Jason King found success at St. Louis (Mo.) De Smet with his consistency.

King, a three-year starter, led the program in tackles two of the past three seasons, missing out on the mark in 2024 due to an injury that sidelined him for three games.

"He's a stat monster," De Smet coach John Merritt said. "You watch a game and you think, 'Oh, I think Jason King played pretty well.' And then you go, at the end of the game, and you look at the stats, and he's got 16 tackles, a forced fumble, an interception, a fumble recovery and two sacks. And you're like, 'Oh, my God.'"

King studied every opponent and organized his defense before every snap. The three-star -- No. 28 inside linebacker in the Class of 2025 -- did all of this against some of the best talent in Missouri.

"It seems like every every week here, my AD doesn't do us any favors with the schedule, we're always playing somebody big," Merritt laughed. "And Jason comes up big every single time."

During King's sophomore season, he was challenged by the De Smet staff to be more of a vocal leader. As the "best" defensive player on the roster, he grew in leadership.

King did this because his team needed it. He preferred to be one of the guys, and not the guy everyone turned to. Yet he got out of his comfort zone to guide a defensive unit as an underclassman.

"He's just a hard-working, down-to-earth linebacker that'll just tackle you really hard," Merritt said.

Staying in his home state meant something to King, who piled up offers from programs across the Midwest, before pledging to Missouri in April. Head coach Eli Drinkwitz and co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach D.J. Smith built strong relationships with King., signing the No. 11 recruit in the state Wednesday.

"You're not going to get a better person at the University Missouri than Jason King," Merritt said. "He's a top student, he's a top athlete, he's a gentleman."

Over the past few years, King befriended multiple players on the Tigers' current roster from the St. Louis area, and seeing their success at Missouri also drew his attention to stay close to home.

"I think he could see himself in that environment and thriving," Merritt said. "And I look forward to it, too. He's close enough I'll be able to come catch him in some games."

Before King enrolls in January, he has one final game at De Smet, facing off against Nixa (Mo.) Nixa R 2 and five-star offensive tackle Jackson Cantwell at 7 p.m. Friday at Memorial Stadium.