Someone pointed out to Montana State coach Brent Vigen, during the Big Sky Conference Football Kickoff, that just five of the 24 players present for interviews were all-Big Sky players in 2024.

The transfer portal does take a bite. 

One of MSU’s representatives, defensive end Kenneth Eiden IV, was honorable mention last fall. The other Bobcat present, JT Reed, was third-team all-Big Sky at guard. ... in 2022. 

Injuries kept him out of all but one game in 2023, and the MSU graduate — he walked in May — played in 11 games for last year’s Bobcats, who got to the FCS title game unbeaten before falling to North Dakota State.  

Monday in Spokane, Reed still wore the cowboy hat he was given upon MSU’s arrival in Frisco, Texas. It fits, and it isn’t just for show: The San Jose native spent these past three summers working on a ranch near Bozeman.  

Reed is also a key returnee on an offensive line that lost Marcus Wehr, Cole Sain and Justus Perkins to graduation and Conner Moore to Michigan State. Those are big losses, but it’s worth noting that after the 2023 season the Cats had to retool after Rush Reimer and Omar Aigbedlion hit the portal. 

If you figured MSU’s offensive line was going to take a step back last season, you were wrong. 

“We’ve had three guys go to Power-4 programs and our standards have not changed,” Vigen said. “That’s our expectation this year. We lost two All-Americans and one to the Big 10, and I really expect our line to be better this year.” 

So it falls to Reed, preseason all-league pick Titan Fleischmann and a cast that includes Burke Mastel, Cedric Jefferson and Everett Carr to stay on task in front of preseason offensive MVP Adam Jones. 

“It’s really about how well we can play together,” Reed said. “It’s a real brotherhood on the O-line. I think we do a good job of mixing in the young guys and having that next man up mentality.” 

Aside from Reed, they are all young guys: The aforementioned linemen were underclassmen in 2024. 

We’re not sure who will take over for Tommy Mellott — “It might take four or five guys to fill those shoes,” Eiden cracked — but the cupboard isn’t exactly bare with holdover QBs Chance Wilson and Patrick Duchein and newcomer River Warren in the mix.  

Jones and receiver Taco Dowler can make any signal caller’s job easier, and Jacob Trimble stood out at receiver in MSU’s spring scrimmage. 

Players, some of them generational, change. Any good program strives to stay level. The Bobcats have at least one constant. 

“We’re expected to run the damned ball and expected to protect the quarterback,” Reed said, smiling. “Just like every year.” 

Fritz Neighbor can be reached at 758-4463 or at [email protected].