Ex-Husky WR Alexander Makes Triumphant Return

The transfer shares in stunning Montana State upset of New Mexico.

Lonyatta Alexander Jr., right, celebrates with Sam Huard during 2022 UW spring football. / Skylar Lin Visuals

Montana State football was well worth the wait for Lonyatta Alexander Jr.

Forced to sit out last season as a double transfer from the University of Washington and Arizona State by the NCAA, the wide receiver made his debut for his Big Sky team a memorable one by playing a crucial role late in the Bobcats' resounding 35-31 comeback victory over New Mexico in Albuquerque.

On Saturday, the 6-foot-3, 210-pound Alexander from Auburn, Washington, caught 3 passes on the final drive -- including a 37-yarder with 1:28 left to play to put his team on the New Mexico 31 -- to enable Montana State to come all the way back from a 17-point deficit and pull a shocking upset.

Alexander was part of the Kennedy High School football powerhouse in South Seattle before spending his freshman year at ASU and playing just the 2022 season for the Huskies and Kalen DeBoer. He appeared in 11 games before entering the transfer portal prior to the UW facing Texas in the 2022 Alamo Bowl, and he left after catching a solitary pass for 9 yards that season.

Montana State seemed like a good rebound destination, where Alexander would become teammates with defensiive tackle Sebastian Valdez, who ironically is now a Husky starter for his final season of college football.

A year ago, Alexander ran into the same transfer obstacles that forced UW edge rusher Zach Durfee to sit out the Huskies' first 13 games last season before the defender played briefly in the Sugar Bowl against Texas in New Orleans. Durfee attended North Dakota State and Sioux Falls before transferring to the UW.

The NCAA since has rescinded that rule, enabling double transfers to play right away and restoring eligibility to those such as Alexander and Durfee who sat out.

In his Montana State unveiling, Alexander had a relatively quiet first three quarters similar to his team, which fell behind 31-14 early in the third quarter.

However, the Bobcats came roaring back with three fourth-quarter touchdowns to spoil the Lobos coaching debut for Bronco Mendenhall, who previously had coached BYU and Virginia and whose arrival had created a lot of excitement in New Mexico.

Montana State pulled within 31-28 after Adam Jones broke a 93-yard touchdown run and won when Scottre Humphrey scored on a 4-yard run with just 10 seconds left to play

Alexander finished with 5 catches for 58 yards, again 3 coming on the final drive that covered 89 yards in 11 plays.

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