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Mountain Views Jettson Gillam continues tight end lineage Published 8:46 pm Sunday, July 26, 2026 Bends latest college football prospect is another in a line of tight ends First it was Jacob Hollister.
Then it was Cam McCormick.
Shortly after that it was Luke Musgrave.
And most recently, it was Carlie Crowell.
And now, it is Jettson Gillam.
The trend has been going on for nearly two decades that more often than not, the top college football prospects from Bend have been either played tight end or converted to the position.
I dont know what it is, said Mountain View football coach Brian Crum.
But we just tend to have these 240-pound, 6-foot-4 guys who can run.
Gillam, a 6-foot-4, 235-pound Mountain View senior, fits the bill as a big guy who can run and will continue Bends tight end lineage to play Division I college football.
Gillam is one of the states top prospects coming off a junior season where he finished with 20 catches, 250 yards and three touchdown catches, helping Mountain View to a third straight trip to the Class 5A semifinals a year ago.
He was also a key player on defense where he had 22 tackles, 3.5 sacks, one interception and a defensive touchdown.
In June, Gillam committed to play at Washington State in Pullman, Washington.
Oregons a big tight end state for sure, Gillam said.
Theres probably more tight ends going to come out of Oregon than any other position.
And I think thats just because there is size, and since (Oregon) doesnt have a ton of three-star receivers running around, tight ends can get the ball a bunch.
Before Gillam was Crowell, a 2023 Summit grad who is entering his third year playing at the University of Washington.
Before Crowell was Musgrave, a late-bloomer at Bend High who went on to play at Oregon State and is now entering his fourth season with the Green Bay Packers after being drafted in the second round in 2023.
Then there was McCormick, a 2015 Summit grad who had a uniquely famous college career that lasted nine seasons at Oregon and Miami due to multiple season-ending injuries and extra year of eligibility due to COVID-19.
While he did not play tight end in high school, Mountain Views Jacob Hollister, who quarterbacked the Cougars to a state title in 2010 before making the switch to tight end at Wyoming, went on to play for nearly a decade in the NFL, most notably with the Seattle Seahawks.
But it wasnt the previous tight ends from Bend that motivated Gillam.
It was a former Mountain View wide receiver who left an impression.
Jack Foley was a star receiver for Mountain View and helped the Cougars reach two state titles as a junior and senior.
During his time, he became one of the states top college prospects.
Foley was initially committed to play at Washington State, but then flipped to Wake Forest.
That was pretty cool to see, Gillam said.
And it motivated me a bunch.
Like, everybody loved him, and I thought that was awesome, so, I kinda wanted to fall into that same role.
Bends not that big, so its kind of hard to get your way out, Gillam added.
But since he was able to do it, it also gave me motivation knowing that I could be able to do it as well.
Even though Gillam, admittedly, did not have a noteworthy start to his football career as a middle schooler, the signs were there, at least physically, that football could be an option after high school.
He was tall and was equipped with a frame to put on the necessary size to play in the trenches on both sides of the ball.
Before playing a snap of varsity football his sophomore season, Crum made the claim that Gillam could be the areas next great tight end.
It was more than just the physical upside that made Gillam stand out.
In my 31 years of coaching, Crum said.
He might be the biggest football junkie Ive ever coached.
He loves the weight room so much that he has to be told to slow down his training and that taking a physical break from can be beneficial.
In the spring, Gillam plays rugby, which he said was one of the best things hes done to improve.
It helped his conditioning, ball carrying and physicality.
And in the spring, when Crum holds Quarterback U sessions where he goes over the Xs and Os on the white board with the teams quarterback, Gillam is there often leading the sessions.
The more work you put in, the more you get out of it, and you can see it, Gillam said.
The work shows, which is big for me.
Its satisfying.
I love the technicality, and how much you can work on the little specific details.
It kind of maximizes what you could do.
Aiming for a state title Theres a little different vibe going into his senior season than previous ones for Gillam.
One one hand, there is no longer the weight on not knowing if and where he is playing college football.
That has been settled.
But now there is the pressure to not only play well, but play well and make another run at a state championship game.
Now that Im committed I could have no receptions, no tackles, whatever, I just want to win, Gillam said.
Im just hoping we could win a state championship this year.
I dont really care about personal stats as much.
I obviously want to play good, and hopefully be the best leader I could be.