With Montana State beginning its second fall camp under Jeff Choate this week, Skyline Sports will break down MSU’s roster by highlighting prominent battles for playing time in each position group.
No. 8 of the countdown of most important Bobcat position battles: Punter
No. 5 — Backup wide receiver spots
The players: Brayden Konkol (6-foot-2, 200-pound sophomore); Khari Garcia (5-10, 195-pound senior) and JoJo Henderson (6-2, 195-pound sophomore).
What’s at stake: Montana State’s shaky safety play in 2014 and 2015 contributed to the demise of the defense under former head coach Rob Ash. The emergence of Bryson McCabe as one of the surest tacklers in the Big Sky Conference served as an essential factor in MSU’s defensive improvement in 2016.
Montana State sophomore safety Brayden Konkol, right, talks to secondary coach Mark Orphey and senior safety Bryson McCabe/by Brooks Nuanez
Garcia, a starter when healthy since his redshirt freshman year in 2014, was the main man at free safety for the first nine games of last season. But an ailing shoulder combined with inconsistent angles when chasing open field tackles caused Konkol to overtake the team captain for the final two games of the 4-7 campaign.
Much like the linebackers group, MSU’s safety position is one in flux for several reasons. The Bobcats stand to play their nickel package more often this season because they are already undersized at linebacker. In that look, Garcia is the No. 1 nickel back. He can use his fearless nature at the point of attack against the run and also use his strength to jam slot receivers off the line of scrimmage. In that package, McCabe, Konkol and Garcia will all be on the field together.
Montana State also has a position battle at cornerback. Henderson, a transfer from Snow College, is working in with the second-team defense at both corner and safety. Henderson is probably more of a natural fit at safety but MSU has a more dire need at cornerback.
How they fared in 2016: Konkol, a former two-way standout at nearby Belgrade High, played in 10 games and started two after initially spending the first few weeks of fall camp playing outside linebacker. Konkol had 20 tackles, including two for loss. His signature play came in his best game: he swallowed up uber-quick Montana wide receiver Jerry Louie-McGee for a loss in MSU’s 24-17 win over Montana to cap the season.
Montana State senior safety West Wilson (29) and sophomore JoJo Henderson/ by Colter Nuanez
Garcia made 10 tackles against Weber State and six more the next week against Eastern Washington. But a shoulder that’s been troublesome since his redshirt freshman year flared up at Southern Utah, opening the door for Konkol. Garcia finished fifth on the Bobcats with 48 tackles, including a tackle for loss. He had an interception and a pass breakup.
Henderson, who was recruited by Ash’s staff before going to Lamar for a year, had 54 tackles and 10 pass breakups for one of the region’s top junior colleges last season.
The case for Konkol: Konkol is the most physically formidable of the three, a long, rangy player built more like a linebacker than a safety, at least for the FCS. Head Coach Jeff Choate has deemed Konkol MSU’s best open-field tackler on more than one occasion.
Konkol is the best option for MSU against the run. But he is inconsistent at best in pass coverage, both when covering receivers and when communicating and executing coverage. During Montana State’s first scrimmage, Choate specifically mentioned his disappointment with the lack of communication on the back end by the safeties. Konkol ran with the first string for the duration of that session.
If Konkol can continue honing his coverage skills, he could become an elite safety in the Big Sky.
The case for Garcia: Garcia is the most bold and daring of the three. He has never been afraid of contact and is one of Montana State’s hardest hitters. He also has good ball skills.
Senior Khari Garcia playing nickel back against sophomore Kevin Kassis/ by Brooks Nuanez
Garcia has also been exploited on many occasions during his Bobcat career. His poor tackling angles and penchant for being out of position has made him vulnerable to giving up big plays. As a nickel, he’ll have less chance to give up big plays. But he’ll still need to provide depth at safety at the very least, particularly given McCabe and Konkol’s physical styles.
The case for Henderson: Henderson is the best athlete of the three and perhaps MSU’s best athlete on the back end period. He is long, fluid and fast. But he does not have near the physical element his fellow safeties do.
Henderson will certainly provide depth for MSU at safety as basically the No. 4 player in the hierarchy. But he might need to push for a starting job at cornerback if senior Bryce Alley, junior Braelen Evans, sophomore Damien Washington and true freshmen Jalen Cole and Tyrel Thomas don’t come along.
What they must accomplish during fall camp: The most consistent performer in terms of getting lined up, playing assignment-sound football and communicating effectively with McCabe will be the player who emerges as MSU’s starting strong safety. It seems unlikely Konkol will relinquish his hold on the position but his continued progress will be key for Montana State if the Bobcat defense wants to continue making strides.
Also on the roster: Ty Okada (5-10, 165 true freshman); West Wilson (5-11, 205 senior); Ben Folsom (6-2, 210 sophomore); Will Martell (6-1, 185 redshirt freshman); Shawn Borges (5-10, 180 true freshman).
