BOBCATS 125 - TOP 50: Tanner Bleskin
7/17/2022 4:08:00 PM | Football
Montana State's all-time leader in receiving yards and catches helped lead the Cats to three Big Sky titles
We look at the 25 players that Bobcat fans and a blue ribbon panel of long-time MSU football observers ranked between 26th and 50th in the quest to determine the program's all-time players. In this segment of the countdown, players are listed alphabetically. You can find details here and a directory here.
Tanner Bleskin, WR, 2010-13
ALL-TIME TEAM: None previously
HONORS: 3rd Team All-Big Sky in 2013, 2nd Team All-Big Sky in 2012
A CLOSER LOOK: There was always so much to like about Tanner Bleskin.
He was an in-state recruit, was an important offensive weapon for championship teams, was really smart, and was really tough. And he was a LOT faster than most thought.
And yet he never really got enough credit for any of them.
Bleskin didn't join the Bobcats from just any Treasure State high school, he came from Jack Johnson's legendary CM Russell program in Great Falls. He was the only starter varsity player from CMR as a redshirt freshman in 2010, succeeding former Rustlers teammate Jeff Hansen. Bleskin was a tremendous player from the beginning, and remains one of only five two-time CoSIDA Academic All-America Bobcats, and played through so many more injuries than anyone ever knew. And he could run, he was always more than a possession receiver.
From the beginning of his career to the end, Bleskin's consistency became easy to expect. He caught 33 passes for 502 yards as a freshman, and added 30 for 417 yards on season later. As a junior he broke out with 66 receptions for 928 yards and four touchdowns. As a senior he caught 64 catches for 969 yards and three more scores. In his career he caught 193 passes for a Bobcat record 2,816 yards and 13 touchdowns.
How consistent was Tanner Bleskin? While setting a career record for receiving yards, his best single season is 9th in school history, 969 yards. He averaged 15.0 yards per catch, more than other all-time Bobcats such as Chip Hobbs (14.3) and Kevin Kassis (12.9).
Bleskin never garnered the individual awards he earned, reeling All-Big Sky 2nd Team honors once and 3rd Team Honors once. He made up for that by playing in Montana State's all-time winningest senior class. He and his teammates in the Bobcat Senior Class of 2013 won 37 football games (37-13 overall) and three Big Sky titles. That's a mark that will be hard for any four-year group to top.
FROM COLTER NUANEZ, SKYLINE SPORTS MT: "Bleskin was the best wide receiver at dicing zone coverage I've seen in the Big Sky Conference outside of some guy from Eastern Washington who won Super Bowl MVP honors last year. Bleskin also was one of the toughest players on the league champion Bobcats, playing through more injuries and ailments than most of the fans ever knew. He defined understated, steady yet historically great."
Tanner Bleskin, WR, 2010-13
ALL-TIME TEAM: None previously
HONORS: 3rd Team All-Big Sky in 2013, 2nd Team All-Big Sky in 2012
A CLOSER LOOK: There was always so much to like about Tanner Bleskin.
He was an in-state recruit, was an important offensive weapon for championship teams, was really smart, and was really tough. And he was a LOT faster than most thought.
And yet he never really got enough credit for any of them.
Bleskin didn't join the Bobcats from just any Treasure State high school, he came from Jack Johnson's legendary CM Russell program in Great Falls. He was the only starter varsity player from CMR as a redshirt freshman in 2010, succeeding former Rustlers teammate Jeff Hansen. Bleskin was a tremendous player from the beginning, and remains one of only five two-time CoSIDA Academic All-America Bobcats, and played through so many more injuries than anyone ever knew. And he could run, he was always more than a possession receiver.
From the beginning of his career to the end, Bleskin's consistency became easy to expect. He caught 33 passes for 502 yards as a freshman, and added 30 for 417 yards on season later. As a junior he broke out with 66 receptions for 928 yards and four touchdowns. As a senior he caught 64 catches for 969 yards and three more scores. In his career he caught 193 passes for a Bobcat record 2,816 yards and 13 touchdowns.
How consistent was Tanner Bleskin? While setting a career record for receiving yards, his best single season is 9th in school history, 969 yards. He averaged 15.0 yards per catch, more than other all-time Bobcats such as Chip Hobbs (14.3) and Kevin Kassis (12.9).
Bleskin never garnered the individual awards he earned, reeling All-Big Sky 2nd Team honors once and 3rd Team Honors once. He made up for that by playing in Montana State's all-time winningest senior class. He and his teammates in the Bobcat Senior Class of 2013 won 37 football games (37-13 overall) and three Big Sky titles. That's a mark that will be hard for any four-year group to top.
FROM COLTER NUANEZ, SKYLINE SPORTS MT: "Bleskin was the best wide receiver at dicing zone coverage I've seen in the Big Sky Conference outside of some guy from Eastern Washington who won Super Bowl MVP honors last year. Bleskin also was one of the toughest players on the league champion Bobcats, playing through more injuries and ailments than most of the fans ever knew. He defined understated, steady yet historically great."
Players Mentioned
WR
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