Five questions about Kansas State’s offense as training camp approaches

Kansas State football players will report for training camp on Thursday and preseason practices will begin the following day.

With football season nearly upon us, here are five important questions the Wildcats need to answer on offense over the next month as they prepare for their first game against South Dakota:

Alex Delton, Skylar Thompson or both? How will things shake out at QB?

The question that was first asked by K-State fans after the Cactus Bowl remains unanswered as training camp begins. It will likely remain an open debate until the end of the month, and maybe even longer.

Delton and Thompson have been deadlocked in a position battle throughout the offseason, and there is no telling who will emerge as the starter.

K-State football coach Bill Snyder historically favors experience at QB, which could create an advantage for Delton. The junior from Hays has been a part of Snyder’s system since 2015 and has taken on a leadership role. He threw for 637 yards and three touchdowns and also rushed for 500 yards and eight touchdowns last year. Snyder preferred him over Thompson until concussions forced him to the sidelines. Delton’s best moment came against UCLA, when he bulldozed the Bruins’ defense for 158 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.

But the Wildcats might not have qualified for the postseason if not for Thompson. When Delton missed games, it was Thompson who stepped in and led K-State to dramatic victories over Texas Tech, Oklahoma State and Iowa State. He’s only a sophomore, and he already has notched two fourth-quarter comebacks. Thompson was the only K-State QB to complete more than 60 percent of his passes last year (51 of 83 for 689 yards and five touchdowns) and he also added 267 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. His teammates have since voted him captain.

They each make a compelling case to start. Could they both play? Rotating quarterbacks might work with these two. They are friends and genuinely seem more interested in helping the team win than putting up stats.

Things will figure themselves out eventually. But for now, every option appears on the table.

How much different will the offense look under Andre Coleman?

Snyder says fans will “recognize” the Wildcats offense this season. So much so, that you shouldn’t expect “wholesale changes” when they take the field against South Dakota on Sept. 1. That’s probably true. With experienced starters returning at eight positions, it wouldn’t be practical for Coleman, the new coordinator, to shake things up.

But there are bound to be some tweaks. What will those look like? Good question.

That answer probably depends on how K-State’s quarterback derby goes between Delton and Thompson. Though both players have dual-threat capabilities, Delton is the better runner and Thompson is the superior passer. If one of them emerges as the clear starter, Coleman can adjust his plans accordingly.

Last year, K-State ranked second in the Big 12 in rushing yards (198.8) and last in the Big 12 in passing yards (173.8).

It seems logical that Coleman will try and create more balance. Then again, running the ball remains strength for this offense. The Wildcats return all five starters up front and have four talented running backs — Alex Barnes, Justin Silmon, Mike McCoy and Dalvin Warmack. Things are a bit different at receiver, where there are more question marks than proven playmakers.

Coleman very well could still be searching for his preferred strategy with this group. He will get to try many options over the next month.

Can Isaiah Zuber evolve into a true No. 1 receiver? And who will emerge behind Dalton Schoen?

The only thing currently known about K-State’s receiving corps is that Dalton Schoen appears ready to build on his breakout sophomore season as a slot receiver. But can anyone else stretch the field like a true No. 1 receiver with deep-threat skills? And can anyone slide in alongside Schoen and help in spread formations?

Many eyes will be on Isaiah Zuber this season. He led K-State receivers in catches last season with 51, and he is the team’s most reliable red-zone target, but he only turned them into 510 yards and four touchdowns. By comparison, former receiver Byron Pringle amassed 724 yards and six touchdowns on just 30 catches.

The Wildcats need Zuber to mature as a playmaker and become a big-play threat. That would open up the rest of the field for Schoen (23 catches for 470 yards and three touchdowns last year) and young receivers Chabastin Taylor, Zach Reuter, Landry Weber and Isaiah Harris.

It’s worth keeping an eye on Taylor. He was the star of K-State’s spring game, but Snyder has tempered expectations with the redshirt freshman receiver all summer.

Can the Wildcats take advantage of depth at running back?

Alex Barnes led the Wildcats in rushing yards last season with 871, but five other players topped 200 yards.

K-State’s running back rotation has seemed erratic over the years. At times, it felt like there were too many mouths to feed in the backfield, especially with former fullback Winston Dimel gobbling up goal-line touches. With a new coordinator, perhaps the Wildcats can better utilize Justin Silmon, Mike McCoy, Warmack and Barnes.

Former offensive coordinator Dana Dimel loved quarterback keepers. Maybe less of those and more handoffs would help the offense. There has also been talk of using multiple running backs in the same formations. And Snyder mentioned at Big 12 media days using Warmack as a receiver.

Barnes seems as though he will continue to get the bulk of the carries. But K-State coaches could get mighty creative with other personnel.

Can K-State’s offensive line play up to its reputation?

The Wildcats were solid at offensive line last season, but maybe not as good as their reputation would have you believe.

K-State ranked 24th nationally with an average rush of five yards and 64th nationally in sacks allowed with 26. Those are certainly above average numbers for an offensive line, but they are from elite.

Perhaps they can jump to a higher level this season. The Wildcats return all five starters up front, including star right tackle Dalton Risner, and center Adam Holtorf won’t face a learning curve this time around.They will also be blessed with depth, as both Nick Kaltmayer and Josh Rivas appear capable of unseating a returning starter.

This story was originally published August 1, 2018 at 11:12 AM.