BOZEMAN — Montana State’s 2026 football team elected a slate of six captains Wednesday, tapping into the leadership group that helped the Bobcats win the 2025 FCS national championship while making history by honoring a set of brothers in the same season for the first time.
Second-year team captains Caden Dowler (safety, Billings), Titan Fleischmann (offensive lineman, Pocatello, Idaho) and Adam Jones (running back, Missoula) return to that role to provide seasoned leadership on both sides of the line of scrimmage. They are joined by first-time captains Zac Crews (defensive end, Missoula), Taco Dowler (receiver/punt returner, Billings) and Justin Lamson (quarterback, El Dorado Hills, Calif.).
“We are very fortunate to return such an experienced group of leaders,” said MSU coach Brent Vigen. “Not too often do you have three returning captains like we do this year but also three others that were in prominent leadership roles in their own right.
“This group exemplifies what we are all about as a football program and will accept this important role and I know they will perform it to the very best of their ability.”
Caden Dowler, Fleischmann and Jones each captained the Cats a season ago, giving this group the most representation from a reigning national title team in program history. They become the 19th players to serve as captains in multiple seasons, dating back to Fred Ervin from 1900-02.
This year’s captains also comprise one of the most decorated groups in program history.
Fleischmann owns three conference championship rings and is a two-time All-America. Taco and Caden Dowler, have also played on three Big Sky title teams, with Caden earning Big Sky defensive player of the year and consensus All-America honors in 2025, and Taco earning All-America honors twice. Jones is a returning All-American, while Crews landed all-league honors a season ago.
All six earned preseason All-America mentions.
Caden and Taco Dowler become the fifth set of brothers elected captain of the Bobcats, the first to serve in the same season. They join Mitch and Paul Brott, Bobby and Brad Daly (whose father J. was also a team captain), Van and Joe Dobeus (although Joe was ruled ineligible before his senior season in 1928) and Joe and Caleb Schreibeis.
Caden and Taco Dowler joina large group from Billings to be elected captain, which includes current MSU assistant coach Nolan Askelson and Bobcat legends Kane Ioane and Max Worthington.
Crews is the seventh team captain from Missoula, a legacy that dates to Jay Duquette in 1916 and which includes Joe Roberts of the 1984 national championship team and Crews’ former teammate Rylan Ortt.
California has now produced a dozen Bobcat captains, including Kevin Kassis, who like Lamson is from Oak Ridge High School in El Dorado. Fleischmann joins Jordan Craney as MSU captains from Pocatello. Lamson is the 24th transfer to serve as captain at Montana State.
