BOZEMAN — As the end to fall football camp rapidly approaches, with Week 0 starting next week for Montana State, it's time to look at the defensive backs.
The Bobcats have had a couple key players return from injury and a group of seniors who hope to make this season count more than ever.
"We got basically everyone back from last year, so just taking that next step forward," senior defensive back Rylan Ortt said. "We want to be the top group of the defense. I feel like we haven’t been that the past few years, so us, in taking that next step, being the people that the defense looks at to go make plays, flying around, and helping the team out."
Caden Dowler is set to make his return for the first time since tearing his ACL in Week 2 of last season.
"It was a long process for sure," he described of his recovery. "I felt like I was ready to go at four months. They pushed me to nine months. Our (physical therapist) does a really good job, so I just stuck with him, and he gave me workouts. We did stuff four days a week, and on top of workouts, just kind of kept with it."
Montana State head coach Brent Vigen said Dowler has stood out this fall camp, making serious strides since returning.
"He was poised to play at a rate that I think would have been pretty dang high last year," Vigen said. "So to see him back and playing that way and really playing both the nickel and the free (safety) right now, speaks to his intelligence, speaks to his ability."
When it comes to leadership within the position group, Dowler reflected on how Ortt leads the defense as a whole and recalled a game early in the Missoula native's career that showed he was poised to move into a big role with the Bobcats.
"He's the leader of not only our position group, but our defense," Dowler explained. "He just steps up whenever he needs (to). Going back to when he was, whatever he was, a freshman against South Dakota State in 2021, I was at that game. He stepped in at nickel and played his heart out."
That was a 31-17 FCS semifinal win versus SDSU to punch a ticket to the title game for Montana State.
Qualities of being that leader shined when Ortt was asked what he wants people to take from his journey.
"I hope they see that I was a good teammate, first and foremost," he said. "A guy who cares about the program. A guy that came in, put his head down and worked. You know, it wasn’t about me. It’s about doing what’s right for the program and what’s right for the team. Living up to the standard."
There has been an emphasis on leverage and tackling with the group this fall camp.
"We are always trying to play with leverage," Vigen said. "We’re always trying to play with the understanding of angles and taking the right angles. So much about tackling is being in the right place. And we can practice that every day in some fashion without taking guys to the ground.”
Jody Owens has returned to Bozeman this season as the safeties coach. He was inducted into the Montana State Hall of Fame in 2023 for his standout career as a linebacker from 2008-12. He eared unanimous first-team All-Big Sky and second-team All-America honors as a junior in 2011 and consensus All-America and Big Sky defensive player of the year honors as a senior.
He’s someone who has stressed leverage and, according to his players, takes a lot of pride in coaching his alma mater.
"This program obviously means a lot to him, and that shows in the way he coaches and the way he prepares and the way he puts his effort into us, so he’s been really good. I’m excited for this season," Ortt said.
For the cornerbacks, senior Simeon Woodard stressed the depth their room hopes to bring to the field this season.
"I think we’re extremely deep right now, deeper than we’ve ever been," he said. "In the past, we’ve maybe had ... three guys healthy, four, five, but two were down, so we were never really deep like this."
Fellow senior cornerback Jon Johnson made an instant impact with the Bobcats last season after transferring in from El Camino College. Vigen noted the strides he’s already made this fall camp, combined with the experience last year provided, should be a formula for a solid senior campaign.
"I know at the corner position, Jon Johnson, coming into year two in our program, I think Jon had a really good year last year," Vigen said. "You know, you see his continued maturity and understanding of all the things we’re trying to do."
Woodard also shed light on the younger standouts in the cornerback room.
"Andrew Powdrell was a true freshman last year and got great minutes," he said. "I’m really excited to see Jhase (McMilan) out of the freshmen. He’s another Texas guy, like myself, so I might be a little biased, but I think he has a lot of the intangibles to be a great athlete, as well."
