Chris Klieman dealing with roster unknowns as Kansas State prepares for opening game
Chris Klieman has a message for every single player on Kansas State’s football roster this week.
All hands on deck.
There are nearly 140 players listed on the Wildcats’ roster, and the majority of them usually enter games knowing that they are unlikely to take the field that week. Freshmen and walk-ons typically watch from the sidelines and are only asked to play in garbage time of blowouts or as emergency options in close contests. But these are not normal times.
A combination of positive coronavirus tests, contact tracing and standard injuries has created personnel uncertainty for Klieman and his coaching staff. So much so that a large chunk of K-State players won’t be able to participate in the Wildcats’ first game of the 2020 season against the Arkansas State Red Wolves on Saturday at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.
“Right now,” Klieman said Monday, “we don’t have anywhere close to the number of guys we started camp with.”
Because of that, he won’t hesitate to call upon any of his healthy players in K-State’s first game of the 2020 season. He is actually counting on using more young players and walk-ons than usual and has “simplified some packages” for them.
“If you’re eligible to play on Saturday,” he said, “you’ve got to be able to play some snaps.”
How many? That depends on exactly how many starters and primary backups aren’t available on Saturday.
Based on video released from recent practices, it seems as though the Wildcats have enough healthy bodies to field a somewhat normal depth chart. Team captains Skylar Thompson, Wyatt Hubert, Justin Hughes, Noah Johnson and Elijah Sullivan all appear ready to play, for example. But sources have said that wide receiver and offensive line have been hit hard with player absences at recent practices.
The Big 12 requires teams to test for COVID-19 three times a week during the season, so those numbers could change quickly.
It’s certainly possible the Wildcats will turn to unusual places for depth this season, especially with the NCAA deciding to freeze eligibility this season. There will be no four-game redshirt rule to worry about. Why not use freshmen and walk-ons for a few snaps each week?
For now, Klieman is open to all options. He has dedicated a great deal of practice time to developing backup players in case they are thrust into a starting role. And he has dedicated some time to training players at new positions, so they can be used elsewhere if necessary.
“Whether it’s a defensive end learning to play D-Tackle or a safety playing linebacker, nickelbacks playing corner, our punter is typically not a field-goal kicker and he’s kicking some field goals,” Klieman said. “I think you have to do all of those things to give yourself a chance in case something happens.”
The good news for K-State: this is a challenge for every team.
Many of the football games that have been played thus far have featured sloppy moments that you wouldn’t see from teams when they are at full strength and have benefited from a normal preseason camp.
“I’ve seen it in practice,” Klieman said. “We haven’t been as sharp and as crisp as I’d like for it to be at this time, but at the same respect, not one day since we started this true practice time on August 7, not one day have we had a full complement of players out there, and it’s not like you’re just missing a couple of freshmen, you’re missing a key guy in the secondary, in the O-Line, in the wideouts, the running backs, wherever it may be.”
“The continuity and consistency of play I think may suffer a little bit. Everybody is going through that same thing, so you hope the guys who have enough game experience and have played an awful lot of snaps for you can rise to the top.”