Mason King rushed for 980 yards and 14 touchdowns last season for Illinois State, earning Missouri Valley Football Conference Newcomer of the Year. (Photo by GoRedbirds.com)
By Barry Bottino
Big first impressions have become a trademark for Illinois State running back Mason King.
He made one at FBS Northern Illinois as a walk-on from downstate Centralia High School.
“I got a scholarship within 10 days of being there,” he said.
King, who recently changed his last name from Blakemore to his mother Malaysha’s maiden name, also made an impression on his future position coach while in an NIU uniform.
“I had an early look on Mason,” said Sam Ojuri, the Redbirds’ running backs coach. “Northern Illinois had played Eastern Illinois (in the 2022 season opener), and we were getting ready to play Eastern. NIU was running the ball really well, and I said, ‘Man, I wish I had one of those.’”
What most impressed Ojuri was a 19-yard touchdown run in which King broke four tackles, among other things.
“He runs strong. He’s pretty fast. He’s got good size,” Ojuri said of the 6-foot-2, 215-pound King. “Fast forward and he hits the portal, and I remember him. I reached out to him. His film was limited, so there was a question mark there.”
On his unofficial recruiting visit to Illinois State, King made such an impression that Ojuri and head coach Brock Spack agreed they needed him despite having two returning backs.
Ojuri offered a scholarship to King on his drive home, and it was accepted.
With only 40 carries during his time in DeKalb, King’s resume was thin. Plus, there was plenty of competition in Normal.
“We already had a stacked room,” Ojuri said. “I just wanted a guy that could add depth. Mason came in as a backup. He was a guy that could probably get 10 snaps a game and play special teams.”
But that changed quickly for the coaching staff.
“The more practices we saw, we were looking at each other, saying, ‘Hey, this guy’s a pretty good player,’” Ojuri said.
By Week 3 against EIU, he was the Redbirds’ starter.
When Illinois State opened spring practices this week, King was limited on the field as he recovers from shoulder surgery.
But the senior is expected to have a major impact on the Redbirds, who are trying to qualify for the FCS playoffs for the first time since 2019, this fall.
“You saw how dynamic he could be,” Ojuri said. “I’m glad we went ahead with him, because he’s a hell of a player.”
The road ahead
In his first season in an ISU uniform, King rushed for 980 yards and 14 touchdowns, winning the Missouri Valley Football Conference’s Newcomer of the Year Award and making first-team all-conference.
The last time Illinois State went into a fall campaign with a returning first-team All-MVFC running back was 2019, when James Robinson guided the Redbirds to the third round of the playoffs.
“I proved to myself that I still got it in me,” King said. “I knew I’ve always had it in me. If I get the opportunity, you’ll be able to see what I can do.
“Going into this year, I feel like I got my feet wet and now it’s about continuing to get better.”
King’s work this spring will consist mainly of individual drills and 7-on-7 reps.
In mid-December, King had a labrum tear in his left shoulder repaired. It was the result of a big hit he took in a September loss at Eastern. The recovery is a six-month process, according to Ojuri.
“I’m at a good point,” King said. “I’m ahead of schedule. Things have been going very well.”
This spring, he plans to work on one of the key items on his off-season to-do list.
“I tend to lead with my actions. I’ve never been a person that’s been vocal. That’s something I’d like to be better at,” said King, who also wants to sharpen his pass blocking and ability to read defenses.
King plans to guide and encourage his fellow running backs, along with quarterbacks Tommy Rittenhouse and Kansas State transfer Jake Rubley, who are competing to replace departed starter Zack Annexstad.
“It can be hard to be the quarterback at the Division I level,” King said. “I’ll just constantly be in their ear, supporting them. Just telling them to be calm, be patient. They’re in control of the game and we follow them. (I will be) getting a lot of reps with them.”
Catching on
King caught 12 passes for 41 yards last season. He was limited by a harness he wore for most of the season to protect his shoulder.
“The shoulder definitely hindered his catch radius at times, but we were still trying to throw the ball to him,” Ojuri said. “That’s how good he is at catching the ball.”
King’s hands are certain to play a bigger role in ISU’s fortunes this fall, and his football future.
“They’ve instilled that into me, that the playoffs mean a lot here,” King said. “They would love to get back to that, and I would love to be the one to help us get back to that.
“I want to take it day by day. Just enjoy the process. To get back there would be amazing, but we can’t just get there in one day.”
King is in his final year of eligibility and hopes to have an opportunity to play professionally. But for now, his biggest goal is to be ready on Aug. 31 when Illinois State kicks off the season in Iowa City.
“My goal is to stay healthy and get to Iowa so we can get the ship back rolling,” he said.
Barry Bottino is a co-founder of Prairie State Pigskin and a 19-year veteran of three Illinois newspapers. He has covered college athletics since 1995.
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