BILLINGS — When asked during the Big Sky Kickoff about the prospect of breaking Montana's career rushing record(s), senior Eli Gillman flashed his signature grin as if to say it's only a matter of time.
But Gillman's official response is more guarded. He won't put the cart in front of the horse.
"I mean, I'm not going to lie and say it's not on my mind, because it is," Gillman told MTN Sports at the Northern Quest Resort & Casino in Spokane, Wash. "But I know that if I just play ball and (approach) it like I've been doing before, good things are going to happen."
"I'm not going to sit here and focus on my own records when it's a team sport," he added. "I know if I do my job and other guys do their jobs that things will just kind of fall into place naturally."
They certainly have to this point.
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Entering the 2026 campaign, Gillman is sitting on 3,677 rushing yards to rank fourth in team history behind all-time leader Yohance Humphery (4,070), No. 2 Chase Reynolds (4,067) and No. 3 Lex Hilliard (4,018). Gillman's 49 rushing TDs rank third behind Reynolds (52) and Hilliard (50).
The reigning Big Sky Conference offensive player of the year and the league's preseason MVP pick this season, Gillman knows exactly whose company he’s chasing in the record book.
"I've hung out with Chase a couple times. I've talked to Yohance," Gillman said. "I haven't hung out with them a lot, but I've seen them. Coach (Brent) Pease, my own coach, he used to talk about them. I've heard nothing but great things. I've seen videos of them. They're nothing but great. And I think it's sweet that I'm even in the same conversation with them."
Humphery, from Eagle River, Alaska, was a typical workhorse in the late 1990s and early 2000s when teams abundantly fed their No. 1 running option. His 138.2 yards per game average from the 2001 national title season is by far tops in school history, and his 265-yard outburst in an '01 game against Weber State remains the program's single-game standard.
And remember this: Humphery played during an era in which the NCAA did not include postseason statistics for a player's career total. In actuality, Humphery rushed for 4,892 career yards and 54 touchdowns.
But those are numbers that Gillman still should surpass provided he remains healthy.
Montana career rushing leaders
1. Yohance Humphery (1998-2001) - 4,070
2. Chase Reynolds (2008-10) - 4,067
3. Lex Hilliard (2003-05, 2007) - 4,018
4. Eli Gillman (2023-present) - 3,677
5. Jordan Canada (2011-14) - 3,435
6. Nick Ostmo (2019-25) - 2,626
7. Rocky Klever (1977-81) - 2,228
Similar to Humphery, Reynolds was a bell cow and one of the most beloved players in modern Griz history. Coming from 8-Man powerhouse Drummond, Reynolds went from prep legend to (relative) college football anonymity to Griz superstardom in short order. He toted the ball a school-record 321 times in the 2009 season.
Hilliard, out of Flathead High in Kalispell, was a tank. He owns the school mark with 806 career rushing attempts, and his 32-carry, 186-yard, three-touchdown performance in a victory in a mud bath at Montana State in 2007 — with a broken hand, no less — was the stuff of legend.
Gillman is now in the same company as those giants, and he's on the cusp of eclipsing them all.
"Records are important because they show achievement," said new Montana coach Bobby Kennedy, who recently signed a new four-year contract to lead the Grizzlies. "If he's able to break that, it's going to be a huge accomplishment for him.
"Just let me say this: If he doesn't break it, I don't know how good that four-year contract is. So we better be feeding that guy the ball because he's a really good player. But the thing that impresses me about Eli is even though he's had all these accolades and he's a well-known figure in Montana, in Missoula and also maybe the country because he has accomplished so much, I haven't seen any change out of him.
"Still comes to work every day in the weight room and running. He's been a really good team leader, so I know it'll be a big accomplishment for him. But I'm one to think that those things happen organically, and he's going to get his touches. So yeah, I'm excited for him to break that record."
With just 394 yards left to gain before he sits atop the list, Gillman and the Grizzlies open the season on Aug. 29 at home against Big Sky Conference opponent Southern Utah.
