Freshman safety Khari Willis celebrates after the game against Ohio State on Nov. 21, 2015 at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. The Spartans defeated the Buckeyes, 17-14.
The learning of sophomore safety Khari Willis has been swift. The quiet, well-mannered kid from Jackson, Mich. has ingratiated himself with Spartan football, becoming a viable option for his coaches in times of adversity.
He’s predicted himself not only on improving week-to-week but also on the one thing MSU hasn’t done in four games — winning.
“First I want to win, first and foremost,” Willis said. “Other than that I feel like I’m more experienced, I feel like I’m a smarter player, a better tackler and better coverage. I feel like I improved in all aspects.”
Willis has been quick to enter the fold of MSU football, beginning last season in games against University of Michigan and Ohio State University. He’s been quick to develop and has positioned himself as a potential starter.
This season the 5-foot-11, 211-pound corner has subscribed to the next man up mentality and emerged from a field of young talent as the season has quickly slipped from promising to fighting for bowl eligibility.
He was a top recruit out of high school, playing both safety and running back, and now he'll be a part of the MSU football retooling of the 2016 season. It’s all started with his ability to adapt.
"I feel I like I know the game as far as like how teams are attacking us and how we’re trying to attack teams,” Willis said. “I feel like I know that a lot better, so it helped me to play faster.”
As injuries chipped away at the MSU defense last season, Willis was thrust into a starting role alongside Grayson Miller in week seven against U-M. Never the smoothest place to make a start, Willis delivered a three-tackle performance as MSU held U-M quarterback Jake Rudock to only 168 yards passing.
The turbulent atmosphere wasn't daunting for the freshman version of Willis, who was later named the team's unsung hero of the U-M game.
"I have more experience so I feel like I can start to come alive more in those games but last year I was ready for it, I was confident, I wasn’t nervous at all,” Willis said. “I feel like those type of experiences that we went through last year showed me how to win.”
But to top that off, he had a hand in Jalen Watts-Jackson's miraculous last-second touchdown. But even that is second to winning this season.
"It’s over now, we have to play them again,” Willis said. “We’re just focusing on Maryland, but I feel like I’ll enjoy that stuff more later on in life than now.
Willis suffered a broken foot last season before the Big Ten championship game and spent the offseason rehabilitating from surgery. He mustered through the rigors of rehab which included runs in the pool among other things.
He’s come back with a renewed confidence at safety, he said, adding that he was looking forward to playing it more. So far this season he’s amassed 15 tackles, including a career-high six tackles against Northwestern.
“I should have had more, too,” Willis said of his tackles against the Wildcats. “I’m looking for that number to go up the more I play.”
He’s developed quicker and better, as he’s seen more reps in games and practice highlighting improvements to his game. But even with heightened success, he’s kept the focus on winning games, instead of how well he fares.
He’ll more than likely continue to see action in games as the season progresses. Though Mark Dantonio doesn’t want to play for next year, guys like Willis, Justin Layne, and Josh Butler will be the backbone of future secondary foundations.
“They’re just competitive guys,” fifth-year senior linebacker Riley Bullough said. “When there’s those 50/50 balls, they want go up and make the play, which is extremely important as a defensive back.”
As the season creeps into the second half, Willis still has his sights on winning.
“We’re only here for four-five years and we want to make the most out of every year,” Willis said. “We’re not going to look ahead to the next year, we want to get it done this year and we feel like there’s still work to be done here.”
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His play and attitude have even afforded him high praise from some of his elders at safety.
“Khari is a great player,” fellow safety Montae Nicholson said. “I feel like he’s going to be one of the great players to come through here. He’s a physical guy, fast guy, strong guy.”
But even with the high praise, there’s still work to be done before Willis blossoms into a full-blown starter or reaches the level Nicholson envisions.
“I tell him this as well, we need to watch more film, study our opponents,” Nicholson said. “Like I’ve been saying it’s the little things that are going to get us the w’s. It’s the small things — paying attention to detail. It’s not a slump that he’s in, it’s just that he needs to pay attention to more detail like we all do.”
