Transfer Michael Watkins' big spring game may be a sign of things to come for Beavers' defense

Apr. 29—BEMIDJI — Generally, there are two goals for a football team's spring game: to see the progress the team has made throughout practices and to get out of it without any injuries.

Given the latter, it makes sense to protect the quarterback during a relatively meaningless scrimmage. That was the case on April 18 in Bemidji State's spring game against Minnesota State Moorhead, where quarterbacks wore red jerseys to avoid contact.

It was unfortunate for players like transfer defensive end Michael Watkins from Montana State Northern. If sacks were allowed, he would've lit up the stat sheet.

The junior collected at least four phantom sacks, getting to the quarterback so quickly that the referees had to blow the play dead. In one drive, he got to MSUM quarterback Joey Kallay three times before he could get rid of the ball.

"It was just fun out there," Watkins said. "That's my favorite thing, just getting out there and getting to the quarterback. That's what I like, I feel like I do (that the) best."

The spring game was just a taste of what this year's Beavers can do on the defensive side of the ball. After struggling for most of the 2025 season, players and coaches alike are more motivated than ever to get back to their dominant ways.

Watkins especially wants to be a key part of that defensive comeback.

"We got guys just from all over the defense returning," he said. "And I just feel like we're putting it together. We still got lots of guys coming into the summer. But right now, I feel like this was a great start to just see where we're at."

Last week's spring game was the first time Watkins put on a Beaver uniform. Earlier in the offseason, he transferred to BSU after playing for three years at Montana State Northern, located just 35 miles away from the Canadian border.

As a starter last season, Watkins collected 68 tackles and led the team in tackles for loss with 10.5. He also notched two and a half sacks, recovered a fumble and had one interception.

Looking at his statistics, he was one of the best defensive players for Montana State Northern in 2025. The only problem was that the rest of his teammates weren't doing as well around him. The Lights went a combined 3-28 in Watkins' three years at the school, including a dismal 1-10 record last season.

In transferring to Bemidji State, the school's coaching staff and past success were too good to pass up.

"I wanted to just come and compete," he explained. "(Bemidji State) has a lot of history about having a good defense. And another thing, I just felt like it was a home for me. Coming from Montana to here, I just feel like it was a great move for me with their history."

Coming to a new team has its fair share of obstacles, as Watkins has learned this spring. But the more he practiced with the Beavers, the more comfortable he felt in the system.

"It was a little rough at first, just getting in, new playbook. But after we got it going, learning what we're doing, it was great," Watkins said. "I feel like I just had to get going, find out, learn the scheme. But once we got that, it was all right. Now we just got to keep building off what we started."