McCarthy twins bring new fold to competition at inside linebacker

Blake Braun knows no other way of life in Bozeman. When August rolls around, the Montana State linebacker knows he will compete for playing time.

In 2013, Braun burst onto the scene with a strong performance in his first fall camp as a Bobcat. The former Redlands East Valley (California) safety took to the Sam linebacker spot in former defensive coordinator Jamie Marshall’s defense right away, earning playing time as a true freshman. At that point in his career, he was the new guy pushing the veteran, the rookie battling for reps behind junior Cole Moore. 

Braun missed the 2014 season after having off-season shoulder surgery. From the sideline, he watched Na’a Moeakiola, an All-Big Sky starter in 2012, fend off Michael Foster, a starter for the duration of 2013 in place of an injured Moeakiola.

Last season, Braun returned and engaged in one of the most heated position battles on the Bobcats. Grant Colllins and Fletcher Collins went back and forth at Mike linebacker while Fletcher Collins and Braun battled for the Will linebacker spot. When Grant eventually beat out Fletcher in the middle, Fletcher ended up winning the starting spot at Will. But four games into the 2015 season, Fletcher suffered a season-ending hand injury that gave Braun the starting job for the bulk of conference play.

As Montana State tries to revamp its defense under new head coach Jeff Choate, new defensive coordinator Ty Gregorak and returning linebackers coach Kane Ioane, Braun is the incumbent trying to fend off upstart newcomers.

In the off-season, Choate added 10 transfers, including twin brothers Lukas and Jakob McCarthy, two inside linebackers expected to push Braun and Fletcher Collins.

“At linebacker, it’s always a good competition,” said Braun, a self-assured 6-foot-2, 227-pound fourth-year junior. “Every year, you have to compete with somebody. There’s always new people coming in. Since I’ve been here, I’ve had to compete with somebody so this is just another stepping stone.

“I’ve done it before but it doesn’t give me any advantage. I have to come out and compete every single day and get done what we need to get done.”

Fletcher Collins, a one-time walk-on from Seattle Prep, didn’t see any action as a Bobcat until a calamity of injuries thrust him into action late in the second quarter of the 2013 Cat-Griz game. In 2014, he played in just four games, notching his only tackle in the playoffs against South Dakota State.

Last spring, he reported in improved physical condition and rose up the depth chart. With Grant Collins, a 6-foot-4, 230-pound third-year sophomore, now playing Buck defensive end, Fletcher Collis is the man to beat in the middle but he is still in a fight to win the spot.

“Fletcher Collins is a leader,” Gregorak said. “He’s our middle linebacker. I think if you asked our offensive players, they would tell you Fletcher Collins is a leader. Now I have to get more out of him.”

A second consecutive strong spring gave Collins the No. 1 spot at Mike entering fall camp. Choate said this summer he thinks Collins will be hard to displace. Lukas McCarthy — the lighter of the two twins at 6-foot-1, 220 pounds — played Mike all summer but has taken reps at Will the last two days. Jakob McCarthy — the bigger of the twins at 6-foot-1, 235-pounds — had his eligibility delayed because MSU started fall camp on Saturday. He first received a helmet on Tuesday and he will put on pads for the first time Thursday. He is expected to push Collins in the middle as well.

“There’s always pressure,” Collins said. “The lineup is always changing. You have to keep focused, keep working on your technique to keep your spot.”

Collins is a cerebral player who grasps schemes quickly. He is also a tough 6-foot-2, 216-pounder who owns a handful of the hardest hits by any Bobcat over the calendar year, whether they came on special teams or against opposing offenses. But he’s played starter reps in just four Division I games.

Braun is a confident, willing player eager for a breakout season. He finished fourth on the team with 47 tackles. He added two pass breakups and a tackle for loss, but the full breadth of Montana State’s defense, from the linemen to the linebackers to the safeties, struggled to provide much resistance during MSU’s first losing season since 2001.

