BILLINGS — "Moose" will be loose in Ann Arbor.
Billings West senior-to-be Matt Ludwig made it official last Tuesday, announcing his commitment to the University of Michigan football program.
“My phone almost broke. It was lagging and it wasn't working fully, but it was awesome to get it out there and let the world know I'm going to Michigan. When it came down right to it, God was telling me Michigan was the right place for me," Ludwig said.
"It shows that hard work does pay off. It's only the beginning. We've still got a lot of work to do before we can really get going in college and we're excited for every moment of it."
Michigan has been a pipeline to the NFL for tight ends in recent years, having had five drafted since 2017. That includes the 10th overall pick in this year’s draft, Colston Loveland.
Loveland went to school in Gooding, Idaho, so Ludwig — known by the nickname "Moose — was quite familiar with him while growing up and attending school in the potato state. In fact, Loveland even commented on Ludwig's Instagram post announcing his commitment.
“Just having that relationship with (Loveland), as well — I've said this 100 times — watching him growing up and seeing him as a big role model, especially for these mountain west kids, that you can make it out of here and you can make it big," Ludwig said.
Dreams of Big Ten championships and NFL aspirations are temporarily on hold, as Ludwig still has a season of high school football to finish at West.
“The goal is to get a ring on the finger and walk away with a state championship. Really spend quality time with all the friends. The culture here is unreal and really make sure I soak in how awesome Billings West is and all the great things it's provided for me," Ludwig said. "It's a hard reality to try and grasp. I'm trying to spend every moment I can and soak in the great times with my friends in Montana, but I'm ready to get to work in Ann Arbor."
Fresh off a discus state title, "Moose" has just one uniform left to wear in Billings as he plans to relocate to Ann Arbor, Mich., in late December.
