Mitch Lochbihler
Lochbihler is a kicker/punter who came to Manhattan from Charlotte, North Carolina. At 6’6″ and 240 pounds, it’s understandable if some fans ask when K-State signed Sebastian Janikowski (although hopefully Lochbihler does a better job of staying out of trouble). He handled both punting and place kicking responsibilities and finished as both an all-conference and all-county honoree in high school. Lochbihler averaged 43.8 yards per punt, although didn’t have a huge body of work with only 26 punts (Charlotte Catholic High School is a powerhouse that didn’t get stopped on offense very often). His kickoffs averaged 68.3 yards and he had 150 touchbacks in high school.
While capable of assuming both roles, Lochbihler may very likely redshirt this year. Jack Cantele – the younger brother of graduated Anthony Cantele – should assume kicking duties for the Wildcats this year. The departure of Ryan Doerr also leaves a big hole at punter, but senior transfer Mark Krause appears to be the favorite to fill that role. Expect Lochbihler to spend another year developing, and he could be a special player as an upperclassman.
Vernon Vaughn
Vaughn is a redshirt freshman from Kansas City, Kansas, and attended Sumner Academy. He earned First Team All-Kansas recognition as just a sophomore and followed up the recognition his junior year as well. That junior year was his best, as he recorded 58 catches and gained 865 yards with 17 touchdowns. As pointed out by K-State’s athletics site, not only did he average 16 yards per catch but also scored a touchdown for every three receptions.
There’s a lot to like about Vaughn, who brings some solid academic accolades as a Kansas Honor Scholar and National Honor Society member. He’s also a true athlete, starring on a two-time state champion basketball team. At 6’2″ and 190 pounds, Vaughn isn’t a speedster, but brings a lot of the qualities that Kansas City’s Dwayne Bowe does to the field – excellent leaping ability and the adeptness to make acrobatic catches. ESPN rated him the #3 recruit in the state last year, noting his superior hands and ability to catch the ball in traffic. His consistency should inspire confidence in whoever’s under center as a safe outlet, and I’m looking forward to watching his progression over the next four years.
To work backwards in the countdown, visit ten days with Lucas Munds and Donnie Starks.