"I thought it was best to leave and take a shot at getting a chance to play somewhere at the D-I or (FCS) level," Lee said. "I knew I was capable."

Lee, who grew up with Jamar, the former Griz hoops standout who played in Missoula from 2010-14, will add depth to a Montana backfield that was riddled with injuries in the spring.

Projected starter Jeremy Calhoun, a junior, missed all of spring drills while recovering from an offseason surgery and sophomore Cody McCombs missed large chunks of time with his own injury. Meanwhile, senior Treshawn Favors proved inconsistent carrying the bulk of the load along with redshirt freshman Rey Green.

"(Calhoun) is their main guy but (the coaches) want me to come in and push him and myself, push to either take reps from him or help him be better," Lee said.

Lee is a physical force crammed into a compact package and though his speed and evasiveness are his primary weapons, he can still deliver a hit. He added more than 30 pounds of muscle to his high school playing weight which, combined with a low center of gravity, can make for a very difficult out.

"I told the coaches there's times I feel like I can let a defensive player know I'm here, dip my shoulder," Lee began, "but I like to be shifty, make a person miss. I can do either or."