4-star WR Gatlin Bair commits to Boise State: 'Growing the brand of the state is a big thing for me'

Burley (Idaho) four-star wide receiver Gatlin Bair has nearly every major college program in the country recruiting him even though he won’t be able to play until 2026. Bair is set to take a two-year mission trip starting early next year and will return ready to start school January 2026.

When he comes back, Bair won’t be traveling far to play college football. On Friday night Bair announced his commitment to Boise State choosing the Broncos over Michigan in a battle that came down to the final days.

“It’s been a back-and-forth battle since after my Michigan visit,” Bair said. “I got to the point where it was between those two. It could have gone either way but honestly Boise State gave me every opportunity and showed me an in-depth plan on how I can achieve all of my dreams and goals on and off the field. I know I can have a really good life after football.”

Bair’s decision comes a the weekend after he took his final visit to Boise State. Having gone there several times throughout his recruitment, the 6-foot-2, 180-pound pass-catcher didn’t take an official to Boise during June. He did make sure they got his final summer visit though even if he knew already what he was going to get there.

The Broncos being in his final two was something Bair knew was always going to happen. Prior to his Michigan official visit, it was Oregon that the other team in that mix. However, the Wolverines bumped the Ducks out and even led at points over the last few weeks.

In the end though, returning to play his home state was something Bair couldn’t pass up.

I hadn’t really thought about it until recently but being able to put on for your state and growing the brand of the state is a big thing for me,” said Bair, the No. 39 player in the 2024 class. “Being able to do something bigger than myself was a big draw for me.

Coaching and life outside of football also drew Bair to Boise

Growing up two and a half hours away from Boise, Bair noted that the campus felt like a home away from home to him. A major factor in that was his relationship with the Broncos coaching staff.

I love every single coach on that staff and there’s not a single coach I haven’t talked to and not one I dislike in any single way,” Bair said.

Being in Boise, Bair said nothing about the city feels foreign to him. He’s been to the schools six or seven times as a recruit and said that he feels safe on every trip.

On top of that, he recognizes that the school gives him opportunities at home that no other school in the country can give him.

“When it’s all said and done, I’m going to build so many connections in the state and the Boise Valley that I’ll be able to come back to when I’m done playing regardless of how my career turns out,” Bair said. “Those connections you can make, you can’t put a value on those.”