Montana Tech landed a big-time transfer Sunday as Quinn McQueary, a four-time All-State quarterback at Manhattan, signed to play for the Orediggers.

McQueary transfers to Tech after two years at Montana State University. He said he signed a letter of intent on Sunday.

The offensive MVP of the 2013 Montana East-West Shrine Game in Butte, McQueary will enroll at Montana Tech for the spring semester. He’ll compete in spring drills and be a sophomore for the Orediggers next fall.

Oredigger coach Chuck Morrell confirmed the signing Sunday, but didn’t elaborate on the move. The Orediggers don’t typically announce the addition of transfer players.

“I’m really excited,” McQueary said Sunday night. “I know they’re happy, and I’m happy too. I’m excited to see what we can do.”

At Manhattan High School, the 6-foot-3, 180-pound McQueary passed for 4,719 yards to lead the Tigers to a 26-10 record as starting quarterback. He also rushed for 1,314 yards on 320 carries.

The first-cousin of former Orediggers Cal and Clay McQueary, Quinn McQueary was named to the Great Falls Tribune’s Superstate team as a senior. He also earned All-State honors at defensive back.

After being recruited by MSU and the University of Montana — both schools offered him a full-ride scholarship — McQueary committed to the Bobcats in November 2012.

“He throws a good deep ball with a nice touch,” MSU head coach Rob Ash said when McQueary officially signed with the Bobcats in February 2013. “I think Quinn is one of the best athletes in the Class of 2013 in the state of Montana.”

McQueary competed for the starting quarterback job at MSU this fall until Ash eventually picked Dakota Prukop, a sophomore, as his starter.

McQueary redshirted in 2013, when he was named the team’s top offensive scout of the 2013 season and the defensive scout of the week twice, He played in six games for the Bobcats during the 2014 playoff run.

He completed 4 of 5 passes for 27 yards. He played against the University of Montana in Missoula, completing 2 of 3 passes for 16 yards.

McQueary said he didn’t feel he got the opportunity he deserved in Bozeman.

“I thought I should have gotten my opportunity early in the Montana game, and I thought I was going to get the start in the playoff game,” McQueary said. “I took every practice rep before the playoff game, then they told me 10 minutes before the game that I wasn’t starting.”

McQueary, who will study occupational safety and health at Montana Tech, said the only other school he considered transferring to was Montana Western. Had he transferred to another NCAA school, he would have had to sit out a season.

“I feel privileged to come down there and get a chance to play,” McQueary said. “I know nothing is given. I’m going to have to work for it.”

The Orediggers struggled to a 1-9 season in 2014. Helena freshman Dawson Reardon, who split time with McQueary in the Shrine game, took over as the Tech starting quarterback late in the season.

“They kind of had a rough season last year,” McQueary said of the Orediggers, “but they pretty much were in every game.”

The quarterback praised the talent already in place at Montana Tech.

“They’ve got lots of talent,” McQueary said. “I know they had a great recruiting class when I was a senior. I played with a lot of those guys in the Shrine Game.”

McQueary is the son of Dale and Chris McQueary, who now live in Deer Lodge.