If you look at Sebastian Valdez when he’s on the sidelines or warming up before a Montana State football game, it’s impossible to miss his physical presence. Watch him walk through the halls of the Bobcat Athletic Complex in street clothes and you wonder how the strapping, muscled 6-foot-3, 285-pounder ever ended up at an FCS school.
When Valdez first arrived on campus from Monte Vista High in the San Diego area, former Montana State head coach Jeff Choate and his staff were unsure if Valdez was an end or a tackle. But Choate split for Texas before Valdez arrived in Bozeman. And by the time Valdez came to MSU, Brent Vigen and his staff almost instantly saw him as a 3-technique defensive tackle in defensive coordinator Freddie Banks’ defense. That’s remained true under second-year DC Willie Mack Garza.
When you look and move like Valdez does, you certainly command a room and get natural respect from your teammates. But the soft-spoken giant has taken a few years to round into embracing his role as an alpha dog for the MSU defense.
And his coaches have continued to challenge him because as good as Valdez has been — he was first-team All-Big Sky and a Sophomore All-American last year — he still has plenty of room to grow.
“Sebastian doesn’t necessarily say a whole lot but he is a leader,” Vigen said. “He’s a leader in how he carries himself and he has continued to chase after what is a really high ceiling. I think it was easy to see that when he played in 2021 as a true freshman, here’s a guy who would really be special. That doesn’t always mean a guy is going to become special.
“He’s continued to take the steps in the off-season to chase that mark. I think with his consistency to this point, it’s apparent on all these Saturdays he’s been really dialed in.
“He knows we have high expectations of him and I know he knows that and he has a high standard that he set for himself. That piece as much as anything, he sets a fine example for the rest of the guys in that room.”
Last season, Valdez burst onto the scene, rolling up 10 tackles for loss and seven sacks among his 44 total tackles. He forced two fumbles and recovered two more. By the end of the year, he was MSU’s Ron Warzeka Defensive Lineman of the Year, a coveted award for one of the Bobcats’ most storied position groups.
“Sebastian is a special player,” MSU defensive line coach Shawn Howe said. “If I were to draw one (defensive tackle) up, I’d draw one up to look exactly like Sebastian. Sebastian isn’t great because he’s physically great. He’s great because of all the extra he puts in. This kid called me on Thursday at 5:30 … and said he just wanted to watch base down passes with you real quick.
“I don’t believe in my heart that he can be blocked. He’s a special presence inside and he’s done a great job for us. He’s a leader in our room and he sets a tempo for those inside guys for sure.”
Just before the start of fall camp, Valdez said his team’s success on defense would rely its experience, its ability to handle diversity and its ability to communicate. He knew.
“When things don’t go our way, I think we just have to handle adversity better,” Valdez said just days before fall camp opened. “Especially when bad things happen, we have to understand that it’s okay and that we just need to flip that switch and go back to what we do. No specific position group or anything that needs to get better. I just think our team as a whole needs to respond better when things don’t go our way.”
“I feel like we have so much experience this year. We have a lot of guys that know what they’re doing. It’s definitely going to elevate our game. There’s no doubt.”
That has played out as MSU’s defense is much improved. In 2022, the unit was solid and sometimes great. Now the unit is elite, leading the Big Sky in points per game allowed (16.4), a nice compliment to an offense that is second in the country by averaging nearly 43 points per contest. The ‘Cats are giving up a league-best 290 yards per contest, including ranking in the top three in rushing and passing defense.
Valdez has 3.5 tackles for loss and a pair of sacks among his 11 total tackles. But his presence and gap discipline have the Bobcat defense line playing as well as it has since former Buck Buchanan Award winners Caleb Schreibeis and Brad Daly were book-ending All-America 3-tech Zach Minter.
“That position is important as any in our defense, whether it’s winning one on ones or attracting as much attention as it can,” Vigen said. “If that’s happening, then our defense is doing the things we need it to.
“I really credit (Valdez) for seeing that vision along with us coaches and continuing to get better and bigger and stronger and more impressive physically and continuing to dial in on doing everything he can to be the very best he can be before he walks out of here. I think we are on the right track.”
The Bobcats did everything but pull out a win at No. 1 South Dakota State when it battled back from the adversity of numerous penalties and missed opportunities only to lose on a controversial call on the next to last play of the game. Since then, they’re 3-0, including a 40-0 lambasting at Weber State.
The Bobcat’ defense is performing well beyond the expectations of anyone – sans players and coaches – not directly involved with the team. And so much of that has been keyed by the performance of MSU’s deep, talented and veteran defensive front. Valdez’s ability to handle plenty of extra attention after his breakout sophomore season has been the lynchpin for the unit.
“The older you get, the more eyes you get on you, especially the younger guys on the team,” Valdez said. ‘So, it’s good to lead by example and show them how things are done. It’s for sure a good thing and I for sure feel that way.”
Valdez believes MSU’s chemistry on defense has been tantamount to its success and the team’s mantra epitomizes that.
“We have to rely on each other,” he said of a theme that is repeated at weekly and post game press conferences. “We know that playing in the Big Sky Conference is tough and we know that every team is going to give you their best shot every week. Even if we play a not very high caliber team, we have to take it as the number one team. It’s good for us to understand to take nothing lightly.
“I feel like we’re a lot better than we were last year. We’re a gap sound defense and everyone understands that they have a job and I don’t feel that anyone is selfish on this defense, everybody loves one another and everybody plays for one another. I feel that’s very important. You can have all the talent in the world, but if you don’t have a good relationship with your players, then it doesn’t mean much does it?”
The Bobcats host Cal Poly – a team they crushed 72-28 last season – Saturday at 6 p.m. at Bobcat Stadium.
“It honestly doesn’t matter who we play,” Valdez said in keeping focused on each game. “We’re gonna prepare the same and we’re gonna attack the week the same. You can’t take anything lightly. Cal Poly is a good, disciplined team and we’re not just gonna walk in there and run all over them. We’re gonna have to fight for it.”
