K-State Q&A: Chabastin Taylor, Reggie Walker and Boulevard beer for every Big 12 team
It’s time for another K-State Q&A.
Preseason (please don’t call it fall) camp is upon us, which means college football season is less than a month away. It’s an exciting time, and that means exciting questions from all of you. Let’s get right to them. Thanks, as always, for providing them.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-cards="hidden" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">What kind of role do you expect Chabastin Taylor to play this season? I try not to read too much into spring game performances, but with Pringle/Heath gone and no other WRs anywhere near Taylor's size, the opportunity seems to be there.</p>— Justin Nutter (@JNutter) <a href="https://twitter.com/JNutter/status/1025082101656379393?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 2, 2018</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Let me put it this way: I think Chabastin Taylor is capable of making a big impact.
He has ideal size for a receiver (6-foot-4, 229 pounds), he was the star of the spring game and he seems to have upside that many of his position-mates don’t. The opportunity is also there. Isaiah Zuber and Dalton Schoen seem locked in as the top two receivers, but it’s wide open from there.
So, is Taylor the man to take over as K-State’s No. 3 receiver and maybe even stretch the field a little bit? Maybe. But I’m not so sure. He was fantastic in the spring game playing with the second-string offense, but Bill Snyder has poured water on him at every turn since then. Snyder wouldn’t let Taylor speak with media after the spring game, and he pointed out his flaws all over summer.
He may simply be trying to keep Taylor from buying into the hype. Or he may legitimately think Taylor has a long way to go before he’s ready to play on Saturdays.
Landry Weber, Zach Reuter and Isaiah Harris all seem serviceable and played in front of Taylor in the spring. He probably still has improvements to make before he cracks the starting lineup.
Question from @KSU_LYNCH_MOB: Do you expect Reggie Walker to bounce back this season?
I am expecting Reggie Walker to have a better season than he did as a sophomore when his production dropped in every category and he finished with 36 tackles and two sacks. But I am not expecting him to return to his freshman form.
There has been enough offseason buzz about other defensive ends like Kyle Ball, Bronson Massie, Wyatt Hubert and Chase Johnston that I’m not even sure he will be in the starting lineup against South Dakota. He probably has more upside than anyone else at the position, but we didn’t see much upside from him last year.
Granted, his sack numbers would have been better if not for offensive linemen committing holding penalties on some of his best opportunities. And the Big 12 coaches voted him second-team all-conference last year. So it’s not like he took a colossal step back. But it definitely seemed like he missed Jordan Willis last year. And Willis ain’t coming back.
Here’s guessing his numbers improve, but maybe not all the way up to the 11 1/2 tackles for loss and 6 1/2 sacks he posted as a freshman.
Note: Your Twitter handle has too many emojis when I can’t embed your question on here.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-cards="hidden" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Most over/under rated Big 12 team in today's USA Today poll?</p>— Mike Kelly (@4mjkelly) <a href="https://twitter.com/4mjkelly/status/1025108206316670978?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 2, 2018</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Here’s the poll, for reference purposes.
Most overrated: This is a tough one. A good case could be made for both TCU and Oklahoma State. Some of you have poked fun at Texas getting another unearned preseason ranking, but I think the Longhorns turn the corner this year. The Horned Frogs will be good, but maybe not 16th-best-team-in-the-country good. And I’m skeptical the Cowboys can reload after losing so many playmakers. Everyone else seems to think they will make a run at 10 wins based on Mike Gundy’s track record, and maybe they will, but I don’t see it.
Most underrated: It’s West Virginia for me. Will Grier, David Sills, Gary Jennings ... Those names should strike fear into every defense in the country. This is Dana Holgorsen’s most complete team yet. The Mountaineers could win the Big 12, but they start ranked No. 20. That’s too low. Also, Iowa State probably deserves more love.
Another note: I’m once again a voter in the AP Top 25 this year, so check back in a few weeks for my flawless preseason poll.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-cards="hidden" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Nickname for our RB’s......with Barns, Silmon, Warmack and McCoy I’m thinking ‘The Four Horsemen of the Apocolypse’ or just ‘The 4 Horseman, thoughts??</p>— Curtis Dawson (@lunchbox_77) <a href="https://twitter.com/lunchbox_77/status/1025086849335812096?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 2, 2018</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Those are a little cliche, but still good. I like The Four Horsemen better than the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. That second one seems a bit much given that none of K-State’s running backs have cleared 1,000 yards in a season. Alex Barnes is the only one who has come close, with 819 last year.
How about something that gives a nod to how deep the position is? Maybe Strength in Numbers or Deep Dish Pizza (with four toppings) or The Four Amigos.
