Caden Dowler
American football player (born 2003)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Caden Andrew Dowler (born June 28, 2003)[1] is an American college football defensive back for the Montana State Bobcats.
| No. 5 – Montana State Bobcats | |
|---|---|
| Position | Defensive back |
| Class |  |
| Personal information | |
| Born | June 28, 2003[1] |
| Listed height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Listed weight | 205 lb (93 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Billings West (Billings, Montana) |
| College | Montana State (2022–present) |
| Awards and highlights | |
| |
| Stats at ESPN | |
Early life
Caden Andrew Dowler was born in 2003 to Justin and Michelle Dowler, along with his twin brother, McLean "Taco" Dowler.[2][3] Caden is older by one minute.[4] At age two, the twins were nicknamed "Burrito" and "Taco", though Caden's nickname only stuck "for like six months" while his brother's nickname carried on into adulthood:[3] "I couldn't stand when people called me that, so I switched back, and, you know, he just kept it."[5] According to Michelle, the twins "played like every single sport from the beginning of time."[6]
In his first season of youth football, Dowler was made a lineman because the coaches thought he was too slow.[7] He did not like football at first and played American Legion Baseball for the Billings Scarlets,[3][8] but he was convinced by his brother to play high school football.[7]
High school career
Dowler attended Billings West High School in Billings, Montana, where he earned nine varsity letters in football, basketball, and track and field.[9] He played quarterback as a freshman and cornerback as a sophomore.[10] Dowler then spent his final two years as a safety, wide receiver, long snapper and returner, helping the Golden Bears reach back-to-back Class AA state title games alongside his brother Taco.[10] As a senior in 2021, he recorded 848 all-purpose yards and 10 total touchdowns, along with 50 tackles, seven pass breakups, and three interceptions. Dowler was a first-team all-state honoree at safety and a second-team all-state honoree at wide receiver, as well as a first-team all-conference selection at both positions.[11] He was also selected to play in the 75th Montana East-West Shrine Game.[12]
Recruiting
Dowler was rated as a three-star recruit and the second-best player in the state of Montana in the class of 2022, according to 247Sports,[13] with Taco ranked as the third-best.[14] The brothers were both offered by Montana State University (MSU) after Billings West's state playoff semifinal win in 2020.[15] They later visited MSU for the Bobcats' Gold Rush game in 2021 against Drake, with each saying the trip "sealed the deal" for them.[16] Dowler verbally committed to playing college football at MSU on September 13, 2021, choosing to stay in his home state after also having received offers from Navy and Northern Colorado; Taco committed to MSU the same day.[16]
College career
Injury struggles: 2022–2024
After suffering a preseason injury, Dowler began his freshman year in 2022 as the fourth-string safety on the depth chart.[17] He recorded four tackles in eight games played,[11] mainly in a special teams role.[18] In 2023, Dowler underwent an intense offseason competition with senior Level Price, Jr. for the starting nickelback job following the graduation of Ty Okada.[19] The two were named co-starters at the position ahead of the team's season opener against Utah Tech.[20] Dowler recorded his first career interception in the subsequent 63–20 win over the Trailblazers.[21] However, he suffered a leg injury in their next game against South Dakota State, which he then re-aggravated in practice, causing him to be ruled out for the rest of the season.[22] The injury was later confirmed to be an ACL tear; Dowler finished with five tackles and one interception and received a redshirt for the 2023 season.[11][23] He was then moved to free safety ahead of the 2024 season due to injuries at the position.[11][24] Dowler started the first six games of the year at free safety and nickelback before suffering another ACL tear.[25][26] He finished the season with 12 tackles and one tackle for loss,[26] and the Bobcats reached the FCS national championship game.[27]
Breakout season: 2025
Dowler was elected a team captain by his teammates ahead of the 2025 season,[28] entering the campaign as the starting strong safety.[26] He was also the only defensive back on the roster with any previous starting experience.[26] MSU defensive coordinator Shawn Howe praised Dowler's leadership and communication skills, saying that having him on the team was "almost like having another hand on the coaching staff".[29] He posted a team-high 10 tackles in their season-opening loss to AP No. 7 Oregon.[30] Two weeks later, Dowler recorded his first career sack in a win over San Diego.[31] In November, he earned Big Sky defensive player of the week honors after tallying seven tackles, an interception, a forced fumble, and a pass breakup in a victory over Weber State.[32] Dowler was described by MSU head coach Brent Vigen as the "quarterback of the defense" after the game.[33] He repeated as Big Sky defensive player of the week the following week after he intercepted two passes, one of which he returned for 83 yards for a touchdown, to go with a forced fumble, a pass breakup, and a team-high 12 tackles in a win over UC Davis.[34] The following week, Dowler returned another interception for a touchdown in a 31–28 comeback win over Montana in the Brawl of the Wild, which clinched the Big Sky title for MSU; the play was described by 406 MT Sports as the "signature moment of [his] comeback campaign".[35] He became the first Bobcat to win a weekly conference award in three consecutive weeks,[36] and was also named the Stats Perform FCS national defensive player of the week.[37]
Dowler recorded an interception in back-to-back wins over Yale and Stephen F. Austin to open the FCS playoffs, marking his sixth interception in five games.[38] However, he suffered a wrist injury during MSU's semifinal win over Montana while tackling Grizzlies running back Eli Gillman, and did not return to the game.[39][40] Despite Dowler re-aggravating his injury in the FCS national championship game, the Bobcats went on to defeat Illinois State, 35–34, in overtime, marking the program's first national title since 1984.[41] He finished the season with 91 total tackles (6.5 tackles for loss), six interceptions, four pass breakups, two forced fumbles and a sack.[42] Dowler was named the Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year,[43] and was selected as a first-team FCS All-American by numerous publications.[44] He was also announced as a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award.[45]
