(Photo Credit: Kevin Langley/Icon Sportswire/Getty Images)
Key Players Returning:
QB Will Howard, RB DJ Giddens, WR/PR Phillip Brooks, OC Hayden Gillum, OG Cooper Beebe, OT KT Leveston, DE Khalid Duke, DE Brandan Mott, LB Daniel Green, LB Austin Moore, CB Jacob Parrish, SS Kobe Savage and PK Chris Tennant.
Key Players Departing:
QB Adrian Martinez, RB Deuce Vaughn, WR Malik Knowles, WR Kade Warner, OG Taylor Poitier, OT Christian Duffie, TE Ben Sinnott, DE Felix Anudike-Uzomah, NT Eli Huggins, LB Nick Allen, CB Julius Brents, FS Josh Hayes, JS Drake Cheatum, JS Cincere Mason, KR Malik Knowles and PT Ty Zentner.
Top 10 Recruits:
4 Star Recruits: QB Avery Johnson (Maize, Kansas),RB Treshuan Ward (Florida State transfer), WR Keagan Johnson (Iowa transfer), ATH Asa Newsom (Waverly, Iowa) and EDGE Jordan Allen (Olathe, Kansas).
3 Star Recruits: CB Donovan McIntosh (St. Louis, Missouri), RB Joe Jackson (Davenport, Florida), WR Tre Spivey (Chandler, Arizona), CB Marques Sigle (North Dakota State transfer) and WR Andre Davis (Stilwell, Kansas).
2022 Results:
G01 SOUTH DAKOTA W 34-0
G02 MISSOURI W 40-12
G03 TULANE L 10-17
G04 @ #6 Oklahoma W 41-34
G05 TEXAS TECH W 37-28
G06 @ Iowa State W 10-9
G07 @ #8 TCU L 28-38
G08 #9 OKLAHOMA STATE W 48-0
G09 #24 TEXAS L 27-34
G10 @ Baylor W 31-3
G11 @ West Virginia W 48-31
G12 KANSAS W 47-27
B12 vs. #3 TCU W | OT 31-28
BOWL vs. #5 Alabama L 20-45
Team Info:
2022 Record: 10-4 (2nd in Big XII)
Home: 5-2
Away: 4-1
Neutral: 1-1
B12: 7-2
Non-B10: 3-2
Head Coach: Chris Klieman
Kansas State: 30-20
Career: 103-32
Bowls: 1-2
Returning Statistical Leaders:
Passing: Will Howard (119-199, 1633 yards, 59.8%, 8.2 avg., 15 TD, 4 INT)
Rushing: DJ Giddens (89 car.,518 yards, 5.8 avg., 6 TD)
Receiving: Phillip Brooks (45 rec., 587 yards, 13.0 avg., 4 TD)
TDs Scored: DJ Giddens (6)
Sacks: Brendan Mott (6)
Tackles: Austin Moore (87)
Tackles For Loss: Austin Moore (10)
Interceptions: Kobe Savage (3)
Pass Deflections: Austin Moore (4)
Forced Fumbles: Austin Moore (2)
Kick Returns: Philip Brooks (10 ret., 182 yards, 18.2 avg., 0 TD)
Punt Returns: Phillip Brooks (14 ret., 168 yards, 12.0 avg., 1 TD)
Kicking: Chris Tennant (9-14 fg/fga., 64%, 23-25 xp/xpa., 50 pts.)
Punting: None
Projected Offensive Starters
QB: 18 Will Howard (SR)
RB: 9 Treshaun Ward (RS SR/TR)
WR: 10 Keagan Johnson (RS SO/TR)
WR: 3 RJ Garcia II (RS SO)
WR: 8 Phillip Brooks (RS SR)
TE: 83 Will Swanson (RS JR)
LT: 70 KT Leveston (RS SR)
LG: 50 Cooper Beebe (RS SR)
OC: 55 Hayden Gillum (RS SR)
RG: 54 Hadley Panzer (JR)
RT: 77 Carver Willis (RS JR)
KR: 8 Phillip Brooks (RS SR)
PK: 17 Chris Tennant (JR)
Projected Defensive Starters:
DE: 29 Khalid Duke (RS SR)
NT: 92 Jevon Banks (RS JR/TR)
DE: 38 Brendan Mott (RS SR)
LB: 41 Austin Moore (RS SR)
LB: 22 Daniel Green (RS SR)
LB: 32 Desmond Purnell (RS SO)
CB: 10 Jacob Parrish (SO)
CB: 8 Will Lee III (SO/TR)
FS: 21 Marques Sigle (JR/TR)
JS: 19 VJ Payne (SO)
SS: 2 Kobe Savage (SR/TR)
PR: 8 Phillip Brooks (RS SR)
PT: 43 Jack Blumer (RS SR)
Team Grades:
Offense
Quarterbacks: A
Running Backs: B
Wide Receivers: B
Offensive Line: A
Defense
Defensive Line: B
Linebackers: B
Secondary: B
Special Teams
Kick Returners: C
Punt Returners: A
Kickers: B
Punters: C
Schedule:
09/02 SE MISSOURI REDHAWKS | First meeting between schools.
09/09 TROY TROJANS | Kansas State won (41-5) the only prior meeting between schools in 2003.
09/16 @ Missouri Tigers | Kansas State trails the series 34-59-5. Last season’s 40-12 win was the first meeting between schools since 2011.
09/23 UCF KNIGHTS | Kansas State won (17-13) the last meeting between schools in 2010.
10/06 @ Oklahoma State Cowboys | Kansas State trails the series 27-42. The Wildcats are 4-6 since 2013 and their last series loss (20-31) was in 2021.
10/14 @ Texas Tech Red Raiders | Kansas State leads the series 14-9. The Wildcats are 9-1 since 2013 and their last series loss (44-59) was in 2015.
10/21 TCU HORNED FROGS | Kansas State leads the series 9-8. The Wildcats are 6-5 since 2013 and they went 1-1 against TCU last season.
10/28 HOUSTON COUGARS | First meeting between schools.
11/04 @ Texas Longhorns | Kansas State trails the series 10-13. The Wildcats are 2-8 since 2013 and their last series win (24-21) was in 2016.
11/11 BAYLOR BEARS | The series is tied 10-10. The Wildcats are 3-7 since 2013 and their last series loss (10-20) was in 2021.
11/18 @ Kansas Jayhawks | Kansas State trails the series 50-65-5. The Wildcats are 10-0 since 2013 and their last series loss (21-52) dates back to 2008.
11/26 IOWA STATE CYCLONES | Kansas State trails the series 50-52-4. The Wildcats are 7-3 since 2013 and their last series loss (20-33) was in 2021.
Predictions:
Home: 6-1
Road: 2-3
Neutral: 0-0
B12: 6-3
Non-B12: 2-1
Overall: 8-4 (4th in Big XII)
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