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In 2011, Travon Van was the second-leading rusher for the Marshall Thundering Herd, and a year later he was a cornerback.

Now he’s a Montana Grizzly.

Van confirmed Friday that he’s transferring from Marshall to its former Football Championship Subdivision rival, the University of Montana. The 5-foot-11, 195-pounder out of San Diego will play running back for the Griz.

That’s partly why he ended up at Marshall – Florida, among other schools, had offered him a scholarship but couldn’t guarantee he would “carry the mail.”

“My goal in life was to play offense in college,” Van said of his decision. “They had a change of heart and I decided to transfer.”

Doc Holliday, Marshall’s coach, gave him his release.

“He’s a really good coach and we saw eye-to-eye, and he said he’d help me get to a school where they’d let me play offense,” Van said. “That’s where Montana came into the picture.”

Also helping was Jason Van, Travon’s brother, who played against Griz running backs coach Justin Green back in their high school days. Both went to San Diego State, though Green ended up playing for the Griz in 2003-04.

“He said, ‘You could give (Green) a call,’ ” Travon Van recalled. “I did and we just clicked from there.”

Van rushed for 551 yards and three touchdowns for the 2011 Herd, and started their first three games of 2012. He gained 93 yards on 39 carries – enough to lead the team – but on Sept. 22, in Marshall’s 54-51 double-overtime loss to Rice, he played a series at cornerback.

He didn’t play again. Holliday hinted that injury – after the 2011 season Van had two surgeries, including one to repair a torn labrum in his hip, and missed spring ball – had shelved the sophomore. But Van said he asked for his release after the Rice game.

Physically, he said, “I’m doing fine.”

Van rushed for 1,237 yards at Helix High School in San Diego in 2008 and then spent a year at the Milford (N.Y.) Academy. He signed a letter of intent with Florida and was going to enroll in Gainesville in the spring of 2010, but according to the Huntington (W.Va.) Herald-Dispatch didn’t qualify academically.

He switched to Marshall – Holliday is a former assistant to Urban Meyer – and redshirted in 2010.

He becomes the second running back to verbally commit to the Griz for 2013. The other is John Nguyen out of Bellevue, Wash.

The younger brother of Peter Nguyen is 5-7 and 187, and rushed for over 1,000 yards and 17 touchdowns as the Wolverines won a fifth straight Washington State 3A title.

Fritz Neighbor can be reached at 523-5247, at fneighbor@missoulian.com or @Fritz_Neighbor.

Grizalltheway wrote:Wow, we're going to be absolutely stacked at RB next season. Now about the QB situation...

Grizalltheway wrote:Wow, we're going to be absolutely stacked at RB next season. Now about the QB situation...

Mvemjsunpx wrote:

Grizalltheway wrote:Wow, we're going to be absolutely stacked at RB next season. Now about the QB situation...

There's still decent depth at QB, at least (depending on people leaving & the JJ situation). I'm more worried about WR; the Griz have Henderson & what else?

Skjellyfetti wrote:Update: Travon Van to transfer from Montana/Marshall/Florida to Grand Valley State

Skjellyfetti wrote:Update: Travon Van to transfer from Montana/Marshall/Florida to Grand Valley State

Grizalltheway wrote:

Skjellyfetti wrote:Update: Travon Van to transfer from Montana/Marshall/Florida to Grand Valley State

uofmman1122 wrote:

Mvemjsunpx wrote:
There's still decent depth at QB, at least (depending on people leaving & the JJ situation). I'm more worried about WR; the Griz have Henderson & what else?

This.

Our WR corps are the weakest we've seen in years.

But we just got a verbal from 6'4" Marq Rogers from Fort Wayne, IN.

I love that we're finally going after faster, taller WRs. (The EWU formula)

We have a roster full of slot receivers and almost nothing else.

dal4018 wrote:

uofmman1122 wrote:This.

Our WR corps are the weakest we've seen in years.

But we just got a verbal from 6'4" Marq Rogers from Fort Wayne, IN.

I love that we're finally going after faster, taller WRs. (The EWU formula)

We have a roster full of slot receivers and almost nothing else.

Didn't the Griz have the market cornered on big WRs in the past???

EWURanger wrote:

dal4018 wrote:Didn't the Griz have the market cornered on big WRs in the past???

Not really.


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Grizalltheway wrote:

EWURanger wrote:
Not really.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Dal talking out of his ass, as usual. In recent memory our best WRs have been average-height dudes.

Willie wrote:Thought that kid from the U of Minnesota was transferring to Montana at QB?

Willie wrote:Thought that kid from the U of Minnesota was transferring to Montana at QB?

Willie wrote:Personally, I think we're fine at QB. Just pick a guy and fucking stick with him. Quit rotating. It's enraging. McKinney should never have been pulled.

At RB, sweet Jebus...

rkwittem wrote:How good is Delaney as a coach? Is he legit?

Willie wrote:Next year will be another downer I'm afraid. Delaney is not a head coach. The University will regret signing him for 2 years.

Grizalltheway wrote:

Willie wrote:Next year will be another downer I'm afraid. Delaney is not a head coach. The University will regret signing him for 2 years.

You're assuming Engstrom cares about anything other than covering his own ass.