2026 FCS Football Spring Preview: Montana State Bobcats

As spring practice starts for FCS programs across the country, there's no better time to launch our all-new Spring Football Preview for some of the top teams in FCS football.

In this series, we will take a quick look at where the top teams in the FCS stand entering spring practice. This will allow us to take a snapshot of the roster, key returning starters, potential breakout players, and discuss the biggest storylines for each team entering spring practice.

We start with the defending national champions in Bozeman as Montana State begins its quest to win back-to-back national titles under head coach Brent Vigen.

Positional Battles To Watch

Defensive Tackle

The Bobcats lose two key starters from last year's unit, including All-American defensive tackle Paul Brott. Neither Brott nor Alec Eckert's impact can truly be measured by the box score, but their presence was felt in the run game, and they afforded the talented edge rusher some 1-on-1 opportunities in passing situations.

Luckily, the Bobcats did an excellent job of rotating bodies along the defensive line, which allowed their rotational players to get plenty of snaps. Talon Marsh and Zack Black each played over 250 snaps last year, making them the favorites to step into a starting role in 2026. The bigger question may be which of the younger guys emerges as the new rotational players. Keep an eye on redshirt freshman Josaiah Asuega, who has excellent size at 6-4, 305, and could be a force on the interior.

Cornerback

Montana State will have to replace multiple starters at cornerback, making it the biggest question on the roster entering 2026. Takhari Carr is the most experienced returner at corner, playing 411 snaps last year, finishing with 30 tackles, 1 INT, and 4 pass breakups.

The Bobcats only added one notable transfer this offseason, which was Arizona cornerback Gianni Edwards. He's a former 3-star prospect out of Forney, TX, possessing a ton of upside, but did not see any action for the Wildcats last year as a true freshman. Another name to watch could be Kory Boyd, who played nearly 100 snaps in limited action last year. He's entering his 3rd year in the program and could be in line for a much bigger role in 2026.

An interesting option could be moving one of the safeties to cornerback. I have my eye on Tayden Gray, who was the starting nickel last year, but played 550 snaps in the slot, which could make him an intriguing option to make the move to corner. It's only a possibility because the Bobcats have so much experience at safety with the return of Caden Dowler, Bryant Meredith, Colter Petre, and JJ Dolan.

Backup Running Back

There's no question that Adam Jones is going to be the feature back next season. He's coming off another 1,000-yard season and is already regarded as one of the top running backs in the entire FCS. The bigger question is who will step into the No. 2 spot in the running back room?

The two best options may be Colson Coon and Jared White, both of whom have seen some rotational action over the past two years.

White exploded onto the scene as a redshirt freshman with over 500 rushing yards, but his role has decreased after Davis and Jones emerged as the top options. Coon has rushed for 600+ yards over the past two seasons and was a two-time Wyoming Gatorade Player of the Year coming out of high school.

Potential Breakout Players

Rocky Lencioni (TE)

The Bobcats have one of the best tight end rooms in the FCS, but Lencioni made a strong impression as a redshirt freshman. He finished 2nd on the team with 6 receiving touchdowns, while posting 206 receiving yards on 19 catches. He caught nearly 90% of all his targets last season, which could signal that he's due for an even bigger role as a receiving threat for the Bobcats in 2026.

Jabez Woods (WR)

Taco Dowler and Dane Steel are going to be the featured receivers for the Bobcats next season, but who will be the No. 3 option? There's a strong chance that Woods could thrive in a bigger role after a solid freshman campaign. He finished with 24 receptions for 378 receiving yards and two touchdowns, adding another 554 kick return yards on special teams. I expect Woods to take another step in 2026, becoming a bigger threat at receiver, while maintaining his special teams value.

Zac Crews (DE)

Crews has been an important rotational piece for the Bobcats, but now it's time for him to step into a superstar role after Kenneth Eiden IV's departure. He ranked 2nd behind Eiden in pressures last season, while recording 38 tackles, 8.5 TFLs, 6 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles. In my opinion, Crews enters the season as the most dangerous pass rusher on Montana State's defense. At 6-4, 240 lbs, he has the perfect frame to develop into one of the best edge rushers in the Big Sky.

Xavier Ahrens (LB)

Linebacker will be a very crowded position next season as Montana State returns four players who played over 250 snaps last year. Regardless, I believe Ahrens will earn plenty of playing time after an impressive true freshman campaign. He finished with 37 tackles, 2.5 TFLs, and 1 forced fumble in only 254 snaps. Due to his athletic upside, Ahrens should see an expanded role in passing situations after recording the 3rd-highest coverage grade among Montana State linebackers in 2026.

Five Most Important Returners

Justin Lamson (QB)

Were there any questions about who was going to be the first player in this section? Lamson put together a masterful season in 2025, finishing with 3,172 passing yards, 26 passing touchdowns, 3 INTs, 734 rushing yards, and 16 rushing touchdowns. He was efficient, clutch, and emerged as a true leader for the Bobcats during their playoff run last season.

As head coach Brent Vigen noted, Lamson didn't have the chance to participate in spring practice before last year. Having a full season under his belt, along with added development through spring, should only increase his ceiling next year. The expectations are high for Lamson, but he faced plenty of pressure last year and didn't flinch in the biggest moments.

Adam Jones (RB)

Jones has been one of the most consistent running backs in the FCS the past two years. There was no "Sophomore Slump" after his Freshman All-American season, as he delivered another 1,000-yard season. He's also dangerous out of the backfield as a receiving threat, posting over 300 receiving yards last year. Jones led the Bobcats in runs of 15 or more yards (19) and breakaway runs (47.9%), making him one of the most explosive weapons for this offense.

With the departure of Julius Davis, Jones will assume the feature back role for the Bobcats. Jones received 42.7% of the carries among running backs last year, but I would expect that could increase over 50% depending on the depth in the running back room in 2026. With Jones averaging over 6.0 yards per carry, the increased workload should lead to another All-American campaign in Bozeman.

Taco Dowler (WR)

There may not have been a hotter player in college football than Taco Dowler at the end of last season. His 87-yard touchdown on 3rd & 20 against Montana will go down as one of the greatest plays in program history, only to possibly be outdone by his game-winning touchdown in overtime of the FCS National Championship game. He is the perfect representation of a big-time player making plays in the biggest moments.

Dowler finished last season with a career-high 1,025 receiving yards and has led the Bobcats in receiving in back-to-back years. His return gives Lamson a true No. 1 option, and their chemistry should be even better with another offseason together. Dowler's upside as a special teams weapon increases his value even more, making him one of the most impactful players in the entire FCS.

Caden Dowler (S)

After battling injuries throughout his career, Dowler finally showed what his true ceiling was with a breakout year for the Bobcats. He ended the year with 91 tackles, 6.5 TFLs, and 6 INTs, which led to him being named the Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year and a consensus FCS All-American.

Dowler's return only reinforces a defensive backfield that has plenty of experience at the safety spot. On top of Dowler, Tayden Gray, Bryant Meredith, and Colter Petre all return after playing 300 or more snaps last year. He was voted a team captain last season and is projected to be a key leader for an extremely talented Montana State defense in 2026.

Braden Zimmer (OL)

Zimmer was arguably the best freshman offensive lineman in the FCS last season. He started all 16 games at left tackle, only allowing 1 sack and 14 QB pressures in nearly 500 pass-blocking snaps. He also played a big role in one of the best rushing attacks in the nation. Zimmer is only scratching the surface of his potential and may be one of the best overall offensive linemen in the entire FCS entering next year.

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