Five K-State football storylines to watch as training camp begins for Wildcats
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- K-State opens training camp early for Week 0 rivalry opener in Dublin, Ireland.
- Quarterback Avery Johnson targets improved pocket presence and deep accuracy.
- Wildcats must rebuild offensive line and secondary after multiple key departures.
Are you ready for some football?
That question doesn’t usually need to be asked in Manhattan until August at the absolute earliest, but things are happening much earlier than ordinary this summer as the Kansas State Wildcats prepare for a rare Week 0 game against the Iowa State Cyclones in Dublin, Ireland.
K-State football players reported for the start of training camp on Tuesday. Head coach Chris Klieman will run his first preseason practice on Wednesday. From there, it’s full steam ahead until opening day arrives on Aug. 23.
With that in mind, here are five story lines to monitor as the Wildcats begin earnestly preparing for the upcoming season.
1. How much different will training camp look with an the early start?
Good question. We may not learn the answer until the Wildcats spend a few days in their practice facility.
Nobody has written a manual for college teams to follow when it comes to starting the season overseas with a rivalry game against a conference opponent.
The last six teams that have played in Ireland (Georgia Tech, Florida State, Navy, Notre Dame, Nebraska and Northwestern) have combined to go 29-45 over the past three years. Getting ready for this game is a unique challenge. But so is winning games later on the schedule.
It’s possible that Klieman will run training camp the same way he always has, with practice simply starting a week early. But here’s guessing he has spent lots of time on the phone with other coaches to come up with a special plan for this season. It will be interesting to see what that turns out to be.
2. Avery Johnson wants to be a better passer (and runner)
K-State quarterback Avery Johnson says he has spent much of his offseason working on his deep ball. He wants to complete roughly half of his long passes this season as he looks to improve on the 2,712 yards and 25 touchdowns he threw for as a sophomore.
“I’m really just trying to clean up my movement in the pocket and have a better base,” Johnson said. “I want to be a more accurate thrower. Whenever my feet are good, the ball goes where I want it to be. But if I’m moving all over the place and I’m not stable int he pocket, that’s when I’m off with some of my throws. I know I can’t complete every pass, but I’m trying to make all the easy throws and then 50% of my long balls. That would be pretty good.”
But that’s not all.
The Wichita native also has been using unorthodox training methods to help him improve as a runner so he can build on the 605 yards and seven touchdowns he had on the ground last season.
Expectations are high for Johnson as he enters his junior campaign at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. He needs to live up to them for K-State to contend for a Big 12 championship. Preseason camp will give us our first true look at Johnson to see if he is making his desired improvements.
3. Time for new playmakers to shine on offense
Jayce Brown is back as Kansas State’s top wide receiver. And Dylan Edwards appears ready to take over as the team’s lead running back after he won MVP honors at the Rate Bowl last December.
That, alone, should give fans quiet optimism about the skill players that will be surrounding Johnson this season.
But expectations are also high for Purdue transfer Jaron Tibbs at wide receiver, sophomore running back Joe Jackson and freshman tight end Linkon Cure.
Can they live up to preseason hype?
4. K-State must rebuild its offensive line
Taylor Poitier and Sem Hecht are the only starters that the Wildcats return up front this season.
With experienced reserves like Andrew Leingang, John Pastore, Drake Bequeaith and Michael Capria ready to step into larger roles, most are expecting the Wildcats to remain strong on the offensive line. But losing Ohio State transfer George Fitzpatrick to an undisclosed “medical issue” hurts.
It is unclear how long Fitzpatrick will be sidelined as he recovers from his health scare, but he was projected to start at left tackle.
Can K-State find a backup option for him during training camp?
5. The Wildcats have much to replace in their defensive secondary
Jacob Parrish, Keenan Garber and Marquis Sigle each started all 13 games for the Wildcats last season.
Without them, K-State will have to replace longtime defensive staples at both cornerback positions and free safety. It will be a brand new unit outside of returning safety VJ Payne.
K-State will count on Jack Fabris, Donovan McIntosh, Wesley Fair, Zashon Rich and others to replace huge production in the back end of its defense. How they settle into their roles could be a big factor this season.