NDSU’s “Twin Tackles” Mostaerts to Reunite at Defensive Tackle

Will is transitioning from end to tackle this spring

FARGO, N.D — Twins Eli and Will Mostaert have been teammates for their entire lives.

“Lived together, still live together right now, we’ve lived together all of our 21 years, we’ve been alive,:” Will said. We came from the same womb!”

Team captains at Lakeville North high school, the twins decided to stay teammates by both committing to NDSU.

“I was committed here first and then he was,” Will said. “He didn’t know what he wanted to do yet so because I got offered at the camp we had gotten like halfway into our high school season and he had no clue literally no clue until coach Entz and Roehl came to our house and offered him a scholarship.”

For defensive line coach, Nick Goeser coaching the Mostaert’s was a new experienced but they’ve helped coach each other as well along the way.

“I’ve never coached twins before and we have our ups and downs,” Goeser said. “Those too like to argue with each other.”

After spending his first two seasons at defensive end, Will is now joining Eli in the middle at defensive tackle, a transition Eli has helped him with.

“He definitely needs to get in the playbook some more, gain some weight, he’s around 260 right now, 265,” Eli said. “If he can get up to 270something by the fall, he should be good weight wise that’s what I was when I was playing last spring. But he just needs to get it mentally and then become more physical.

The twins physical and mental growth has been aided by a lifetime of competition

“We’ve been doing it since we were little kids so we’ve always been very competitive in video games and all sorts of sports and we’ve driven each other to be the best at everything we’ve done,” Eli said. “We argue sometimes but that’s just because we love each other and want to make each other better.”

With Will putting on the weight and learning the new position, it is only a matter of time before the bison unleash the twin tackles to terrorize opposing quarterbacks.

“I think that is going to happen quite a bit,” Goeser said. “We’ve utilized them quite a bit in spring ball where they’ve both been on the field together at the same time I think third down, second and long situations, passing situation, they’re two of our better pass rushers inside so I think we could easily see quite a few snaps this upcoming year where they’re both gonna be utilized inside for us.”

Will finished the season last year with 3.5 sacks last year and Eli dominated the trenches for 7.5.