There is no debate about Tommy Mellott’s place in Montana State football annals. The senior quarterback obviously will go down as one of the very best players in program history.

If the Bobcats win the FCS national championship game against North Dakota State on Jan. 6 in Frisco, Texas, he could just as easily be considered the greatest.

On the field, Butte’s Mellott is a force of nature. His smarts, skill, leadership and dedication are huge reasons why MSU is in the midst of a magical season — one win from finishing 16-0 and capturing the FCS national championship.

It’s for all these reasons that Mellott is our choice for Montana’s male athlete of the year for 2024.

This season, “Touchdown Tommy” …

• Was named the Big Sky Conference offensive player of the year and a first-team All-American by media outlets such as Stats Perform and the Associated Press, and is one of three finalists for the Walter Payton Award as the top offensive performer in the FCS.
• Has thrown for a career-best 2,564 yards with 29 touchdowns and just two interceptions.
• Has accumulated an FCS-best 180.1 pass-efficiency rating.
• Has rushed for 915 yards — second-most of a QB in the nation — and 14 TDs.
• Has been involved in 43 of MSU’s 83 total touchdowns, helping to account for 258 of the Bobcats’ 620 offensive points scored this season.
• Guided MSU to a 15-0 record and to the precipice of a national championship, which would be the program’s first in 40 years.

And that really only scratches the surface.
Entering the title game, Mellott’s career rankings in Bobcat history include: No. 2 in QB wins (32), No. 2 in rushing touchdowns (42), No. 3 in total offense (9,198), No. 4 in rushing yards (3,388), No. 5 in 100-yard rushing games (14), No. 5 in passing yards (5,810), No. 5 in passing TDs (51).

But it goes beyond the numbers. Mellott is a high-achiever in the classroom as a financial engineering major. Last year he was the recipient of the Doris Robinson Award, which is given each year to the FCS player who exemplifies excellence on the field, in the classroom and the community. He is also a CSC Academic All-District and FCS ADA Academic All-Star honoree.

In many ways Mellott is the face of Montana State University, and his status as a Bobcat legend grew exponentially in 2024.