NASHVILLE — The fact that Justin Lamson has been such a good fit at Montana State doesn’t really surprise Bobcat coach Brent Vigen, who clocked his quarterback back when Lamson was in high school.

“That goes back from 2019 into ‘20,” Vigen said Saturday, in a press conference ahead of Monday’s Division I Football Championship between MSU and Illinois State. “Justin was a high target of ours, and I had a chance to go to Sacramento, to his high school, talk to his coach, see him throw, get to know him.” 

At the time Vigen was quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator at the University of Wyoming in Laramie. And by the spring 2020 the country was in the throes of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

“So when Justin did come to Laramie I couldn’t have any contact with him other than seriously, looking out my second-floor office window and kind of waiving to him,” Vigen said. “But he was serious about us.” 

Until he wasn’t. 

“I was really high on Wyoming,” Lamson, who committed to Syracuse out of high school, said Saturday. “I visited all the places during Covid and at the time I just didn’t feel like Laramie was the spot for me.
Then the junior smiled. “I decided to go across the country, all the way to upstate New York. I’m happy with my decision out of high school; I had a great time in Syracuse, learned a lot.” 

Lamson then transferred to Stanford in 2023 and played some as a backup quarterback — he had four TD passes in 2024. Then he was back in the portal again, which led him to... Bowling Green. 

“He was clearly our target through the month of December,” Vigen said. “He had played at Stanford and had done some good things. ... It was just disappointment that we couldn’t make it work.” 

On Jan. 15, Lamson committed to the Falcons. 

“Then March came around and they all left,” Lamson said. The Falcons’ head coach, Scot Loeffler, left to be the Philadelphia Eagles quarterbacks coach.  

“A new staff (led by head coach Eddie George) came in and that’s really difficult for a college quarterback, because they brought in their own guy.” 

Before March ended Lamson was watching the tail end of MSU’s spring drills. By the end of fall camp he’d been named the starter, though it was a process. 

“I really felt like I had a challenging fall camp,” he said. “Kind of a humbling experience, in a way. I actually didn’t feel like at the start of fall camp I was playing my best football; I felt like our defense was challenging me a lot. You know how good they are.  

“As we kind of got into the swing of things I started doing well. Oregon prep — once I was named the starter I felt like I could feel like I was a true leader within the offense. That’s when it started clicking for me I guess.” 

Heading into Monday’s game, which kicks off at 5:30 p.m. Mountain on ESPN, Lamson has 24 touchdowns passing (against three interceptions) for the 13-2 Bobcats. He has another 14 TDs rushing. He is one of the most efficient QBs in the FCS. 

“It was the way the story was meant to be written,” Vigen said. “Crazy story and a relationship that, between us, has gone back quite a ways. For it to come back to fruition the way it has, I’m just grateful that things work out the way they do.” 

    Montana State head coach Brent Vigen speaks during a press conference on Saturday, Jan. 3, prior to the FCS Championship game against Illinois State at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider   

    Montana State quarterback Justin Lamson (8) walks onto the field at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville on Saturday, Jan. 3, for the Bobcats' team photo ahead of the FCS Championship game against Illinois State. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider