Losing a 4-star recruit shouldn’t be this easy. In the process of cutting one loose, Montana State found itself a gem.
On National Signing Day in 2014, the Montana State coaches announced a bombshell signing that created hype unseen for a Bobcat freshman. Defensive end Garrett Marino, a former Mission Viejo standout originally committed to Arizona State, did not academically qualify to be a Sun Devil. He sat out the 2013 season.
Marino, a bullish 6-foot-2, 265-pound wrecking ball, turned heads all fall camp with his explosiveness, his violent punch and his lone wolf mentality. By the opener, the true freshman was a starter opposite Bandit defensive end Odin Coe. By the fourth game of the season, he’d been suspended for conduct detrimental to the team. That week, freshman Tyrone Fa’anono made his first college start.
By mid-October, Montana State head coach Rob Ash dismissed Marino from the program. As a part-time starter and a full-time part of the MSU defensive line rotation, Fa’anono shined for moments in his freshman season.
Fa’anono vs. Weber State 2014
“We recruited him to a be a 3-technique (defensive tackle),” MSU ninth-year defensive line coach Bo Beck said with a chuckle. “He was so ahead of the game as a true freshman. He made it where we could not keep him off the field. No. 1 (Marino) left, we found this guy who is the opposite: so coachable.”
In five starts, Marino totaled eight tackles and a tackle for loss. In one start and 12 total games, Fa’anono totaled 13 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and a sack. The 6-foot-2, 260-pounder showed a mature strength and an ability to set the edge against the run. He also showed an ability to fit in with his fellow linemen.
“I was rooting for Tyrone since the day both of those guys got here,” Sheridan said. “He listens to everything everyone tells him to do. If a coach tells him specifically to do it, he’ll do it the best he can. If something goes wrong, he’ll fix it right away. And he’s so much easier to deal with.”
The plan for Fa’anono initially was to redshirt him so he could spend a fall adding mass in hopes of playing on the interior of MSU’s defensive line. Once he showed he could play both defensive end spots, he earned himself time in the rotation.
In the nine months since his first season ended, Fa’anono’s development has accelerated. New defensive coordinator Kane Ioane implemented a different defensive scheme beginning in the spring. By the end of spring drills, Ioane said Fa’anono had acclimated to the scheme better than anyone on the defensive front. As MSU transitions from fall camp to preparing for its opener on Sept. 3, Fa’anono continues to feel more at ease.
Fa’anono
“I feel more comfortable because I’m getting more reps with the 1s and it’s challenging me more,” Fa’anono said. “I’m getting more confident in myself and knowing the plays.”
Ash said he’s been impressed with Fa’anono’s attention to detail and his ability to pick up the mental part of college football so quickly.
“He’s an athletic guy who’s very conscientious,” Ash said. “He studies. He knows what he is supposed to do. He rarely lines up in the wrong spot. And he has a good motor. He goes after it and plays hard all the time. I like him a lot.”
Fa’anono has had to make adjustments off the field as well. Beck raves about how coachable Fa’anono is. He consistently shows a level of respect he holds for his elders. The Oxnard, California product attributes his ability to acclimate to a team to the way he was raised.
Growing up, Fa’anono seemed to always be surrounded by friends and family. His Samoan heritage defined almost every aspect of his life. Oxnard is a city of more than 200,000 with almost 40 percent of its residents claiming Polynesian heritage. Fa’anono’s father is a priest at one of the largest local churches in the city. Having to go watch film on Sundays after games instead of being surrounded by familiar faces was a transition fro Fa’anono.
Fa’anono
“Every time we always had church and even if I didn’t want to go, I still had to go because my parents made me,” the soft-spoken 19-year-old said with a smile. “Now it’s all on me. I am still adjusting to life up here. I’m not used to it yet but I’ll get there.
“I’m still homesick. I still want to go back home. But I have to do what I have to do to make my parents and my family proud.”
Fa’anano has solidified a spot within Montana State’s rotating defensive line. He and Sheridan are the two cogs who always get repetitions against the starting offense. Ends junior Zach Hutchins, sophomore Shiloh LaBoy and sophomore Devin Jeffries have all missed time thus far this fall camp.
MSU added LaBoy, a native of Hawaii, and defensive tackle Joe Naotala, a product of Palomar Junior College outside of San Diego, from the transfer market in the off-season. Naotala hails from Oceanside, California, like Oxnard a city that has a large Polynesian contingent. Fa’anono has particularly taken to Naotala, teaching him the schemes and trying to boost his confidence each practice.
“I’m trying to help him because I know as a new guy, I always wanted someone to help me step by step,” Fa’anono said. “I know what position he is in, especially from a Polynesian family and I know he misses home so I’m just trying to make this seem like home as much as possible.”
A year removed from a position switch coupled with the pressure of taking over for a polarizing player, Fa’anono looks primed to be an anchor along MSU’s defensive front. He’ll try to pass on the attitude that helped the Bobcats forget the former No. 1.
“What ever the coaches tell me to do, I’ll do it,” Fa’anono said.
Photos by Brooks Nuanez. All Rights Reserved.
