Buzz: Kansas State standouts from offseason and training camp
Kansas State back-up QB plan
Below is the video of where Kansas State head coach Chris Klieman admits to not being married to a plan of how to approach the back-up quarterback situation just yet. The depth chart revealed that it would be either Jake Rubley or Avery Johnson.
It would have been easy for the coaching staff to just include Will Howard and Rubley, especially since offensive coordinator Collin Klein pointed out that Rubley was ahead, but Johnson was incorporated as well for a reason.
He clearly had a strong enough offseason to warrant consideration for potential snaps this season.
The fact that there is even a discussion about what the K-State coaches will ultimately do with the snaps that Howard isn’t under center is an interesting conversation. I just assumed that Johnson would maybe make an appearance in a few games and Rubley would shoulder much of the burden as the No. 2.
Saturday will likely be our first glimpse of it being addressed in the public eye, as we anticipate Kansas State pulling away from SEMO enough to where Howard doesn’t play the full four quarters. My estimation is that both Rubley and Johnson both see snaps against the Redhawks and very little will be discerned from it.
Evolution and progress of NIL
Curry Sexton is one of the main figures that spearheads WildcatNIL, the main NIL collective that supports Kansas State athletes. We are also fortunate that he posts on the KSO message board and keeps our members informed on how to contribute and why it is important from a competitive standpoint.
Despite it not being his full-time gig, he and other former K-State athletes and supporters have been on the front lines and devoting a ton of time to getting the efforts off the ground and headed in the right direction. He’s working around the clock to gather more funding and more opportunities.
Recently, Sexton has also began a weekly podcast with 3MAW’s Cole Manbeck on the Kansas City Sports Network to discuss Kansas State sports, raise more awareness for NIL and to continue to educate fans on how they can help.
Over time, the K-State efforts have improved more and more as the idea of NIL has evolved in the college space. Whether we want it to or not, it is here and there is a cost to playing for championships. Though it can continue to be improved upon, the Wildcats are competitive enough to where it isn’t a liability.
Can it be better and more effective and efficient? Yes, and player retention is also tied into it.
Even Kansas State head coach Jerome Tang understands how vital of a component it has become and finds it necessary in his hopes of bringing a national championship to Manhattan. Sexton had this to share on Tuesday morning about how the basketball boss has sought to unlock even more NIL support.
“Coach Tang was with us at a NIL event in Wichita last night and shared with us that, upon return from the Middle East, he went directly to Bramlage Coliseum to greet the new K-State students. He then flew to Florida for a coaching clinic, before heading to Arizona to officiate a former GA’s wedding last Saturday. He and his wife spent the day together on Sunday, flew back to Manhattan yesterday, and then drove to Wichita and back last night. He will be joining us at another NIL event tonight in Hiawatha.
This man probably cares more than any one person to ever do it. And if this ^^ doesn’t tell you how important NIL is to him and his staff, I am not sure what will.”
For those unaware, Sexton and the rest of the WildcatNIL crew have also introduced their new NIL fan memberships. It consists of four different tiers where one can choose how much they want to donate per month in exchange for varying levels of access.
K-State MVPs of camp
With nearly every pre-opener practice behind us, it is a great time to spotlight the few Kansas State players that have received the most hype and praise. We have completed this exercise at various points of the offseason and throughout training camp but not yet in a cumulative manner of the entire offseason.
It is fair to single out a group that includes two K-State wide receivers in Keagan Johnson and RJ Garcia, nose guard Uso Seumalo (when he was healthy), linebacker Desmond Purnell and cornerbacks Jacob Parrish and Will Lee.
What do they all have in common? They’re first-year starters for the Wildcats this season.
That means that some of the returning starters just aren’t being mentioned because they have already set the standard for themselves are known commodities and consistently hit that mark. They’d be the talk of the town if they were new to their roles, too.
However, it is a good idea of which new players that Kansas State will count on this season have the highest ceilings of potential or are the ones already seen as reliable.
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