Deuce Vaughn is gone, but Collin Klein likes what Kansas State returns at running back
How do you replace a running back like Deuce Vaughn?
That is a question Kansas State football coaches have refused to contemplate over the past few months. Sure, they have plenty of ideas on how to keep the Wildcats productive on the ground, but they also know they can’t plug another ball-carrier into the backfield and expect him to gain 1,936 all-purpose yards and score 12 touchdowns next season.
Simply put: There is no replacing someone like that.
Still, the Wildcats are optimistic about what they have returning at running back even after they lost an All-American to the NFL. Ask offensive coordinator Collin Klein about the position and his face lights up with confidence.
He is bullish on what D.J. Giddens and Florida State transfer Treshaun Ward can do as a tag-team next season.
“D.J. is an extremely strong runner,” Klein said earlier this week at a Catbackers event in Salina. “He is more of a power back. Treshaun has great short-area quickness. His ability to start and stop in short areas is very impressive. He is also a strong kid with a strong lower body, too. I think they both have great ball skills and both of them are really, really natural catching football. It will be a good combo.”
Both Giddens and Ward were limited or out for much of spring practice, but they showed more than enough skill for Klein to feel good about the position.
Of course, it was already easy to be impressed by Giddens. The redshirt sophomore from Junction City had a strong season behind Vaughn in 2022, as he rumbled his way to 518 yards and six touchdowns on 89 carries. He also added eight catches for 98 yards. By the end of the campaign, K-State coaches trusted him so much they often sent him onto the field whenever they needed someone to gain yards between the tackles on third down.
He is ready for an expanded role in the K-State offense, especially now that he has gained more knowledge of the playbook.
But head coach Chris Klieman has long preferred to split carries between multiple running backs, except for when Vaughn is on the roster. That’s why the Wildcats went searching for a veteran playmaker in the transfer portal. Ward emerged as the best option.
Ward, a senior transfer from Florida State, rushed for 649 yards and seven touchdowns for the Seminoles last season.
“He is very quick,” K-State running backs coach Brian Anderson said. “You can see that on his film at Florida State. He is very good at making people miss at the line of scrimmage and the second level. He has good patience and has good burst to him. I am looking forward to getting him fully healthy and seeing him build on what he has already done.”
Klein also said that he has liked what he has seen from Air Force transfer La’James White and Anthony Frias.
He could see both of them in the rotation as reserves next season.
The Wildcats lost Vaughn to the NFL, but they haven’t lost confidence in their running backs.
This story was originally published May 18, 2023 at 3:12 PM.