Kansas State football coach Bill Snyder defended his program's philosophy about granting transfers in a meeting with reporters on Thursday.
"If you're a No. 2 (second team) you probably want to be a No. 1, and if you have the option to leave and you have 22 No. 2s on your team leaving you don't have much a team left," Snyder said before an appearance at a Catbackers function in Overland Park, Kan. "It doesn't make sense to not try to prevent that from happening."
Corey Sutton, a wide receiver from Charlotte, N.C., is having trouble getting a release from his K-State athletic scholarship after announcing earlier this month that he planned to transfer.
Sutton appeared in 10 games as a freshman last season. He told The Star that Wildcats position coach Andre Coleman told him that if he graduated from high school early, Sutton would start as a freshman.
"Then I get here and we are deep at receiver," Sutton said. "I don't mind competition, but I told the coaches I only wanted to burn my redshirt if I was going to be involved in half the plays."
Snyder scoffed at the idea that Sutton was told he'd be a starter.
"That's not even close to being accurate," Snyder said.
Snyder said he believes he has the trust of the fan base.
"I've been around here for 28 years, the young man was in our program for less than two years," Snyder said. "I think our fans know what I'm about. They know what our program is about. I think they trust that."
Snyder spoke to his players' understanding requirements when he referred to a player who had twice failed a drug test. It's unclear whether he was speaking specifically about Sutton.
"All of our players understand that if you do right and abide by the law and our regulations," Snyder said. "There's a young man who's been in trouble twice, tested positive twice. I've never kept a player in our program who has tested positive two times. Drug testing. We have some rules in the athletic department that allowed that to happen this time."
Attempts to clarify the statement were unsuccessful.
