21 Days To K-State Football: Jonathan Truman Player Preview

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We are now just three weeks away from kick-off against North Dakota State, folks, and with that marks comes our preview of #21 Jonathan Truman. Truman, a redshirt junior from Kapaun Mt. Carmel High School in Kechi, Kansas, is a former walk-on who may own the inside track on a starting outside linebacker spot in 2013.

Truman is your typical underrecruited beast of a football player that K-State seems to thrive on, having been named First Team All-State as a linebacker and All-State Honorable Mention as a fullback. He finished his high school career at Mt. Carmel with 312 tackles – 113 stops to go along with three interceptions and three forced fumbles as a senior. He was also a 5A state champion in wrestling. He also loves contact – Truman quit baseball after deeming it too boring.

Truman played in all thirteen games his redshirt freshman year as a predominantly special teams contributor, finishing with 17 tackles and a fumble recovery. He had 25 tackles last season while recovering two fumbles (including one against TCU pictured above), and registered the team’s most special teams tackles with 12. He also contributed two tackles for a loss.

Truman started with the first team during the Spring Game alongside Mike Moore and Blake Slaughter. While Slaughter projects to hold the inside linebacker spot, Tre Walker should start at one of the two (weakside) after returning from last year’s season-ending injury. That leaves Truman and Moore competing for the other slot, although Truman was called upon last year once Walker went down to help fill the void. I’d look for both to receive an extensive look during the nonconference schedule but for Truman to eventually take over the majority of the playing time once Big 12 play gets underway.

To work backwards in the countdown, visit 22 days and our preview of Dante Barnett.