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: Free safety
The players: DeMonte King (a 6-foot, 192-pound redshirt freshman) and Khari Garcia (5-10, 195-pound sophomore).
What’s at stake: Montana State has had experience at safety for the duration of this decade. Michael Rider and Jordan Craney passed the torch to Joel Fuller and Steven Bethley who gave way to Rob Marshall and Eryon Barnett. Now despite the arrival of two transfers — senior Desman Carter from UAB and sophomore Bryson McCabe from Iowa Western — the free safety position will be manned by a young player. King and Garcia were each highly touted recruits out of high school. A successful season by the pair will vindicate Montana State’s recruiting efforts, particularly those of defensive coordinator Kane Ioane, in the Inland Empire of California.
How they fared in 2014: Garcia showed flashes of his pure athleticism during his first year in the rotation. No better play better exemplified his rawness and play-making ability all at once than he interception return for a touchdown against North Dakota. He admitted he read the play wrong and was out of position but still managed to snare a Joe Mollberg pass and take it 51 yards for a touchdown in a 29-18 win over UND. All told, Garcia had 51 tackles (7th on the team) including one for loss, two interceptions and three pass breakups during his redshirt freshman season.
King, a rangy player who at one point had a few FBS scholarship offers as a senior at Los Alamitos, redshirted in 2014.
How they fared during spring practice: King turned the tables and put himself in this race with a strong showing in the spring while Garcia nursed an injury. King missed a few spring sessions himself with a head injury but he played well enough to earn himself a spot at the top of the depth chart entering fall camp.
Garcia did not participate in a spring practice. He had off-season shoulder surgery for damage that was worse that the doctors expected. He will be full strength by the beginning of fall camp.
The case for Garcia: Being battle-tested and able to read formations on the fly may be as important free safety than any other defensive position. Because of this, Garcia has an edge. As a redshirt freshman, Garcia found himself out of position at times and struggled to make tackles in open space (South Dakota State is a prime example). But he is a superior athlete who played better than most expected as a freshman. His potential is tremendous and earning more game-time reps will only help him improve.
The case for King: As a senior at Los Alamitos, an Orange County powerhouse, King received heavy interest from UCLA, Auburn, Purdue, Virginia, Nevada, Colorado and Boise State although no offers ever came. Still, his talent is formidable and he played for a prep coach in John Barnes who produced future NFL defensive backs Antoine Cason, Ifeanyi Ohalete and Orlando Scandrick. None of that will matter though as he battles Garcia for playing time. King showed good range, a good grasp of the new MSU defense and smooth athleticism during spring drills. He’ll have to consistently show the same to earn the starting job.
What they must accomplish during fall camp: Montana State has a completely revamped defense with Kane Ioane at the helm. The Bobcats added seven defensive transfers to the fold in the off-season. Just senior defensive tackle Taylor Sheridan and senior cornerback Bryson Keeton return from last season’s struggling unit. Leadership and grasp of the scheme from strong safety spot will be key to help all the new personnel adjust quickly. That will likely fall to UAB transfer Desman Carter, the lone senior among the safety group. The free safety spot requires less pre-snap decision making and more reactionary athleticism and play-making skills, meaning Garcia and King are each solid fits. Look for whoever makes the most plays on the football during fall camp to be the player who wins the starting nod.
Also on the roster: West Wilson (5-foot-11, 198-pound sophomore) and Brayden Konkol (6-foot-2, 208-pound true freshman).
