Editor’s Note: This is the third installment of a four-part series about Montana State’s transfers. The Bobcats signed nine transfers in February, including seven on defense. Today we look at the defensive backs.
Dakota Prukop took the snap and quickly released what looked like a perfectly thrown ball to a streaking Brandon Brown. The toss looked like a sure touchdown for the Montana State offense as practice wound down on Wednesday morning.
Out of seemingly nowhere, Desman Carter appeared in the window to make a leaping interception that he might’ve returned end-zone to end-zone had the whistle not blown. Upon a further look at the practice tape, 
Carter read the play from the moment the ball was snapped, breaking from the middle of the defensive formation and running to the opposite hash on a dead sprint to snare the otherwise beautifully thrown ball by Montana State’s star quarterback.
“The day before, coach told me I had to get more to the middle and when I was spinning to the middle, I was watching Dakota stare down the left side the whole time so I just jumped it and was right there,” Carter said following Friday morning’s practice.
The play showed Carter’s athleticism. But it also showed the much-traveled senior’s ability to take coaching and his outstanding football IQ. It was but one example of the veteran presence Carter hopes to bring to Montana State’s otherwise inexperienced secondary as he plays out his final college season after transferring from Alabama-Birmingham.
“He’s seen many moons, man,” MSU co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach Jamie Marshall said. “He’s been around the block and been in different programs so he’s been around a lot of different coaches. His experience pays off because he’s seen things before.”
Carter has made the rounds during his college football career. The Pomona, California native initially went to Nevada out of Kaiser High School. He was dismissed from the team because of academic issues after less than a year. He landed at Riverside Community College, where he played well enough to earn a spot at UAB. He started last season, logging 40 tackles, two for loss and breaking up a pass.
Following UAB’s 7-5 season last fall, the university abruptly dropped football, making Carter and his 95 former teammates essentially free agents. After Carter signed with Montana State, the Blazers were able to get enough money through private donors to build the football program again. UAB football will return in 2017.
“I never thought about UAB once I got here because I only have one more year left anyways,” Carter said. “They aren’t starting the program back until 2017 so I needed a spot. It’s a different environment here, a different culture, a new experience. You have to get out of your comfort zone sometimes.
“Moving around, it’s not hard really, you just have to adapt and adjust. It’s all the same, just a new place, new teammates, new adjustments.”
His time has an FBS starter has accelerated Carter’s learning curve as he prepares for his final college season, Marshall said.
“Des has got the scheme down and with him being at UAB and at an FBS program, I think that really helped him learn concepts,” Marshall said. “He’s just been able to transfer the terminology over to what we call things. It’s like learning Spanish for the first time. But he’s picked it up well.”
McCabe
Carter is one of two transfers Montana State brought in to fortify its safety position, a spot that saw Rob Marshall, Cody Cleveland and the late Eryon Barnett graduate. Carter seems to be entrenched at the Rover (strong safety) position left vacant by Marshall, a 2014 third-team All-Big Sky selection. Sophomore Bryson McCabe, a transfer from Iowa Western who spent the 2013 season as a redshirt at South Dakota State, is battling for a spot in the rotation while primarily playing on the strong side as well. Marshall said the entire defensive concept is predicated on prevalent rotations so he expects Carter, McCabe, sophomore Khari Garcia and redshirt freshman DeMonte King to all contribute in the fall.
Carter has grasped the new defensive scheme implemented by defensive coordinator Kane Ioane as well as any Bobcat. But McCabe, who showed great physicality in the spring and has been decent in coverage so far during fall camp,
“Being here for spring helped a lot,” said McCabe, who joined the team in January. “I’m way more confident. I can play fast and play football. I’m still learning and getting more confident in myself.
“I’m just enjoying the grind every day. I just want to play. I’m just giving everything I can to the team every day to contribute.”
Photos by Brooks Nuanez. All Rights Reserved.
