The most interesting players to watch as Kansas State Wildcats begin football camp
Kansas State football players suited up for their first preseason practice of the summer on Friday.
It was an exciting moment for everyone involved, as it felt like the Wildcats were taking their first earnest step towards preparing for their season opener against Stanford on Sept. 4 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. That game is still nearly a month away, but kickoff now feels right around the corner.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the most interesting players who fans should keep an eye on as preseason camp gets underway. We already know what to expect from established starters like Skylar Thompson and Deuce Vaughn. These guys could make a big difference, too.
Julius Brents
Chris Klieman added eight Division I transfers to the K-State roster during the offseason, and the Wildcats will be counting on all of them to make an impact this season. But expectations are highest for Julius Brents.
The 6-foot-4 Iowa transfer could be a transformative player on defense as a cornerback.
K-State corners typically line up well off the line of scrimmage when they are in coverage to help make sure they don’t get beat deep by a wide receiver. That is not the case with Brents. He is athletic and physical enough to play press coverage and disrupt receivers throughout their routes.
Thompson as described Brents as a “quarterback’s nightmare” in coverage. Klieman has said he has NFL potential.
He flashed that talent during 19 games with the Hawkeyes, but had troubles staying on the field because of injuries. If he stays healthy and lives up to preseason hype, it’s not a stretch to think he could be K-State’s top lockdown corner in quite some time.
Will Howard
When it comes to the quarterback position, all eyes will understandably be fixed on Skylar Thompson this season.
The experienced passer is back as a “super senior” and appears ready to pick up where he left off last year, before he suffered a season-ending injury against Texas Tech but after he led the Wildcats to a thrilling victory at Oklahoma.
But don’t forget about Will Howard.
Though he struggled to replace Thompson as a freshman, completing 90 of 168 passes for 1,178 yards to go along with eight touchdowns and 10 interceptions, he did enough things right to win two games as a starter.
Howard followed that up with a strong spring that left some saying he was the most improved player on the entire time.
To that end, Klieman has gone out of his way to say it feels like K-State has two starting quarterbacks this season. That is obviously hyperbole, but it does suggest that Howard will likely continue to see some action in a complementary role behind Thompson.
Offensive coordinator Courtney Messingham has said he may give Howard his own package of plays this season to help keep some mileage off of Thompson, especially when K-State is trying to run the ball between the 20s. If Howard is good enough, he will be on the field in some capacity.
Malik Knowles
It’s almost hard to believe Malik Knowles has been catching passes for K-State since 2018.
Is this the year the redshirt junior receiver stays healthy and adds a much-needed vertical element to the passing attack?
That question alone makes Knowles one of the most interesting players at K-State, if not the entire Big 12. At 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds, Knowles has all the tools to be a difference-maker, yet he has only caught 50 passes for 701 yards and eight touchdowns in his entire career.
Coaches blame injuries for his low production and are optimistic he has improved his body to a point where he will be able to play in all 12 games this season. If that, indeed, happens, Thompson will target Knowles like a No. 1 receiver this season. His final game of 2019 included six catches for 95 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Chabastin Taylor is also an interesting X factor at receiver this season. He was the team’s most productive receiver with 19 catches for 293 yards last season, but he suffered a torn ACL in the final game against Texas and is only now getting back to full speed.
Timmy Horne
How will K-State replace the losses of Wyatt Hubert and Drew Wiley on the defensive line?
Good question.
The Wildcats hope the answer will be as simple as inserting Charlotte transfer Timmy Horne into the starting lineup. Horne comes to K-State after making 101 tackles during his three years in Conference USA and made an impression on teammates during spring practice.
Klieman says he is the hardest defensive tackle to block on the entire team. K-State fans will hope that is true, because defensive line was a strength last season.
Daniel Green
It’s time for Daniel Green to live up to his billing as a four-star recruit.
The 6-foot-3 and 233-pound junior linebacker from Portland, Oregon has been a solid player for the Wildcats in each of the past two seasons, piling up 73 tackles and 4 1/2 sacks in 23 games. But he has mostly served a backup role.
That will change this season without Elijah Sullivan and Justin Hughes starting in the middle of K-State’s defense. The Wildcats are essentially starting over at linebacker. They brought in Utah State transfer Eric Munoz and moved Wayne Jones there to add depth. But they need a playmaker to lead the unit, and Green seems like the man for the job.
He could add stability to K-State’s entire defense by locking down a starting role and making important tackles. Or the position could feel like a revolving door if he struggles.