Chris Klieman wasn’t ready to think about the future.
The Kansas State football coach was too busy celebrating a 42-20 victory over LSU at the Texas Bowl to spend much time predicting what the Wildcats might look like next season. He asked reporters if he could “enjoy this one for a little bit” when the subject of 2022 came up earlier this week at NRG Stadium.
Even so, he is obviously excited about his team’s potential.
“You can build on what we did to win this bowl game in January,” Klieman said. “We’ve got a lot of really talented guys coming back. I think they have a lot of energy going into the offseason.”
The future certainly appears bright for K-State football after it closed out the 2021 season with an 8-5 record that was punctuated by one of the most dominant bowl victories in school history, albeit against a heavily depleted LSU roster.
K-State projects to return six starters on offense, including star running back Deuce Vaughn, as well as six starters on defense, including pass-rush extraordinaire Felix Anudike-Uzomah.
That is a strong foundation to start from, and the Wildcats are already adding to it. Nebraska transfer Adrian Martinez looks like the heir apparent to Skylar Thompson at quarterback. Maryland transfer Branden Jennings seems poised to start making tackles alongside Daniel Green at linebacker.
The pieces might be in place for K-State to improve on what they accomplished this season. Can Klieman and his coaching staff fit them all together?
Defense on the rise
K-State was solid on defense this past season.
It ranked fourth in the Big 12 in yards allowed per play (5.4), fifth in yards allowed per rush (3.7) and sixth in yards allowed per pass (7.4) while surrendering 21 points per game.
When the Wildcats lost, few blamed defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman. His unit exceeded expectations. It could be even better moving forward.
On defense, K-State is set to return its leading tackler in Green, its top pass rusher in Anudike-Uzomah, both of its starting cornerbacks in Julius Brents and Ekow Boye-Doe as well as its top defensive tackle in Eli Huggins.
With Nate Matlack, Jaylen Pickle and Khalid Duke also expected back, there won’t be many question marks on this side of the ball.
Replacing Russ Yeast, Jahron McPherson and possibly Ross Elder at safety won’t be easy. That seems like the biggest hole to fill, especially with Reggie Stubblefield also out of eligibility.
The Wildcats may need to find some help from the transfer portal to bolster the back end of its secondary. Of course, they have already added Virginia defensive back Josh Hayes. That’s a good start.
But there aren’t many concerns elsewhere. Jennings should give K-State two strong options at linebacker. The defensive line could be one of the best in the Big 12.
New look on offense
The Wildcats will start over at both quarterback and offensive coordinator next season.
Things will most certainly look different without Skylar Thompson throwing passes and Courtney Messingham calling plays, but K-State’s offensive identity won’t change as long as Vaughn remains at running back.
Vaughn eclipsed 1,800 all-purpose yards and scored 22 touchdowns as a sophomore. Klieman calls him “the best player in college football.” Getting him the ball as often as possible will continue to be the top priority next season. How they go about doing that is the only thing that will change.
Assistant coach Collin Klein could take over as offensive coordinator after guiding K-State to 42 points at the Texas Bowl.
If he is promoted, finding the best way to utilize Martinez will be his biggest challenge. Though it’s possible Will Howard or Jake Rubley could win the starting quarterback job, Martinez is expected to command the huddle after spending the past four seasons starting at Nebraska.
Martinez used his dual-threat skills to put up monster stats at Nebraska, but he never won more than five games in a season with the Huskers and was dogged by turnovers. Can a change of scenery bring out the best in him?
He will benefit if Phillip Brooks and Malik Knowles return at receiver. There will be some questions on the offensive line with Noah Johnson, Ben Adler and possibly Josh Rivas all departing. But the Wildcats seem to have enough young depth to make up for any losses up front, especially with Cooper Beebe back at left tackle.
Tight end will be a mystery without Daniel Imatorbhebhe.
K-State ranked fifth in the Big 12 while averaging 6.3 yards per play this season. Can a new supporting cast help Vaughn improve on those numbers next year?
Big questions for Big 12
There’s no telling which teams will contend for a Big 12 championship next season.
Outside of defending league champion Baylor, most of the other teams that usually finish near the top of the standings are in a state of transition.
Oklahoma just lost Lincoln Riley to USC and many of its top players to the transfer portal. How quickly can Brent Venables stabilize the situation? Texas is bringing in loads of new talent. Will that be enough to make a difference in Steve Sarkisian’s second year?
Iowa State and Oklahoma State will both have to replace star skill players next season. TCU and Texas Tech just hired new coaches.
The Wildcats seem to be on more stable footing than most of those teams. Perhaps they can use that to their advantage. A home game against Missouri on Sept. 10 will provide an early test. But a win there could set them up to climb the Big 12 standings.
