As Montana State begins fall camp next, Skyline Sports will break down the Bobcats’ roster by highlighting prominent battles for playing time in each position group.
Today’s position: Will linebacker
The players: Blake Braun (a 6-foot-2, 227-pound sophomore) and Marcus Tappan (a 6-foot-2, 235-pound sophomore transfer from Cincinnati).
What’s at stake: For most of the Rob Ash era, the Will linebacker has been the premier playmaking spot for the Bobcat defense. Jody Owens secured the spot permanently in 2009 and by 2012, he was a unanimous first-team All-Big Sky selection and the league’s Defensive Most Outstanding Player. Owens passed the torch to Alex Singleton, who became the first Bobcat since Bobby Daly to surpass 100 tackles in consecutive seasons. Last season, Singleton notched 136 tackles, including 81 solos and 15 tackles for loss, numbers that will be hard to duplicate.
Before Owens’ departure — he’s now back to coach linebackers alongside new defensive coordinator Kane Ioane — observers knew what to expect. Singleton had a few breakout performances as Owens struggled with various injuries, namely a three tackles for loss performance in a quarterfinal loss to Sam Houston State in the FCS playoffs.
This battle pits a player who missed last season because of injury (Braun) against a transfer from Cincinnati, an American Athletic Conference school (Tappan).
Braun
How they fared in 2014: Braun broke into the Bobcat two-deep during his true freshman season in 2013. He played mostly on special teams and backed up starting Sam linebacker Cole Moore after Aleksei Grosulak retired following spring drills of that year. Braun suffered a torn labrum that required off-season surgery and he missed all of last season. He will enter 2015 as a redshirt sophomore with three career tackles.
Tappan was rated as the No. 2 junior college linebacker in the country in 2013 at Glendale (California) CC. He parlayed the high ranking into a scholarship to Cincinnati in the American Athletic Conference. But he was dismissed from the Bearkat team in the midst of his redshirt year after a run-in with the law. All subsequent charges have been dropped.
How they fared during spring practice: Braun, a high school safety, has put on more than 20 pounds since arriving in Bozeman. Initially, coaches thought he would play MSU’s Sam linebacker spot, a position that plays in space and covers pass catchers frequently. But the graduation of five seniors coupled with Braun’s increased size and strength caused for him to move to Will during spring drills. He did not have any standout moments but he certainly held his own.
“He’s got the size,” MSU head coach Rob Ash said following the first scrimmage of the spring. “That’s going to be new for him but he’s got the physical tools. That’s important.”
Tappan arrived in Bozeman in June and began working out with the team. He missed all of spring drills. After his dismissal from Cincy in October, Tappan did not play football of any sort, meaning he’ll enter fall camp with at least 10 months away from the gridiron.
The case for Braun: The Riverside, California native will have a slight edge due to spring drills as the Bobcats begin fall camp. But it remains to be seen if Braun can stand up to the pounding of playing in the box on a full-time basis. He acclimated to the Will spot well during the spring but will have to perform even better in order to outlast Tappan for a starting job.
Tappan
The case for Tappan: Tappan is slightly bigger than Braun and comes with a high pedigree because of his FBS credentials, but he might be rusty after so much time off. His junior college film shows a linebacker with good sideline-to-sideline pursuit, a nose for the football and excellent acceleration. But will he be in the kind of shape Braun is in after missing so much time? Will the extra practice Braun got during the spring pay dividends? Tappan is an unknown with the exception of his junior college film so this battle could play out as camp’s most intriguing.
What they must accomplish during fall camp: The Will spot is one of paramount importance in Montana State’s defense. The way the Bobcats “run fit” against opposing rushing attacks is tailored to put the Will in playmaking spots. The player who shows the ability to find the football consistently and be powerful at the point of attack against both blockers and ball carriers will be the one who wins this job.
Also on the roster: Senior Robert Walsh and junior Fletcher Collins can play Will along with their listed position of Mike linebacker. Freshman Walker Cozzie might also be a Will when fall camp begins.
