4 DAYS TO 2026 KICKOFF: Mekhi Mason
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Goal No. 4: IMPROVE.Every day… as a player, person and student.
#4 Mekhi Mason
Redshirt Senior* | 6-2 | 233 lbs. (+3) | Pembroke Pines, Florida
- Position: Linebacker
- Previous Colleges: Syracuse University; Louisiana Tech University
- Projection: Co-Starter/Special Teams
- Remaining Eligibility: 1 year
- Status: On Scholarship
Mekhi Mason (b. Aug. 30, 2004) is an athletic, strong linebacker transfer from Syracuse by way of Louisiana Tech who is majoring in sociology and will start at weakside linebacker. He has one year of eligibility remaining.
Defensive coordinator Jordan Peterson seems particularly excited at the aggression Mason brings to his defense:
At linebacker, Mekhi Mason is one of the most explosive guys we have on defense. You see when he triggers, he goes. He’s a violent football player by nature.
He should be a notable piece for linebackers coach Nick Toth, who’s also tutored Von Miller, Phillip Thomas, Kayvon Thibodeaux, Trey Taylor and many more:
Coach Toth develops guys and has multiple award winners. He’s going to develop me in one year into the player I want to be. … My mindset is to attack. … I attack each and every play. You want to play angry, but not too angry, and be in control of your emotions, but I’m trying to get to the ball every play. My versatility stands out the most. I can play inside and outside the box. I can cover pass catchers. I bring a lot of things in the toolbox. I’m trying to bring some leadership to the room since this is my last year.
Mason began his career in 2022 at Syracuse, where he saw time as a true freshman in seven games, primarily on special teams as a member of the kickoff coverage team, and also played on four defensive snaps. In 2023, he only played against Colgate as he redshirted* and elected to enter the transfer portal following the season.
Mason transferred to Louisiana Tech, where in 2024 he saw action in 12 games with three starts, posting 28 tackles, four tackles for loss, a sack and a pass breakup over his 259 defensive snaps. He also played on 31 special teams plays.
Mason recorded a season-high eight tackles — including a sack — against Jacksonville State; had seven stops against UTEP and five at Florida International, the latter of which included 2.0 tackle for loss; and also had a tackle behind the line at Sam Houston.
Current K-State defensive backs coach Jeremiah Johnson served as the LTU defensive coordinator in 2024:
The coaching staff is like a family, basically. Coach Johnson was a big part in me choosing K-State. It was great to have somebody I familiar with when I was in the transfer portal. It was good to hear his voice. We had a lot to talk about. He talked about how valuable I’d be at K-State. I know K-State’s brand of football is they’re a disciplined team in the Big 12 and always have a good defense.
Last season, Mason played in 12 games with 11 starts for the Bulldogs, absolutely erupting with 68 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks and four passes defended en route to All-Conference USA second-team accolades. His 14.5 tackles for loss led Conference USA and tied for 26th nationally.
Mason opened the season with nine tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, two sacks and a pass breakup in a single game against Southeastern Louisiana as he earned Conference USA Defensive Player of the Week honors. He came back the next week by setting a career high with 11 tackles — including 1.5 tackles for loss and a sack — at LSU:
The game actually started earlier in the week when they said the point spread would be 60 and (the Tigers) were barely practicing for us. I took that game very personally. I had to let it be known.
My big third-down sack (pictured above) on Garrett (Nussmeier) was my favorite play. I dropped in coverage and saw Garrett rolling out, and I didn’t know if he was going to throw or run, so I went after him. I was going so fast that when he tried to make a move, it didn’t work and I tackled him. It definitely lit a fire.
Mason also posted eight tackles with 3.5 tackles for loss against Liberty; had seven tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss against Southern Miss, while he had five stops, 1.5 tackles for loss and a half sack against Western Kentucky, a game in which he also blocked a field goal attempt; also batted away passes against Southern Miss, UTEP and Missouri State; and saw time on 679 total defensive snaps and 53 special teams plays during the season.
He prepped under head coach Mario Perez at Monsignor Edward Pace High School in Miami Gardens, Florida, where he was viewed as the 40th-best inside linebacker in the Class of 2022 by ESPN and was a two-time team captain who recorded 102 tackles, 20 tackles for loss, six sacks, two forced fumbles, and four pass breakups as a senior.
Mason signed with Syracuse over offers from Coastal Carolina, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Indiana, Liberty, Louisville, LSU, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Pittsburgh, Tennessee State, UCF, Wake Forest and West Virginia.
Out of the portal the second time around, he committed to and signed with Kansas State over interest from UCF.
There’s no doubt in my mind I made the right choice. I love this. Everything has been great — the coaches, the facilities, the school, and my teammates and I get along really well.
I’m a dawg, honestly. K-State and the Big 12 is definitely a higher level, but my mindset doesn’t change from playing at Louisiana Tech. I have to be as hungry as before. I’ll actually be hungrier now. I definitely want to be first team all-conference, try to earn the Butkus Award, and help us get to the College Football Playoff.
What’s going to be going through my mind (during Saturday’s opener against Nicholls)? Angry thoughts. I’m not going to lie. There’s going to be somebody across the line, and I’m trying to feed my family just like him. He’s going to try and be better than me. I don’t like that. I take that personally. I’m going to have angry thoughts.
*K-State has recently announced a new classification scheme that designates players by their year of eligibility regardless of whether they have “redshirted,” a term that will go out of use with the new “5-for-5” rule. Thus, the KSU SID lists Mason as a “fifth year” even though he barely played in 2023. For the sake of consistency with past posts, I will continue to designate redshirts based on their playing history, but also note their remaining eligibility to stay consistent with the new designations as well.
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