How Keenan Garber (the wide receiver) became a quality defender for K-State Wildcats
The transition is complete.
Keenan Garber was once a promising young wide receiver for the Kansas State football team. Now he is making important plays for the Wildcats on defense as a starting cornerback.
Some were worried about the K-State secondary when both Jacob Parrish and Will Lee suffered injuries earlier this month, but Garber has turned out to be a quality replacement. The Lawrence native has piled up seven tackles while starting in each of the past two games.
“Him making the transition over this past year from receiver to defensive back has been great to see,” K-State receiver Jadon Jackson said. “He always makes big plays at practice, so we already kind of expected that out of him. Now everyone else gets to see the benefits he reaps.”
Most impressively, Garber has refused to let opposing quarterbacks pick on him, even though he’s the new guy.
Oklahoma State threw for 238 yards and no touchdowns while he was on the field. Quarterback Alan Bowman tried to beat him deep several times, but Garber applied solid coverage every time. Texas Tech was able to throw for 298 yards against K-State, but that production meant little because the Wildcats came up with three interceptions.
No one was sure if Garber would be able to help K-State on defense when he decided to switch positions late last year. But he has never been a more valuable player for the Wildcats than he is right now.
“It means a lot to me,” Garber said, “just being a guy that the team can count on and the coaches can count on. So I’m just going to keep going out there and performing as best I can.”
Garber has played so well that the Wildcats don’t have to worry about rushing Lee back to the field as he works to recover from injury.
“He has done a terrific job, especially in man coverage,” K-State safety Kobe Savage said. “Keenan is one of the fastest players we have got on this team. He can be beaten off the line and just catch up to the guy.”
When Garber decided to switch from offense to defense last season he did so because he wanted to help the Wildcats in an on-field role. He wasn’t climbing up the depth chart the way he wanted at receiver. So he wondered if his speed could translate to defensive back.
Turns out, it could. Garber saw action in the Big 12 championship game and made a tackle against TCU. Then he held his own against Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. There was no turning back after that. He should only get better with experience.
“I am definitely getting more comfortable each week,” Garber said. “I’m seeing more pictures and being out there more and feeling more comfortable. I’m more comfortable with my technique and just being out there and knowing my assignment and my alignment.”
One other thing that has helped him as a defender: his long history of playing at receiver.
Unlike most cornerbacks, Garber knows exactly how a pass-catcher thinks when he steps up to the line of scrimmage. One look at a formation is often all he needs to accurately predict what is going to happen on an upcoming play.
His abundance of knowledge on offense makes up for his lack of experience on defense.
This isn’t what he planned for when he signed with K-State. But he has found a home on that side of the ball.
This story was originally published October 19, 2023 at 9:40 AM with the headline "How Keenan Garber (the wide receiver) became a quality defender for K-State Wildcats."