Boise State lineman Larson left his mark on senior class. ‘This dude is just so nasty.’
Boise State defensive tackle David Moa didn’t mince words when asked what it’s like to go against center Garrett Larson in practice.
“God, it sucks,” Moa said. “This dude is just so nasty. His playing style is so aggressive. He’s going to get on you. He’s not going to let up all four quarters.”
Larson, a three-year starter, is one of 17 true or redshirt seniors who could take the field at Albertsons Stadium for the final time on Saturday against New Mexico (8:15 p.m., ESPN2).
The Broncos are still in the driver’s seat to host the Mountain West Conference championship game on the blue turf. But if this somehow proves to be Larson’s last game at home, teammates say he has left his mark on the program.
“He kind of sets the tone for the offensive line and he’s our head point man,” senior left guard John Molchon said. “He’s gritty. He’s the type of guy who gets the job done. He’s a tough kid. He communicates a ton, and he does a ton of work and helps all of us out.”
Larson hails from Fruitland High, where he starred as an offensive tackle on the football team and also was a stellar wrestler, winning a state championship as a heavyweight his junior year.
At 6-foot-4 and 305 pounds, Larson is taller than many centers, but the footwork and sense of balance developed in that wrestling career paid off early in his Boise State career. Back when he was still a reserve on the depth chart, defensive tackle Sonatane Lui was tasked with going against Larson in pregame warmups.
“I remember thinking: ‘Oh, good, this guy is pretty tall. I can knock him back and get him under his pads.’ But that wrestling background probably came back, and he grabbed me and tossed me to the side,” Lui told the media Thursday. “Garrett Larson is a mauler.”
Larson is one of three seniors on the offensive line, and potentially one of four starters the Broncos will have to replace next year along the offensive front if left tackle Ezra Cleveland declares for the NFL Draft.
Here’s a look at the rest of the Boise State seniors:
Kekoa Nawahine, S
Hometown: Meridian
Career: A product of Rocky Mountain High, Nawahine is a three-year starter and a two-time All-Mountain West pick. In 2018 he was on the preseason Jim Thorpe Award watch list for defensive backs, and he finished that season with a team-high 71 tackles. Nawahine adds a physical presence to the Broncos’ secondary, and he heads into senior night with 230 career tackles and five interceptions.
John Hightower, WR
Hometown: Landover, Maryland
Career: In two years at Boise State, Hightower has transformed from a rarely targeted junior college receiver to one of the most dangerous deep threats in the Mountain West Conference. He caught seven touchdowns in two years at Hinds Community College in Raymond, Mississippi. In his first season at Boise State, he finished second on the team with eight TDs (6 receiving, 2 rushing). He completed his first career pass against Wyoming last week, and he’s carried the ball 12 times for 124 yards. He also leads the team with 650 receiving yards and five touchdown catches, and he’s second with 33 receptions.
Nicholai Pitman, LS
Hometown: Boise
Career: A product of Timberline High, Pitman appeared in 13 games as a sophomore and 12 last season as a junior, primarily as the long snapper on field goals and extra point attempts.
Emmanuel Fesili, NT
Hometown: Long Beach, California
Career: Fesili has appeared in two games this season and recorded three tackles in the Broncos’ win over Portland State. Last season, he appeared in nine games and had two starts.
Chase Hatada, DE
Hometown: Rocklin, California
Career: Hatada has played all three positions along the defensive line this season. Last fall, he made eight starts and posted six tackles and a forced fumble against San Diego State. He has 23 tackles, two sacks and four tackles for loss to his credit this season. His father, Ian, was a Big Sky Conference champion in the 110-meter hurdles at Boise State, and Hatada often incorporates boxing into his offseason training.
Sonatane Lui, NT
Hometown: Sandy, Utah
Career: One of the elder statesmen on the team, Lui originally committed to Boise State in 2014 before departing on a two-year Mormon mission. Since returning as a walk-on in 2016, he has appeared in 44 career games. He was put on scholarship in the spring of 2017. He posted an eye-popping 16 tackles against Air Force this season and heads into senior night with 95 career tackles.