In the off-season, Choate brought in 10 transfers, including six defensive transfers who practiced for the first time with Montana State less than a week ago. In an interview in July, Choate said he added the McCarthy twins for their attitude as much as their potential to produce.

“What they will bring initially is an edge, which we need, and competition to those spots. If they do that, we will be better whether they are playing or not,” Choate said. “They will push guys to be better. We needed more competition and an edge at the inside linebacker spot.”

Before the arrival of the transfers, Montana State’s second-string linebacker unit included redshirt freshmen Walker Cozzie at Mike and Josh Hill at Will. The addition adds depth as much as competition.

“It’s added depth and it’s added some age into the room, some old age (laughs),” said linebackers coach Kane Ioane, referring to his new 23-year-old juniors. “There’s no question those two are going to push Blake and Fletcher. And just adding extra guys, it will push the guys slated at No. 1 on the rep chart but also it’s going to push our young guys, Walker Cozzie, Josh Hill, (sophomore) Koni Dole. They now have to step up their games if they want an opportunity to play as well. That’s what you want.”

Lukas McCarthy made several plays on the ball during Saturday morning’s fall camp opener. He has bounced between the two spots as he tries to get his mind comfortable with Gregorak’s defense and his lungs comfortable to playing at 5,000 feet.

“I’ve never worked this hard,” McCarthy said following Wednesday’s practice conducted on a 73-degree morning with a cool but light breeze. “This is way different than junior college. They can’t really regulate camps like these in junior college. It’s hard to get going everyday, I’m not going to lie. I’m used to sleeping in until at least 10, 10:30 (laughs). But hey, I’m loving working like this.

“It’s tough and that’s a good thing because that’s what makes you tough.”

During individual drills, the twins look agile and explosive. Braun said he hasn’t seen enough of Jakob to form an opinion, but he’s been impressed with Lukas’s quickness and football IQ.

“I like this competition and competition is always good,” McCarthy said. “Those guys are both good. I’m happy that they aren’t bad and I could just beat them out easy. That doesn’t help anyone. Competition, they have the one-up on me since they’ve been here.

“I’m just trying to learn the plays. It’s pretty fast-paced so that makes it hard to catch on right away.”

WEDNESDAY’S PRACTICE NOTES

• Choate announced on Wednesday afternoon that Montana State’s scrimmage scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on Saturday afternoon is closed to the media and the public. https://skylinesportsmt.com/bobcats-set-scrimmage-schedule-for-rest-of-camp/

• Monday marked the first day Montana State sported full pads. The Bobcats practiced on Dyche Field for about 45 minutes before heading to Bobcat Stadium, a portion of practice closed to the media.

• Sophomore cornerback Naijiel Hale, a transfer from Washington who has not played since 2014, wore shells and a helmet but not full pads tomorrow. He is expected to don full pads for the first time by the end of the week.

• During a blocking drill early on during Wednesday’s the starting offensive line hit the blocking sled hard enough to knock off the upper awning built in to emphasize a low pad level during drills.

• Choate praised the line play following Wednesday’s session, singling out junior defensive end Tyrone Fa’anono and sophomore nose tackle Tucker Yates. He said Yates seems to be emerging as a leader defensively.

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  Junior guard Monte Folsom and redshirt freshman tackle Mitch Brott took the first-team reps along the offensive line for the first 45 minutes of practice on Wednesday.

• Sophomore Grant Collins did not practice Wednesday. He had ice packs on his shoulders. Senior safety Zach Stern (leg), junior safety West Wilson (ankle), senior linebacker Joey Michael, freshman defensive tackle Chase Benson (shoulder) and freshman defensive lineman Derek Marks (leg) sat out with injuries as well. With Wilson and Stern on the shelf, redshirt freshmen Sidney Holmes and Ty Robbie have taken the No. 2 safety reps behind juniors Khari Garcia and Bryson McCabe. True freshmen Jacob Hadley and Will Martel are taking the third-team reps. With Collins on the shelf, junior Shiloh Laboy and senior Jessie Clark rotated in with the starting defense.

Photos by Brooks Nuanez. All Rights Reserved.