| No. 14 – Montana State Bobcats | |
|---|---|
| Position | Wide receiver |
| Class | Junior |
| Personal information | |
| Born | June 28, 2003 [1] |
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) |
| Weight | 170 lb (77 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Billings West (Billings, Montana) |
| College | Montana State (2022–present) |
| Awards and highlights | |
| |
| Stats at ESPN | |
McLean "Taco" Dowler [2] (born June 28, 2003) [1] is an American college football wide receiver for the Montana State Bobcats. He is the twin brother of Caden Dowler, a defensive back for the Bobcats. [3]
Dowler attended Billings West High School, breaking numerous school records and being named the Montana Gatorade Player of the Year. [4] Dowler committed to Montana State in 2021 and began attending the university in 2022. On January 5, 2026, Dowler and the Montana State Bobcats won the 2026 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game 35–34 in overtime; in the game, Dowler had 8 receptions, 111 receiving yards, and the game-winning receiving touchdown in overtime.
Dowler has not confirmed exactly how he was given the nickname "Taco". Local media outlets suspect one of two stories: Dowler either supposedly earned the nickname "Taco" after a younger him was in a Taco Bell drive-thru with his family when he blurted out, "That's my name", or a young Dowler was sitting at a table one morning and simply stated, "My name is Taco", and then got angry at anyone who called him by McLean instead of Taco. [5]
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