Burley (Idaho) receiver Gatlin Bair became the first All-American Bowl selection from the state of Idaho in six years.
This week, the four-star received his All-American Bowl jersey.
For Bair to play in San Antonio and coming from Idaho, he was thrilled for what it meant for him and for the Gem State.
“For me personally, it’s an opportunity to prove that I’m as advertised and if I’m better, it shows I can compete against the best in the country,” said Bair. “It gives me a chance to showcase how hard I’ve worked and what I’ve worked for.”
And he’s eager to prove he’s among the best in the country.
“I catch a lot of shade for what people think of our competition level, and I guess there is a lot that goes in to it, so to have some 1on1 matchups, it will be fun for me,” said Bair.
That Bair is representing a town of just under 12,000 people also gives him added incentive.
“It’s awesome, being from a smaller town,” said Bair. “A lot of people from this area don’t see things like that so being able to represent this area is big. It’s a lot easier to get exposure in those bigger areas of course and I mean, there probably is a more talent, but it shows kids in this area, if they work hard and if they’re disciplined and they’re talented, you’ll have an opportunity.”
Bair is committed to Boise State, he committed to the Broncos in August, but that hasn’t stopped schools like Michigan or Oregon from continuing to recruit him.
And with the Broncos firing Andy Avalos, who was a big reason for Bair’s commitment to the in-state program in the first place, the Ducks and Wolverines are making a push.
He was in Eugene in mid-November when the Ducks hosted USC- it was the same weekend that Avalos was let go, and then last weekend, he was in Ann Arbor for the Wolverines epic win over archrival Ohio State.
Both schools plus the Broncos will be in his home in December to present their cases.
Bair plans to sign in December and then he’ll leave to serve his LDS mission after he plays in San Antonio, enrolling in college in 2026.
So he’s eager to make his last game for two years a memorable one.
“I’ll take off in February so I might be a little more motivated and hopefully the West can win because this is the last I get to play competitive football for a while,” said Bair.
A four-star in the industry-generated 247Sports Composite Rankings, Bair is the No 35 overall player, the No. 9 receiver nationally and the No. 1 player in Idaho in 2024.
