Fresh off an FCS championship, Montana State wide receiver Taco Dowler wanted to at least ask for a big opportunity.
Dowler posted an NIL request for Taco Bell via X.com on early Tuesday morning, where he wrote “@tacobell NIL?” just hours after the Bobcats’ thrilling 35-34 overtime win over Illinois State in Nashville. While his first name by birth is McLean, Dowler has been going by Taco for years, and he caught the 14-yard, game-tying touchdown that set up the go-ahead extra point in overtime.
“Taco was wide open,” Bobcats quarterback Justin Lamson told reporters afterward. “I got hit, so I just kind of gave him a chance, and the rest is history and Myles (Sansted) did his thing. It was a great play call. Taco and I just did what we were supposed to do.”
If Taco Bell worked with Dowler on an NIL deal, it wouldn’t be the first time for a college student athlete. Colorado has a major deal with Taco Bell, and individual student athletes involved with Taco Bell include Penn State’s Beau Bartlett, UCLA’s Dominique Darius, and North Carolina’s Alyssa Ustby.
Dowler had a dynamic junior season with 77 receptions for 1,025 yards and seven touchdowns. He also had 125 yards rushing and a touchdown, which came on a 22-yard jet sweep in the title game.
Overall, Dowler has 130 receptions for 1,873 yards and 18 touchdown receptions in his career.
How the Taco Name Started
Dowler deflected any discussion about his chosen name after the championship game, and he generally hasn’t elaborated on it in the past.
According to 406MTSports, the story goes “young McLean was in a Taco Bell drive-thru with his family when he spotted the sign and blurted out, ‘That’s my name.'” Dowler’s twin brother and Bobcats teammate, Caden, has been more open on the name.
“He just decided one day that he was named Taco, and I decided that I was named Burrito, and I was that for a little bit,” Caden told NBC Montana in October 2025. “I couldn’t stand when people called me that, so I switched back, and, you know, he just kept it. I don’t know. He’s stubborn enough that he just kept it, and it ended up on yearbooks and articles and everything.”
Taco Dowler Makes an Admission on the Title Run
Taco Dowler has been on the field for the Bobcats since 2022, and he knows too well how hard-earned this championship was. He played for the 2024 team, which fell short in the FCS Championship against North Dakota State.
“If you followed our season, it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows. It was rocky at times,” Dowler said. “We had a blue-collar mentality. And breathing — we do breathing exercises to be calm.”
Montana State overcame an 0-2 start, losing the starting quarterback and six other All-Americans, and changing half of the coaching staff. The Bobcats nonetheless reeled off 14 consecutive victories and held off a challenging Redbirds squad.
“The game today is a great testament to the good men in the program, and I couldn’t be prouder of the guys,” Dowler said.
Taco Bell Receives Fitting Request From Montana State Wideout