Can a Memorable Play Jump-Start Recruiting for Rising 2017 RB Isaiah Montanez?

Before May 17, Isaiah Montanez was just another young football player working to become a household name. He was known around Golden Valley High School in Merced, California, but when he stepped outside of his school zone, he was just another kid.

Even at May 17's The Opening Oakland Regional, he originally was viewed as one of the hundreds of athletes who showed up at San Leandro, California's Pacific Sports Complex. No fanfare or pre-combine dramatics followed. He wasn't even a preregistered athlete; Montanez was a walk-up entry to the event—and his last name was accidentally misspelled "Martanez."

Like most young football players, Montanez wants to play the sport he loves in college. And he wants to go to school for free by way of a football scholarship.

Perhaps the move he made during a "Cat and Mouse" drill at The Opening will be his first step to achieving that goal. The recruiting world quickly found out who Montanez was with a video game-like juke in the drill that became the most talked-about topic of the event.

The move hit social media and was retweeted hundreds of times via Twitter. Nearly two weeks later, it still receives plenty of attention.

"I thought I was going out just to be in the combine. I mean, a lot of people don't know me," Montanez said. "I thought I'd just go there, do the combine and leave. Now I have people looking at me and scouts looking at me. It's crazy."

In Cat and Mouse, a running back and a linebacker are separated by roughly 15 yards. A running back takes the ball on a handoff and looks to evade a linebacker before he is touched. It's a drill that tests a running back's elusiveness, a linebacker's anticipation and the vision of both players.

Montanez's efforts proved to be bigger than just another highlight move at a combine. In a friendly contest between running backs and receivers, his move broke a 3-3 tie and gave the running backs a victory—one that finished with the linebackers doing pushups, as the members of the losing team did 25 each.

The move also was capped with a super-athletic Montanez backflip. It was the perfect ending for a great play. It made for even better film considering he was battling a mild ankle sprain.

"The spin was out of reaction. I mean, you're pumped, and your heart is beating so fast," Montanez said. "My backflip, I didn't want it to be arrogant, but that was the icing on the cake. It just felt unreal."

It may have been the move of the year regarding the spring camps and combines circuit. And it was captured by many. From multiple angles. The play even made "SportsCenter's Top 10" on ESPN.

Within hours, Montanez, the 5'8½", 171-pound running back with zero offers, was the guy everyone wanted to talk about. Now he's hoping that one play spearheads efforts to get him more attention with college coaches.

As a sophomore, Montanez received minimal recruiting looks. He only rushed for 495 yards for Golden Valley, and his team going winless last season didn't help bring out the college coaches.

The combine circuit, however, could be the gateway to additional college interest. He's hoping the interest will soon turn into multiple offers.

"[The Opening] was my first time doing anything like that," Montanez said. "I've never done a laser [40-yard dash], the power ball [toss], none of that; it was all new to me. But now I know what it's all about.

"And I now know I have to train. Train, train, train, train, train and then train some more. I've got to catch some of those other running backs."

Credit: Isaiah Montanez

In-state names like 4-star Damian Alloway, USC commit Melquise Stovall and Washington pledge Sean McGrew aren't foreign to Montanez. The 2016 backs are players to shoot for—and he still has time. Currently, Montanez said he has only received low interest from Fresno State and Arizona. He said he will take in a camp there next month, as well as a June camp at Utah.

Still somewhat new to organized football, Montanez said he first played in pads in the eighth grade, which means he just finished up his third season. He's a reliable running back, but he also played in the secondary and at linebacker for Golden Valley. Montanez said he played linebacker last season out of team necessity.

Along with his elusiveness, Montanez relies on his speed and athleticism on the field. He said his best 40 time was 4.46 seconds, and he showcased a 34-inch vertical jump at The Opening.

On the field, he was a two-way varsity starter for Golden Valley as a sophomore and is expecting to take on more of a leadership role in his final two years of high school. But what's it going to take for Montanez to receive additional interest from colleges?

He said he's relying on past advice from his coaches and parents: staying humble and "being a sponge." He's also going to use the moment of how he felt after the now-famous juke.

It was an adrenaline rush he said he'd never forget—and one that will be a motivator for the future.

"When I had the ball in my hands [at The Opening], I thought that was my chance; that was my time," Montanez said. "Thinking forward. I have to be on my toes. I know what I want, and I have to work really hard now and be that guy all the time."

Damon Sayles is a national recruiting analyst for Bleacher Report. All quotes were obtained firsthand. All player ratings are courtesy of 247Sports' composite ratings. Follow Damon via Twitter: @DamonSayles