FAU DE Leighton McCarthy cracks Owls' pass-rushing rotation

After playing in just one game as a freshman last season, Florida Atlantic sophomore defensive end Leighton McCarthy has broken into the Owls’ rotation of pass rushers during preseason camp.

On Thursday, McCarthy received reps with the first-team defense on both third-down passing situations and first down. McCarthy is one of six defensive ends FAU has rotated with the ones recently, joining Nick Internicola, Haiden Nagel, Hunter Snyder, Kain Daub and Ernest Bagner.

“He gives you a guy that can drop, a guy that can play in space for a defensive end,” FAU coach Lane Kiffin said. “But he’s also 205 pounds so he should be able to. That’s the good part. The bad part, obviously, is we got some…