Spring Work: Kansas State Needs Help With Linebackers
By Stan Unruh
It’s the first day of spring and most fans are anxious for the 2017 college football season to begin. Kansas State football fans know it should be a special season.
Following a successful National Signing Day, the spring game is just over a month away. You do have your tickets, don’t you?
The Wildcats have more needs on defense than offense going into next season. Now they are also looking for some help to coach part of the defense.
As Bill Snyder’s staff opens spring practice March 29 they need someone to coach the linebackers.
The Wildcats lost three starting linebackers from last season’s 9-4 Texas Bowl Championship team. Now they’ve lost that position coach.
Kansas State assistant coach Mike Cox who has coached Snyder’s linebackers since 2012 is not returning.
I’m not sure when he decided to leave. However, with spring practice set to open in just days a national search is on to find his replacement.
It shouldn’t be difficult to find the right fit for this responsibility.
On National Signing Day, the ‘Cats found a couple of linebackers.
Whoever Kansas State hires will get two work with a couple of quality newcomers.
Linebacker Danny Walker was rated “the 47th-best outside linebacker in the nation in the Class of 2017 by Scout and the 19th-best player in the state of Illinois by 247Sports.”
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Linebacker Da’Quan Patton from Trinity Valley Community College in Texas is “rated the fifth best community-college outside linebacker in the nation in the Class of 2017 by ESPN, while he is regarded as the 13th best community-college prospect in the state of Texas by 247Sports.”
In addition to the loss of three starting linebackers, the ‘Cats will also need help in the secondary. So much work to do and the Kansas State Purple/White Spring Game is April 22.