Five notable things Chris Klieman said about start of spring football at Kansas State
Spring practice is underway for the Kansas State football team.
Head coach Chris Klieman and his assistants gathered with K-State players on Tuesday morning for their first practice since the Sugar Bowl went final in December. The Wildcats will repeat that drill 15 times until spring practices come to an end on April 15.
For now, Klieman thinks the Wildcats are off to a good start.
Here are the five most notable things he had to say following his team’s first practice:
K-State is limited with injuries at two key positions
Spring is an opportunity for some K-State players to work on their craft and make a case for extra playing time. But not all. This time of year, there are always a dozen or so K-State players who are recovering from injuries that required offseason surgeries. For them, this is a time to get healthy.
With that in mind, Klieman said only about 80 players will be full participants at practice this spring.
Injuries are most apparent at tight end and defensive end.
“We won’t be in the the double-reps system like we typically do our double reps in the spring,” Klieman said. “We might become ‘(full) team on one end’ and ‘seven-on-seven on the opposite end,’ because we do have some defensive backs and wide receivers.”
Some notable players who won’t be practicing this spring include tight end Ben Sinnott, running back Treshaun Ward, running back DJ Giddens, offensive lineman Taylor Poitier and safety Kobe Savage.
All are expected to be back at full strength for the start of summer workouts and fall practices.
Evaluating new options at running back
K-State will look much different in the backfield next season without Deuce Vaughn.
The two-time All-American who did seemingly everything as an offensive weapon for the Wildcats over the past three years is off to the NFL. In all likelihood, sophomore D.J. Giddens and Florida State transfer Treshaun Ward will split carries next season.
But it may be a while before we figure out what the rotation looks like, or if any other running backs are deserving of playing time.
Several ball-carriers will get an opportunity to prove themselves this spring. With Giddens and Ward both unable to practice fully, K-State will turn to reserve players like Anthony Frias, Evan Cantu, Jordan Schippers and La’James White.
“There are a lot of guys there,” Klieman said, “who are going to get a lot of reps.”
Unfinished business for offensive coordinator Collin Klein
K-State offensive coordinator Collin Klein decided to stay with the Wildcats after interviewing for the same job at Notre Dame earlier this year.
Why did Klein remain loyal to Klieman and K-State?
“When you have success you get opportunities,” Klieman said. “We had a number of guys have opportunities. I think, at this time in his life for (Collin Klein), we talked and we have unfinished business here. What a great opportunity he had to go and interview. He and I got a chance to visit and he visited with some other people. It was the right thing for him to stay at K-State right now. We talked about a lot of the people we have returning as well as the new players we have coming in and we’ve just got some unfinished business.”
New receivers coach makes impact on day one
There was some turnover on Klieman’s coaching staff, though.
Former wide receivers coach Thad Ward left for Illinois during the offseason and Klieman opted to replace him with Matthew Middleton. He was the best candidate for the job because of his familiarity with the region, his previous working experience with K-State coaches and his passion on the sideline.
That last part was obvious on Tuesday.
“A number of coaches that we had visited with spoke really highly of Matthew and his ability to teach, his ability to build relationships and his ability to recruit,” Klieman said. “We just thought it was the right fit. Watching him out there at the first practice, he’s got great energy and does a really good job of connecting with with the players.”
Position change for Khalid Duke
Khalid Duke started out at as a defensive end for the Wildcats, but he spent the past two years playing at linebacker.
There is a good chance he will be on the move again.
With Daniel Green and Austin Moore both deciding to return at linebacker, there isn’t an imminent need for Duke to help out at that position. But K-State is thin on the defensive line now that Felix Anudike-Uzomah is off to the NFL. Duke has proven that he is best with his hand in the ground as a pass-rusher. It seems likely that he will move back to defensive end for the 2023 season.
Ideally, though, Klieman would like to use him at both spots depending on the situation.
“I think we have got to be really creative with Khalid,” Klieman said. “He has the ability to drop and he’s shown that so well. We don’t say he is just a left end or a right end or a linebacker. I think Duke’s versatility is really something that is going to help our defense, because of the multitude of things he can do.”