshmen Gage Sliter and Keali'i Ah Yat.

Brown has appeared in 21 games for the Griz, primarily as a backup with a handful of starts the past two seasons. Vidlak played in one game at Oregon State and three games at Boise State before he transferred in this offseason and shined in the Griz spring game. Huot redshirted last season, while Sliter and Ah Yat will join the team for fall camp.

"If I was guaranteed a starting spot, that probably wouldn’t be the school I wanted to go to because I’m just a fierce competitor," McDowell said. "As far as me choosing Montana, it was the O-line is deep, it was more than just what school is going to pay for my scholarship.

"You got to think of longevity, what team is actually going to have a chance to win a national championship. After visiting and seeing the guys, it really motivated me to see some guys that care about it just like I do."

McDowell had committed to Southern University on April 30 after he entered the transfer portal on April 15. He decommitted on Friday and flipped his commitment to UM on Saturday, citing the team environment, the "top-notch facilities" and his meeting with head coach Bobby Hauck: "The energy that he had was hard to deny Montana. I feel like he has the team going in the right direction."

McDowell also had NCAA Division I offers from Norfolk State, Savannah State, Texas A&M Commerce and Delaware State. He had originally chosen Southern because of his familiarity with coaches who previously recruited him, he said.

"I’m here to stay," he said of UM, noting that he's working to set up a QB coaching camp this summer in Missoula. "To flip my commitment, I feel like that was a pretty big move for me. It took a lot for me to do that. I’m a real loyal guy. If I have a situation that’s best for me, I got to take it and stick with it."

McDowell was a 3-star recruit by 247Sports and was rated as the 34th-best dual-threat quarterback in the 2019 recruiting class. He passed for 1,820 yards and 18 touchdowns, and he rushed for 1,330 yards and 19 scores as a senior at Spring High School in Class 6A, the largest classification in Texas.

McDowell will play for Pease, who is also the quarterbacks coach, at 6-foot-4 and 220-225 pounds, he said. That's a similar build to Lucas Johnson (6-3, 223), who started last year after transferring from San Diego State.

"(Pease) showed me clips from last season and the guy you had from San Diego State, we kind of have the same frame," McDowell said. "I feel like it’s going to be a continuation from last season. I’ve seen how they like to run the quarterbacks, and mix in a couple deep throws and play-action. I feel like that will be very beneficial to me and the team."

Coming out of high school, McDowell chose to play at FBS Louisiana-Lafayette over offers from Texas Southern, Texas State and Georgetown. He played in three games over two seasons in 2019 and 2020, completing his lone pass attempt for 8 yards.

McDowell then changed paths to the junior college route and played at Kilgore College in Texas. He returned to the D-I level as he spent 2022 at Central Arkansas, completing 7 of 13 pass attempts for 69 yards, one touchdown and one interception, and rushing 10 times for 89 yards and two scores.

"I definitely feel like I can bring a nice spark to the team with the running back and receiver corps they have and the linemen," he said. "I feel like I’ll be not a missing piece but an adding piece to make the team more explosive."