As spotlight grows on recruiting trail, Findlay's Montgomery is enjoying the process

Apr. 10—Before Findlay High School sophomore football phenom Luke Montgomery began climbing up recruiting rankings and securing scholarship offers from Power Five programs, he was traveling around the country playing AAU basketball on a team with hoops prodigy Bronny James, LeBron James' son.

On the North Coast Blue Chips AAU team along with James and another top young basketball prospect Mikey Williams, Montgomery played in front of crazed crowds on a routine basis, and was part of a media frenzy before he even reached high school.

Montgomery has shown uncommon poise and perspective for a high school sophomore, which should benefit him as his star continues to grow and his college football recruitment heats up.

"Luke played two years with Bronny James, and that outfit and he kind of grew up overnight," said Luke's dad, Mike Montgomery. "That was in seventh and eighth grade. It's almost like that whole setting where we would travel the country and gyms would be absolutely packed, that really prepared him for the spotlight he has now."

Luke Montgomery is one of the most sought-after football prospects in the 2023 class, and is ranked as the No. 51 prospect by 247Sports. He is considered the No. 4 offensive tackle in his class, and is the No. 3 prospect in the state of Ohio. He is listed as a 4-star recruit.

"Luke was on the radar pretty early based on his size, and he was already pretty coordinated and athletic coming into high school," 247Sports recruiting analyst Allen Trieu said.

"Since then, he has continued to physically develop and has worked to get stronger. Colleges love kids who come from backgrounds of basketball and tight end like him [and] project as defensive and offensive linemen and that is what he is. He has the frame, flexibility, and growth potential to be a high-major player on either line of scrimmage."

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Luke Montgomery saId he is up to 23 scholarship offers, including a trio recently from the SEC — Florida, LSU, and Georgia.

"Honestly, I didn't expect it this early, but it's been a huge blessing," Luke Montgomery said. "I'm just excited to see what the future holds, and I'm just going to keep grinding and use this as motivation to keep working."

Luke Montgomery played most of his sophomore season at Findlay as a defensive end and tight end, but will make the transition to offensive tackle this season.

He is viewed by many college programs as an offensive line prospect, but some are pursuing him as a defensive player.

"I'm starting to work and get my stance down and my technique," Luke Montgomery said of his transition. "Technique is a huge part of playing offensive line. I'm working on my pad level and being able to stay low. A lot of coaches tell me I have really good feet and a natural ability to bend, and they just want me to get to the point where I'm bending every play and staying low and fast on my feet."

Luke Montgomery is listed as 6-foot-5 and 260 pounds, and has a unique blend of size and strength for his age, but there is room for development as a player.

"Fortunately, in this specific case, you have a kid who has all of the measurables," new Findlay coach Stefan Adams said. "You can't deny that. The kid had varsity experience as a freshman and has a unique skill set and ability. That stuff sticks out, for sure, but he is still Luke Montgomery, a sophomore with a long ways to go. He is jumping into the offensive side of things this year and fully committing to it. He still has a lot to learn there.

"We are going to coach him up. We want to get the most we can out of him and ultimately send him to the next level prepared and ready to compete when he is there."

At this point in his recruiting process, Luke Montgomery can contact coaches, but they cannot make direct contact with him.

He is doing his best to get the most information he can about every interested school.

Important factors Luke Montgomery is considering include culture, fan base, coaching staff, and academics. Maybe the most important for Luke Montgomery is relationships with fellow players.

"Those are kids you are going to be around for three to six years no matter what," he said. "Those are going to be your best friends through everything."

Luke Montgomery said he would like to wrap up his recruitment before his senior high school season, and his dad said December of 2021 to January of 2022 is a possible timeline for him making a commitment.

"I feel like everything is sped up with him," Mike Montgomery said. "He's a top 50 player, so guys have been more aggressive with him than others in his class. So that does speed everything up. By the time we get through his junior season — six more months of this level of recruiting — I think he will be ready to be done with the whole process maybe earlier than others."

Luke Montgomery said he wants to "go into my senior year having fun with my teammates and just playing ball."

Luke Montgomery was recently named to the All-American Bowl, as well as the Under Armour All-American game. He committed to play in the All-American Bowl, a game he and his dad have watched for a long time and always set as a goal.

"It's really cool," Luke Montgomery said. "It's always been a dream of mine to get invited to one of those games, and I got the opportunity to go to both which is a big blessing. At the end of the day, they are both highly respected, but I went with the Adidas one because I grew up watching that one the most on NBC."

Luke Montgomery possesses a presence that is not something you are able to teach.

"There's some kids that come along and there is just something different about them — they look different physically and are just different than a lot of their peers," Adams said. "I feel like that is what you see on the surface. But when you get to know him as a person, what you need to know is that he is still a young man on a journey.

"When you meet him, he is fun to be around. You never see him down. Typically, your best player you want to be your best leader and the most active and the most vocal, and he is exactly that."

Luke Montgomery and his dad said they are giving each scholarship offer equal consideration.

It's been a wild ride for Luke Montgomery and his family, and he is trying to stay grounded and enjoy the process.

"It's a thrill for me, for sure," Montgomery said. "I don't think it has worn on me at all. I know from a couple kids that when you get to the point where coaches can contact you that it's really tiring. I'm not to that point. I'm just really enjoying the recruiting process and taking it slowly and building relationships."

First Published April 10, 2021, 7:18am