BOZEMAN — There aren't too many surprises on Montana State's season-opening football depth chart, which was released this week ahead of the Bobcats' first game Saturday at Utah Tech.
The usual suspects are in their rightful places at the offensive skill positions for the defending national champions: Justin Lamson as the No. 1 quarterback, Adam Jones as the top running back and Taco Dowler at the "H" receiver position.
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Elsewhere on offense, Dane Steel occupies the "Z" receiver spot and Rocky Lencioni is listed as the No. 1 tight end.
The offensive line, meanwhile, is anchored by left tackle Braden Zimmer, left guard Burke Mastel and right tackle Titan Fleischmann, all three of whom were major factors in the Bobcats' offensive success a year ago.
The other starters listed on the offensive line are center Aiden Kaplan and right guard Everett Carr. The other starting receiver spot is taken up by Jordan Reed, who transitioned from quarterback to wideout in the spring of 2025.
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On defense, Zac Crews is listed as the No. 1 rush end while Bryce Grebe and Cole Taylor are the top linebackers in MSU's 4-2-5 base alignment.
The secondary, a position at which the Bobcats had to replace several departures, looks different. Returning Big Sky Conference defensive player of the year Caden Dowler commands the strong safety position while veteran fixtures Tayden Gray at nickel and Takhari Carr at cornerback are also featured at the top of their positions.
Tim Thomas occupies the other top cornerback spot and Bryant Meredith has slid into the No. 1 free safety role for opening week.
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Up front, Dom Solano is listed as the No. 1 defensive end. Zack Black at tackle and Talon Marsh at nose are named No. 1 at their respective positions.
Special teams are filled with familiar faces. Myles Sansted is again handling placekicking and Colby Frokjer is the team's punter and placeholder. Long-snapping duties belong to returner Brody Johnson. Taco Dowler is again taking on punt return responsibilities while Jabez Woods is named as the No. 1 kickoff return specialist.
Montana State is set to open defense of its FCS national championship on Saturday on the road at Utah Tech. Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. and the game will be broadcast by Scripps Sports on MTN — The Spot statewide.
