BOZEMAN — Wide receivers coach Sam Mix is big on his players 'being the spark' when the team needs it. This past week, it was Ryan King who came up big in the first half to spark the Montana State offense.
Justin Lamson connected with King on two deep balls, a 45-yard play and 37-yarder, that both put MSU in the red zone.
"Basically anybody can be the spark. With our more balanced offense, anybody can make that play," King explained of the mindset his room has. "Just when it comes to you, make the opportunities with the plays you get."
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King, originally from Loganville, Georgia, started his collegiate journey at Georgia Tech, then transferred to East Carolina. In 2024, he went back into the portal and landed with the Cats.
Former wide receivers coach Justin Udy connected with King on social media and began recruiting him.
"I came out for a visit, and I fell in love with it," King said. "I love everything about it, just how welcoming the team was. On my first visit, everybody was like, ‘Welcome to Montana,’ like I already committed, so that environment made me want to come here even more."
Montana State coach Brent Vigen reflected on when the staff landed on wanting King to join the program.
"Talented, that’s why we went after him," Vigen said. "We knew his story, it didn’t quite work at the previous two stops. Last year, as the season went along felt like, boy, there’s a guy that’s kind of figuring out what his role looks like here and really contributed."
Whether it’s his elite blocking, deep-threat ability or speed, King has come up big on the field the past two years for MSU. But beyond the stat lines and highlight plays, King has found a place he feels is the right fit for his final collegiate chapter.
"I think it’s become about a different set of things than maybe he had set out to find," Vigen explained. "I’m sure he was looking at a place where he could play, get more touches, all that stuff, but it’s much more than that. I think he’s fit in well with our culture."
"Definitely exceeded my expectations," King said about Montana State. "Just the community, the fans, everything. I love it here, honestly."
An emphasis on everything — the Georgia native even has gotten used to the weather.
"I don’t know, I’m kind of starting to like the cold a little bit, like playing in the cold," he said with a smile. "The advantage we get from teams who aren’t really used to it, I kind of enjoy it."