I’ll keep working on it.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-cards="hidden" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">What are the Big XII football teams as Boulevard Beers?</p>— scottwildcat (@scottwildcat) <a href="https://twitter.com/scottwildcat/status/1025086664039903232?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 2, 2018</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Oklahoma = Tank 7. The Sooners are the current flagship team of the Big 12. This farmhouse ale with fruity flavor and high ABV is the current flagship beer of Boulevard.
Texas = Saison Brett. People (cough, Sam Mellinger, cough) talk about this beer like it’s the nectar of the gods, but it often struggles to live up to the hype. I mean, it’s good. Don’t get me wrong. But they only sell it in huge bottles and it disappears for long periods of time. Seems a lot like recent Texas football.
Kansas State = Pale Ale. Like Bill Snyder, the original beer from Boulevard has been around longer than all of its peers. Both are consistently good, even if they lack some of the bells and whistles you find with other football teams/beers.
West Virginia = Bourbon Barrel Quad. I can’t envision a Mountaineer sipping a fruity IPA. But I can sure as hell envision him drinking beer that tastes like bourbon.
Oklahoma State = Wheat. Never tastes bad, occasionally tastes really good. You can drink a lot of them at a tailgate. I can see Mike Gundy drinking one. Sounds about right.
TCU = Bully Porter. The dog on the label kind of reminds me of Gary Patterson. Also, porters aren’t the easiest beers to drink and the Horned Frogs are never easy to play.
Texas Tech = American Kolsch. If all you’re looking for is something easy to drink, you’ve come to the right place. But there’s not a whole lot else there. Kind of like the Red Raiders. Fun offense and that’s about it.
Iowa State = Jam Band. On the right day, few things are more refreshing than drinking a single Jam Band. But you never want more than one. Kind of like the Cyclones. They have a good season here and there, occasionally upset a power team like Oklahoma. But they’ve never won bowls in back-to-back seasons. And they keep losing to the Pale Ale in taste tests.
Baylor = Chocolate Ale. It came out of nowhere and surprised everyone with its awesome taste. Then Boulevard overproduced it and someone decided to add raspberry and ruin the whole thing. Then it was gone, not unlike Baylor’s brief football success.
Kansas = Vamos. The beer is solid, but look at what has happened to the Royals since Boulevard created this beer in their honor. Lots and lots of losing.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-cards="hidden" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">K-Dawg, this coming spring semester I have to choose a 3 hour elective to finish off my degree. Can be literally any class on campus. What do I take?</p>— Mark McDermed (@MarkMcDermed) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarkMcDermed/status/1025085427068416000?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 2, 2018</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
You came to the right place, Mark.
I was in a similar predicament not so long ago. During my final semester of college, I needed three journalism hours and five elective hours to earn my degree. So I looked for two things to complete my schedule: easy academic courses I could pass without attending every class and P.E. credits that I could pass while wanting to attend every class.
Went with Earthquakes and Natural Disasters (so easy) and Weight Lifting (sadly, the instructor gave us written homework assignments).
If I could do it over I would have looked into a subject that I legitimately wanted to learn more about. Maybe Astronomy.
Perhaps there is a way you can do both. Does K-State offer Tailgating, Brewing or Barbecue?
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-cards="hidden" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">You have to pick one coach to lead your program from the following: Matt Campbell, Tom Herman or Matt Rhule.</p>— John Kurtz (@jlkurtz) <a href="https://twitter.com/jlkurtz/status/1025073570823766016?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 2, 2018</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Matt Campbell is a good coach, but I don’t like the way he bends his hat. Way too pointy.
Matt Rhule gets points for wearing a green jacket to Big 12 media days, but he talks too much about Joe Paterno for my liking.
Tom Herman has done nothing to annoy me. I actually liked his antics at the Texas Bowl last year. I will go with him.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-cards="hidden" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">How big an issue will it be for the men's team that they can't fill that scholarship?<br>It feels pretty embarrassing.</p>— Cats, Chiefs & Catts (@Brokensky1113) <a href="https://twitter.com/Brokensky1113/status/1025088265966297088?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 2, 2018</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
I honestly don’t think it’s that big of a deal. If I had to boil my opinion on this down to one word on this topic it would be: Meh.
Could Bruce Weber and his coaching staff have done a better job recruiting with their last remaining scholarship? Yes. They wanted Kevin McCullar, and he chose Texas Tech. They wanted a traditional transfer, but they waited so long to hear from McCullar that they missed out on one. That’s unfortunate, but not embarrassing.
Austin Trice and Shaun Williams is a pretty good recruiting class. One more talented player would be nice, but now the Wildcats have an extra scholarship to use next year. As long as they get a quality player with it, it’s a wash.
They got a commitment from Montavious Murphy, a three-star forward, on Thursday night. Now they have three more scholarships to recruit with in 2019.
This story was originally published August 3, 2018 at 11:59 AM.