Former 4-star receiver D'Vario Montgomery joins the Cyclones

By Rob Gray

 Correspondent

The next chapter in highly-touted recruit, turned transfer, D'Vario Montgomery's life begins at 3 p.m. Thursday, in a Florida airport.

That's when Montgomery, the newest Iowa State Cyclone football player, boards a flight for Ames.

“I haven't even made it to Iowa yet,” the former South Florida Bull and Rivals.com 4-star wide receiver told the Gazette Wednesday.

He'll meet up with his former quarterback after arrival.

Montgomery used to catch passes from ISU starter Sam Richardson in high school.

That quarterback-wideout bond, he said, was a factor - but not the only one - in his decision to transfer to the Cyclones' program.

“Oh, yeah, we've talked about it a couple times,” Montgomery said. “Just getting everything done and I should be in Ames tomorrow.”

Montgomery (6-5, 200) will attend classes this season while redshirting, then will be eligible in 2014.

He'll have three seasons of eligibility remaining.

He played sparingly with USF  - in part because of injury issues - as a true freshman last season, recording six catches for 65 yards.

In his last two seasons of high school ball, Montgomery totaled 96 catches for 1,662 yards and 21 touchdowns.

One of those seasons, Richardson was throwing him the ball.

In that season alone (Richardson was a senior, Montgomery a junior), according to ISU's release on Montgomery, the duo connected for 1,100 yards and 15 touchdowns.

“It's a fresh new start and I am excited to get there with Sam to finish up the chemistry we had in high school,” Montgomery said in the release. “This is a once in a lifetime thing and a blessing. It's something I had to take a chance on because he is my quarterback.”

Montgomery's addition would make a once-thin position an area of strength.

One of the nation's top prep receivers, Allen Lazard of Urbandale, is committed to the Class of 2014.

Current players such as Quenton Bundrage (sophomore), Dondre Daley (freshman) and P.J. Harris (freshman) could be coming into their own.

Bundrage, Daley and Harris are from Florida.

Coincidence?

Nope.

“They've landed a couple of guys that pretty much were big-time playmakers,” said Montgomery, who also was offered by ISU, among dozens of other schools, including Alabama, out of high school. “I'm just hoping to be one of those guys.”

Some time tomorrow evening, that journey continues when a plane touches down in central Iowa.

Or it begins.

It's sort of been a whirlwind for Montgomery.

“It's a quick turnaround for everything,” Montgomery said. “I'm just trying to keep a level head about everything.”