An ex-Indiana baseball recruit, Montgomery learns lesson in Hoosier football's title run

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Let’s talk about Colson Montgomery. Let’s also talk about Indiana University football.

Yes, Montgomery once played quarterback and he would have gone to Indiana to play baseball if he wasn’t selected in the first round of the 2021 Draft by the White Sox. But this tale is not about any sort of regret.

“I’m in the right sport,” a smiling Montgomery told MLB.com during a recent interview.

Montgomery serves as the White Sox shortstop, coming off a 2025 rookie campaign where he launched 21 home runs in 71 games after his debut on July 4. He also played stellar defense in adding to his power profile.

But alongside his South Side strength is Montgomery’s undeniable Hoosier pride, with the state of Indiana being where he was a basketball and baseball star for Southridge High School in the city of Huntingburg.

Indiana entered the 2024 season as the losingest program in NCAA football history, only to post a 27-2 record over the next two campaigns, including a 16-0 run to their first-ever national championship this past year. Montgomery was figuratively along for the ride, watching coach Curt Cignetti’s team in-person on a couple of occasions, and viewing the title victory over Miami with friends.

That Indiana football ascension from failure to fortitude taught Montgomery an important lesson.

“You never know what can happen if you have the right group of guys and get good coaching and play good at the right time,” Montgomery said. “They were ranked 23rd or something to start the year.”

Forget the start of the year. They were rarely, if ever in the picture for .500, let alone the College Football Playoffs.

“Oh my god. So bad,” Montgomery said. “The only times I would go to Indiana football is if they played Ohio State or Michigan, those big games.

“Now, it was just crazy to see what they did in the postseason and the regular season. It was awesome … All it takes is one year playing good.”

Parallels can be drawn from Indiana football to Montgomery as an individual, based on the shortstop’s interesting ’25 season. The left-handed hitter went from a late April reset in Arizona after massive struggles with Triple-A Charlotte, to finishing fifth in the AL Rookie of the Year balloting.

Now, he’s a leader on an up-and-coming young team, checking in at No. 88 on MLB Network’s Top 100 players for the 2026 season. Montgomery won’t allow himself to buy into the hype, just as his confidence never wavered during the tougher times.

Staying off social media becomes one way for Montgomery to avoid both ends of public opinion.

“I blocked my name on social media so I couldn’t see what people were saying, good or bad,” Montgomery said. “I felt like it kept me so engaged and locked into what I wanted to do each day.”

There was no blocking of his dad, TJ, on X or Instagram, although he doesn’t want strong parental support to turn into any sort of social media disagreement.

“We’ve had conversations, and I’ve told him, ‘Dad even if I’m 4 for 4, people will have something to say all the time.’ It’s just what people do,” Montgomery said. “They enjoy that stuff and he’s my dad so he’s protective and proud of me.

“He’s fine with all that. It’s just like anybody with their kids.”

Montgomery comes from an athletic family, with his two brothers and two sisters also playing sports. When asked for the best of the family, Montgomery smiled and said, “You know who’s the best one. The one you watch every day.”

That football rise for Indiana resulted in a playoff loss to Notre Dame two seasons ago, so there’s always work to do to be the best. Montgomery understands that point, focusing on situational hitting while sticking to his plan and preparation and doing what the game tells him in helping the White Sox.

Those around Montgomery see a young man who has matured, a player who won’t allow the expected extended missteps to deter his championship focus.

“When I saw Colson in August last year in Chicago, when I came through, it was a poor performance, didn’t get a hit, not a great game,” White Sox director of hitting Ryan Fuller said. “But the next day, it was the same exact guy. The work he put in was at a really high level with intent, and you knew there was no questioning his work or what he was capable of doing.

“It was: One bad game doesn’t mean I have to go back and reinvent everything. One bad game just means recommit to the process … What we are not going to see on the scoreboard, it’s what I’m really looking for. It’s going to be consistent habits and behaviors every day.”