Mekhi Mason’s route back to a power conference didn’t go the easy way, and that’s exactly why Kansas State likes him.
The fifth-year senior linebacker is now in the middle of the Wildcats’ plans after spending the last stop of his career at Louisiana Tech, where he finally put together the kind of season that put his name back on the map. He’ll be in the starting lineup when K-State opens against Nicholls at 6 p.m. on Saturday at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.
Mason’s journey has been a long one. He transferred away from Syracuse three years ago after two seasons in the ACC without recording any stats, then landed at Louisiana Tech, a Conference-USA program that gave him a chance to reset. What looked from the outside like a step down, he saw as a temporary move.
“I definitely had that in the back of my mind,” Mason said earlier this week. “I always stayed hungry. I didn’t let me transferring down to a G5 school get to me in my head, because I knew what I was capable of.”
That belief finally started showing up on the field. Mason posted 28 tackles as a junior at Louisiana Tech, then took a bigger leap last season with 68 tackles and 14.5 tackles for loss. That performance earned him second-team all-league honors and opened the door to another shot in a power conference.
“After a good season last year, I was like, ‘OK, I’m ready,’” Mason said. “I talked with my family about it, and they all said, ‘It’s best if you transfer back up.’
I feel like I proved my versatility. I was able to play outside the box and inside the box.
I’m comfortable at both. I’m able to trigger on the run as quick as anybody, but I also showed my coverage ability.”
At K-State, he’s already made a strong impression. Several teammates praised him during training camp, and head coach Collin Klein went as far as comparing Mason’s athleticism to former Wildcat standout Arthur Brown.
“His twitch and snap to the football and his instincts are all special,” Klein said. “To be able to be at his size and have his level of physicality while still having the ability to run at an inside backer position is like somebody I played with.”
Mason beat out returning players Rex Van Wyhe and Asa Newsom for the starting job, and defensive coordinator Jordan Peterson will count on him to help organize the defense whenever communication comes through his helmet.
Mason is fine with that responsibility. He says his goals for his final college season include winning the Butkus Award and earning All-Big 12 honors.
He bet on himself once in the portal. He’s not putting a ceiling on what comes next.
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