When Fletcher Collins was a true freshman at Montana State, his current coach had a whole different opinion than the one he has now.
“When I was a senior, Fletcher was a true freshman and I thought there was no way I’d ever see him take the field,” MSU first-year linebackers coach Jody Owens said on Monday evening. “But the strides he’s taken, a lot of it goes to his hard work and determination.”
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When Collins was bouncing around wide eyed during the 2013 Cat-Griz game in Bozeman, he seemed incredibly out of place. The walk-on out of Seattle Prep had a brief appearance in the Treasure State’s fiercest rival, a product of attrition. He lacked speed. He lacked athleticism. He lacked confidence. He looked like a walk-on. Since the end of last season, Collins has remolded himself.
All of a sudden, Collins is in the mix for a starting spot. The junior has taken a lion’s share of the first-team reps thus far in camp. He’s attempting to hold off 6-foot-4, 230-pound man-child freshman Grant Collins for the starting job at middle linebacker.
“Fletcher has inserted himself definitely into the mix at Mike linebacker,” Ash said following Collins’ standout performance in Saturday’s first scrimmage. “It’s not a foregone conclusion now who that’s going to be. That’s a good contest between Grant and Fletcher. Fletcher is played extremely well. He’s faster than he’s ever been in his life. He’s a smart player out there. Somebody asked me who my surprise of the camp and so far, it’s Fletcher Collins. He’s really showed up.”
Collins’ emergence has not been a coincidence. He’s transformed himself both physically and mentally. The cellular biology and neuroscience major spent a great deal of his first three years in Bozeman with his nose in the books. His GPA shined but his scout team status seemed eminent.
Since the calendar turned to 2015, Fletcher has diversified his dedication. He transformed his body in the weight room. The 6-foot-2, 225-pounder picked up new defensive coordinator Kane Ioane’s new scheme as quickly as anyone.
“He’s a brainiac,” MSU junior outside linebacker Blake Braun said. “He’s so smart. He knows the game of football so well. On top of that, he’s made drastic improvements in the weight room this summer. He’s a freak. They called him the creature. He’s coming.”
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“It’s been his decision, he made the choice that he wants to be a great football player here,” Ioane, Collins’ position coach for the duration of his career, said. “He’s seen and watched these older guys who have been before him, Alex Singleton, Na’a Moekiola, Cole Moore, he’s seen them work and he knows what it takes to be an all-conference caliber player. He’s set a goal for himself and he wants to be that type of player. His work ethic is tremendous. He’s the first one in the weight room, last one out. He’s put in the work and it’s finally showing.”
A key to Collins’ emergence can be tied to his relationship with Taylor Sheridan, Montana State’s lone defensive captain. Collins moved in with the senior defensive tackle earlier this year. Sheridan said he saw Collins get fed up with not seeing the field even though he was aware of his gifts. That lit a fire under Collins. Sheridan used to steal Collins’ homework and take it to the gym or the football offices just to get him out of the library. Sheridan would always drag him out of bed for early-morning workouts. Collins had a moment of renewed initiative once he started living with the Bobcats’ only returning all-league defender.
“It’s knowing the defense and living with Taylor Sheridan, he pushes me every morning, afternoon and night,” Collins said. “This summer, Taylor made me work out twice a day. He was pushing me. I got stronger and faster, cut some body fat. I got heavier still. I worked hard.”
Sheridan, a Rock Canyon High (Littleton, Colorado) product who began his high school career with a year in Bozeman, took Collins under his wing. The 6-foot-4, 295-pounder is one of the most formidable physical specimens in the league. And he’s made himself that way. His dedication to physically intimidating bodies has rubbed off on Collins.
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“Just hanging out with Sheridan has improved his confidence and his diet probably,” Ioane said. “He’s probably eating every two hours. Sheridan dragged him into the weight room initially. I think Fletch finally just embraced it and it’s helped him so much.”
Ash has gone out of his way to talk about Collins this fall camp. He said no starting spot will be solidified until Saturday’s scrimmage is complete. Even then, MSU has plenty of leeway; Between Saturday’s action and MSU’s first challenge in Cheney on September 19 at Eastern Washington, MSU has plenty of time to lock in its rotations. Fletcher is making a strong case he’ll be in the mix even if his freshman namesake comes of age.
“This summer, Fletcher became one of the best athletes on our team. It was unreal,” Sheridan said. “It honestly pushed me. To see a guy always training and to stride that far and that hard, I wanted to come with him. It’s so cool. He brought everyone with him and it’s something not everyone was expecting. Now he’s just got to keep it going.”
Photos by Brooks Nuanez. All Rights Reserved.