Garrett Collingham, TE
Hometown: Meridian
Career: Collingham was a quarterback at Mountain View High, and he led the team to the 2014 5A state title game and a runner-up finish. He moved to tight end at Boise State, but his first career touchdown was on a 4-yard run last season against Colorado State.
Akilian Butler, WR
Hometown: Dallas
Career: Butler finished his senior season at West Mesquite High with 12 touchdown catches. At Boise State he missed most of 2017 with an injury, but he has been among the Broncos’ top receivers the past two seasons. He’s fourth on the team with 21 catches for 231 yards, and he has two touchdowns. He also scored his second career rushing touchdown against UNLV.
Jaylon Henderson, QB
Hometown: Kingwood, Texas
Career: Henderson’s college career began at University of Texas-San Antonio, but after appearing in four games in two years, he transferred to Trinity Valley College, where he totaled 12 touchdowns (9 passing, 3 rushing) in his only season under center. He has appeared in seven games in two seasons at Boise State, and he threw his first career touchdown pass this fall against Hawaii.
Khafari Buffalo, S
Hometown: Sumter, South Carolina
Career: Buffalo appeared in 33 games in four seasons at The Citadel before joining the Broncos this year as a graduate transfer. Because of his many seasons defending The Citadel’s option, he moved to nickel against Air Force and was second on the team with 11 tackles. Buffalo also capped the Hawaii game in the end zone with his first interception as a Bronco.
Eric Sachse, K
Hometown: Holden, Massachusetts
Career: Sachse grew up playing hockey and spent four years on the football team at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, and won three New England Small College Athletic Conference championships. He joined the Broncos this season as a graduate transfer and is 12-of-14 on field goals, with a long of 41 yards. He kicked his first career game-winning field goal in overtime last weekend against Wyoming.
Matt Pistone, TE
Hometown: Yuma, Arizona
Career: When he was coming out of Yuma Catholic High in 2015, Scout.com ranked Pistone the No. 1 tight end in Arizona. Coming into this season, he has appeared in 28 career games for the Broncos, primarily in a blocking role. He has two catches this fall, one of which was a career-long 14-yard reception at BYU.
Matt Locher, DT
Hometown: Los Alamitos, California
Career: As a senior at Los Alamito High, Locher posted 155 tackles. The year before, he put up 144. Locher made the first two starts of his Boise State career last season, and he has appeared in every game this fall on special teams.
John Molchon, OL
Hometown: Las Vegas
Career: Because of injuries along the offensive line, Molchon has played left guard and both tackle positions this season. He heads into senior night with 37 career starts. He was a first-team All-Mountain West pick last season and earned honorable mention honors the year before.
Eric Quevedo, OL
Hometown: West Covina, California
Career: Quevedo came into this season with 20 career starts, mainly at right guard, and he hasn’t missed a game this season. He’s part of an offensive line trying to pave the way for a 1,000-yard rusher for the 11th straight season.
David Moa, DT
Hometown: San Diego, California
Career: The only sixth-year senior on the roster, Moa was on the preseason watch lists for the Bednarik Award, Outland Trophy and Bronko Nagurski Trophy in 2017 and 2018. An Achilles tendon injury cost him all but one game in 2018, but he was granted a sixth year of eligibility. This fall he’s appeared in all nine games, and has 25 tackles and 4.5 tackles for loss to his credit.
NEW MEXICO AT NO. 19 BOISE STATE
When: 8:15 p.m. Saturday
Where: Albertsons Stadium (36,367 turf), Boise
TV: ESPN2 (Mike Corey, Rene Ingoglia)
Radio: KBOI 670 AM (Bob Behler, Pete Cavender)
Records: Boise State is 8-1 overall, 5-0 Mountain West; New Mexico 2-7, 0-5
Series: Boise State leads 9-1 (last meeting: Boise State won 45-14 in 2018 in Albuquerque, New Mexico)
Vegas line: Boise State by 28
Weather: 41 degrees, partly cloudy, 4 mph wind at kickoff
This story was originally published November 15, 2019 at 6:28 PM.
