K-State of the Union: Football Where We’re Going & How to Get There
Like every team, this off season will determine much about how the Wildcats do in 2011. Every University deals with big changes in the football program which only begins with outgoing seniors, transfers, and incoming recruits. Kansas State has a little more to handle with possible coaching changes and a whole new conference schedule. Continue reading to find out where K-State is headed and how to get there.
Outgoing Players
Corey Adams LS, Zach Kendall OL, Wade Weibert OL, William Powell RB, Aubrey Quarles WR, Carson Coffman QB, Prizell Brown DL, Daniel Thomas RB, Josh Cherry PK, Kenneth Mayfield OL, Adrian Hilburn WR, +12 others.
Those names might sound familiar if you were paying attention to the team at all this year. That’s a whole lot of production moving on. Most of it comes from the offensive side of the ball which was without a doubt the stronger side of the ball for K-State. Coffman started the majority of games this season at QB and while he wasn’t spectacular, he ultimately did a alright job. Daniel Thomas was one of the best running backs in college this year ending the season at #6 in the nation in rushing yards. William Powell was the change of pace back who also starred in the return game and averaged 34.6 yards a return. Weibert, Mayfield, and Kendall all played significant amounts on the offensive line. Aubrey Quarles stepped up his game when two other receivers went down and became a great go to guy. Heck, even Adrian Hilburn brought some serious publicity to the team in addition to a solid season.
As average as the season ended up being this year; imagine what would have happened without that group of players on the field. That’s exactly what is going to happen in 9 months so let’s see who is coming in to take over.
Incoming/Returning Players
Returning: Ty Zimmerman DB, Tre Walker LB, Tramaine Thompson WR, Andre McDonald TE, Braden Wilson FB, Bryce Brown RB, Travis Tannahill TE, Broderick Smith WR, Chris Harper WR, Brandon Harold DE, Arthur Brown LB, Tysyn Hartman DB, Alex Hrebec LB
Recruits: Allen Chapman CB, Justin Tuggle QB, Brandon Mickens DE, Boston Stiverson OL, Tyler Lockett CB
Obviously this is not all the returning players and recruits but I tried to highlight the returners who saw action and the recruits who are high on the list. The common theme with these players is defense. Hopefully, all the experience gained by underclassmen this year mixed with the new guys will equal a defense that is bearable instead of what we had to endure this year. Also included in this group is QB Justin Tuggle who should enter the starting QB race from the get go. Tuggle is an athletic quarterback who fits the Snyder mold perfectly. He also comes from Blinn College which produced Cam Newton (this year’s Heisman winner), and another couple of guys you might have heard of named Quincy Morgan and Michael Bishop.
Coaching Changes
There haven’t been any big rumors about the coaching staff yet but most people are hoping for at least one coach to be gone. We all know who that is but I figure if nothing has been said yet, nothing may be coming. There are all sorts of good defensive coordinators out there so if someone goes a replacement won’t be hard to find. That would most likely mean a complete overhaul of the defense and lots of time to implement. There isn’t much point in dreaming about what could be until a move is made, if it’s made at all. At this point, I’m afraid Cosh is going to be returning for another try at it but is anything changes the updates will be here.
The New Big 12 Conference Schedule
The non-conference portion of the schedule includes Eastern Kentucky, Kent State, Miami, and an opponent still to be determined. Week 4 at Miami will be a big task to take on and will provide an early season statement game opportunity. A win there could bring some big momentum into the conference schedule. That’s where the fireworks begin. The days of facing all the north division opponents and a couple south division teams are done. In 2011, whichever team comes out on top will have absolutely earned it. The new alignment automatically adds one more conference game to the schedule and don’t forget, no more Colorado which was a winnable game every year. This might be the biggest obstacle to overcome for all conference teams. Bowl eligibility becomes a little harder to obtain, going to a BCS game is likely only going to happen for one conference team, and going undefeated is next to impossible. Kansas State’s return to dominance is going to get a little longer because of this.
So How Does K-State Get There?
That’s the million dollar question. All I can figure right now is that K-State needs to follow the same plan that took them to a #1 ranking in ’97 and the Fiesta Bowl in ’04. If only they had the same type of leader to see them through it. Ah, but they do! The exact same leader in fact! The motto of Kansas State football over the next nine months needs to be In Snyder We Trust. The “how we get there” is a story that starts today and won’t be finished until the opening kick-off of the 2011 season. Who knows what developments are going to come? Maybe Tuggle is the next Bishop? Maybe Klein finds his throwing arm to go with his crazy legs? Maybe Cosh develops the greatest defensive strategy in the history of football! Either way, it’s going to be one fun ride.
Check back for K-State of the Union: Basketball coming soon