Gatlin Bair has made the choice where he’ll be playing college ball, announcing via Twitch on Saturday that he is headed to Boise State.
The 6-foot-2, 180-pound wide receiver and the highest-rated recruit ever from the state of Idaho, according to 247 Sports, chose the Broncos over a top 5 that included Power Five programs Michigan, Nebraska, Oregon and TCU.
Bair is rated a four-star prospectand the No. 40 prospect nationally in the 2024 recruiting class, per the 247 Sports composite rankings. He is the highest-rated commit in Boise State program history.
“It is the place that I felt like I could have an impact on the community,” Bair said during the Twitch announcement. “It’s up to me to give that back, and to pay that forward ... do something bigger and more important than myself.”
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Bair is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and plans to serve a two-year mission after graduating in December, as the Deseret News reported previously. He’ll play his first college season in 2026.
He credited his faith — and being able to block out the outside noise — in helping him make the decision.
“In the end, it was a really difficult decision. I was really torn. I didn’t know where I was going to go. I spent a lot of time praying and not on my phone (or) talking to people, just really reflecting on what I wanted,” Bair told reporters after his announcement. “That’s what allowed me to make this decision. In my heart, after the time on my knees, this is what I felt comfortable with and I felt where I needed to be.”
Both BYU and Utah, along with Utah State, offered Bair, but none of the Utah schools made his top 5.
Bair, a track prodigy who comes from a family full of elite track and field athletes, is the highest rated LDS prospect since former Orem High linebacker Noah Sewell, who was rated rated No. 13 nationally in the 2020 recruiting class.
Bair, who ran the 100 meters in 10.15 seconds at the Idaho state track meet earlier this year, is coming off a standout season for Burley.
Last year, Bair caught 73 passes for 1,073 yards and 18 touchdowns,according to MaxPreps. He averaged 119.2 yards receiving.
All totaled, he held scholarship offers from nearly 30 schools, according to 247 Sports.
Blue blood programs like Alabama, Georgia, Texas, Miami and numerous other Power Five schools came calling for the talented multi-sport star who grew up in nearby Kimberly before his family moved to Burley a couple of years ago.
Among those who provided Bair with a listening ear through the recruiting process were his head coach at Burley, Cameron Andersen, and one of Andersen’s proteges from his previous job at Gooding High — tight end Colston Loveland, who’s a sophomore at Michigan.
“I always had access to Colston. He always made himself available to me. He was never super like, ‘Come to Michigan.’ He was more like, ‘Make the decision that’s best for you,’” Bair said. “He gave me advice on anything, told me the way he saw stuff. Being able to talk to him and pick his brain was super helpful.”
Bair is confident when it comes time to serve his mission, his coaches will have a solid plan to help him stay in shape when workout time takes a back seat to missionary work.
Bair’s training coach contingent includes his father, Brad, who has been his trainer since he was 5 and serves as Burley’s track coach, as well as Boise State football’s director of sports performance, Ben Hilgart.
“With my dad and Coach Hilgart, they’ll definitely collaborate and come up with the best things for me, work to decide what’s best for me and how I can train the best,” Gatlin Bair said.
Once Bair finally plays a down in college, there will be extensive changes in the college football world.
By then, the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff will be in effect.
There’s also a litany of conference realignment coming to the game at the Power Five level.
On Friday alone, five current Pac-12 teams announced they will be playing in new conferences in 2024 — Oregon and Washington are headed to the Big Ten, while Utah, Arizona and Arizona State are joining the Big 12.
There are reports that all the movement could have an effect on Boise State.
The Pac-12’s remaining four members (Stanford, California, Oregon State and Washington State) all are facing uncertain futures beyond the 2023 season.
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On Saturday, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported that Boise State’s league, the Mountain West Conference, has had preliminary discussions with what remains of the Pac-12 about a potential merger.
While that’s something Bair is aware of, the possibilities that could have on his college future don’t concern him.
“I made my decision not based off that at all. I wasn’t super concerned about the conference I’m playing in. But obviously, it would be super cool if we are part of a bigger conference and could play some more nationally ranked teams and Power Five teams, potentially even be a Power Five school,” he said.
“I’m not super worried about what happens. Everything will get sorted out. That’s something to look forward to in the future but not something I’m super concerned about (now).”