THE FRONT ROW with JASON ELLIOTT: Whitcomb's work makes his Division I dream a reality

Just out of high school, former Lake City High star Matthew Whitcomb learned that if his dreams were going to come true, it was going to take a lot of work.

Something he never shied away from.

And won’t anytime soon as he gets the chance to make those dreams happen this coming fall.

WHITCOMB, A three-year starter at inside linebacker at NAIA Montana Tech in Butte, Mont.., recently announced his transfer from the Orediggers to Southern Utah University in Cedar City, Utah.

Whitcomb will graduate from the exercise and health science program next month and join the Thunderbirds of Cedar City, Utah as a graduate student in the fall.

“When I decided to transfer, I really didn’t know where I was going to go, but they reached out almost immediately,” Whitcomb said. “They showed a lot of interest in me and we’d been talking. After I took a visit, it really felt like home to me.”

As a freshman, Whitcomb attended Boise State, with the intention of trying to walk on to the football team.

“College football is hard to get into,” Whitcomb said. “My first year, I just went to school and was trying to get a tryout, but wasn’t able to get onto the field.”

At the end of the semester, Whitcomb, who is 6-foot-2, 220 pounds, transferred to Montana, where he participated in spring camp with the Grizzlies in 2022.

“It really takes a lot of time and energy to play at the Division I level,” Whitcomb said. “I was waking up every day at 4:30 a.m., which is something I was used to doing, but not having a lot of other guys that were doing the same thing. The one thing I learned was that at that level, everyone is good and works hard.”

Once the semester ended, Whitcomb was told that he didn’t make the team, but was on the short list to remain with the program, had another player transferred.

“As it turned out, they didn’t have any spots for me,” Whitcomb said. “I was told I could come back in the fall, but I just wanted to play ball. So I went to Butte on a visit and it happened to work out that they needed a guy at my position.”

From there, it’s history.

“I just wanted to go there and see where it takes me,” Whitcomb said.

IN HIS first year at Montana Tech in 2022, Whitcomb finished with 24 tackles, 13 solo and 11 assisted. As a sophomore, Whitcomb accounted for 83 tackles, 49 solo and 34 assisted for the Orediggers. 

As a junior, Whitcomb led the Frontier Conference with 110 tackles, 51 solo and 59 assisted. He also led the Frontier Conference in tackles-for-loss with 15 and had 3.5 sacks, five forced fumbles, an interception and a fumble recovery. 

He was first-team all-conference in 2024, and second team the previous season.

“I think I just grew into the game and met a lot of different guys that helped me grow into the game,” Whitcomb said. “I’d always stayed focused on playing at the highest level and getting confidence in myself and being able to put up big numbers as a sophomore and junior really helped. I grew confident that I could get the job done at any level and that really helped me.”

Whitcomb was an all-5A Inland Empire League selection in football at Lake City as a wide receiver as a senior and defensive back as a junior. 

“I would have appreciated being able to play on the offensive side in college, but everyone is good at this level,” Whitcomb said. “Playing defense is a lot more physical and I really enjoyed being able to hit someone on each play.”

Whitcomb was also a two-time state high school wrestling champion at Lake City, the first in program history for the Timberwolves. His father, Pat, who coached North Idaho College to NJCAA wrestling titles in 1998, 2001, 2003 and 2013, was a national championship wrestler at NIC in 1986 and 1987.

As a senior at Lake City High, Matthew Whitcomb beat Meridian’s Kaleb Smith in the 182-pound championship match in 2021, becoming the Timberwolves' first two-time state wrestling champion after beating Lewiston’s Reuben Thill as a junior in 2020. 

“My love has always been football,” Whitcomb said. “Wrestling was for my dad and really helped with my fundamentals in football. There was never really a question and I was going to play football in college.”

In the classroom, Whitcomb was one of three Orediggers — along with Post Falls native Derek Pearse — to be selected an NAIA Academic All-American, which was selected by athletic communications professionals nationwide.

“Montana Tech is definitely a hard school,” Whitcomb said. “I just showed up for class, worked hard and got things done. I’ve met a lot of great people here, and I’m thankful for that opportunity.”

SOUTHERN UTAH opens the 2025 season at home against Idaho State on Aug. 30.

“I really like the coaching staff,” Whitcomb said. “It’s at a really high elevation (5,846 feet), but it really feels like home. I just like how they operate and showed interest in me. Since Day 1, they showed they wanted me down there. I wanted to get to the next level, and it’s kind of like a dream come true.”

Jason Elliott is a sports writer for The Press. He can be reached by telephone at 208-664-8176, Ext. 1206 or via email at jelliott@cdapress.com. Follow him on Twitter @JECdAPress. 

    Matthew Whitcomb