With Montana State beginning its first fall camp under Jeff Choate this week, Skyline Sports will break down MSU’s roster by highlighting prominent battles for playing time in each position group.
Today’s position: Right side of the offensive line
[restrict paid=”true”]The players: Caleb Gillis (a 6-foot-6, 285-pound fourth-year junior), Monte Folsom (a 6-foot-1, 305-pound fourth-year junior), Mitch Brott (a 6-foot-6, 265-pound redshirt freshman) and Patrick Carroll (a 6-foot-5, 320-pound graduate transfer).
What’s at stake: Montana State loses four starters from its offensive line, including four-year starting left tackle John Weidenaar and the right side of guard Kyle Godecke and tackle Alex Eekhoff, each starters when healthy since their freshman years as well. The lone returning starter is three-time All-Big Sky Conference left guard J.P. Flynn.
During spring drills, UNLV transfer Alex Neale solidified himself as Joel Horn’s replacement at center. Although Flynn missed the duration of the session after suffering a torn patella tendon in MSU’s last game of the 2015 season, he’s a shoe-in to start as well. Junior Dylan Mahoney, a 6-foot-6, 285-pounder from Great Falls, has earned the left tackle position.
The right guard and right tackle positions are wide open and will come from a combination of the four above listed players. Carroll and Brott likely are set at tackle and might work both sides in an effort to develop depth. Gillis is listed as the starter at right guard but can play right tackle as well. Folsom will compete at guard and is also listed as Neale’s backup at center. Redshirt freshman Jake McFetridge is Flynn’s backup at left guard but could also play on the right side if needed. The 6-foot-6, 300-pounder also took reps at center during Saturday’s practice, the first of MSU’s fall camp.
If Folsom earns the right guard spot, Gillis will likely get a chance at right tackle. If Gillis solidifies his No. 1 status at right guard, the right tackle battle will be between Brott, a Billings West product who showed promise as a redshirt last season and Carroll, a graduate transfer from UNLV.
How they fared in 2015: Gillis, Folsom, Brott and Carroll have combined to start exactly one college contest: Gillis’ lone career start in a 44-20 win over Idaho State last season.
Brott sat out last season as a redshirt. Carroll was a backup and lettered for the second time in Las Vegas. Folsom played extensively in the Idaho State game as well and held his own against first-team All-Big Sky defensive tackle Tyler Kuder.
Godecke and Eekhoff battled injuries for most of last season. MSU used Mahoney as a sort of sixth man, playing him at both right side spots. Gillis was essentially the seventh man, earning reps at both right side spots as well.
Last season was Folsom’s first playing offensive line. The Dillon product signed with MSU in 2011 as a linebacker. He went on a two-year LDS mission and returned with much more girth. He played defensive tackle his first year back and switched to offensive line last season. He missed spring drills with an injury.
The case for Gillis: Gillis has seen the most action, both in games and during practice, of any of the four. He also has the most position versatility with his ability to play either guard or tackle. He is the man to beat at right guard and it will take a strong effort for Folsom to surpass him.
The case for Folsom: In terms of the strength and mass it takes to play power guard, Folsom fits the mold. He is a strong, physical run blocker who held his own against Kuder, one of the most formidable players in the entire league last season and now a member of the Green Bay Packers. Folsom first needs to get healthy in order to compete, then prove he can stay healthy if he wants a spot in the starting lineup.
The case for Brott: Brott is the most athletic of the four and likely has the most upside, mostly due to his youth. He is an explosive player with a good punch at the point of attack. But, on paper at least, he lacks the mass it takes to endure an entire season playing on the strong side. Still, his potential and his ability to compete right now has him listed as the No. 1 right tackle during the first week of fall camp.
The case for Carroll: Carroll has the best size, on paper at least, of the four competing for a starting spot. But he managed to letter just twice in four years at UNLV and only really tested his mettle as a special teams player. During the first day of fall camp Saturday, Carroll visibly struggled with his conditioning level. But Choate brought him in as a graduate transfer to compete for a starting spot right away. Once he gets his lungs, he should do exactly that.
What they must accomplish during fall camp: Although Godecke started close to 30 games and Eekhoff was a full-time starter whenever healthy over the last three seasons, both were worn out physically by the end of their senior years. Because of this, Mahoney and, to a lesser extent, Gillis earned valuable repetitions last season. That experience plus the development of Brott and Folsom and the addition of Carroll actually means Montana State has a chance to upgrade the right side of its offensive line. Finding front-runners at each spot that can start to gel with Mahoney, Flynn and Neale will be an essential storyline during fall camp.
Also on the roster: McFetridge (6-6, 300) is listed as Flynn’s backup at left guard but can play right guard as well. Redshirt freshman Kash Perry (6-6, 315) is the third player listed at right guard. No player is listed as the third right tackle but Wilson Brott, Mahoney’s sophomore backup at left tackle and Mitch’s older brother, will likely work both sides. Montana State signed Colstrip product Jake Sessions and Palmdale, California product Taylor Tuiasosopo in February. Corvallis product Luke Channer and El Dorado Hills product Conner Floden were added as walk-ons after spring. All have to be determined positions.
[/restrict]Photos by Brooks Nuanez. All Rights Reserved.
