KSO Picks: Kansas State breakout players
Kansas State breakout offensive player
DY: Rotations due to improved depth could truly dim the light for a few on the Kansas State roster. I think that kind of happens a little at wide receiver and perhaps maybe even tight end. Dylan Edwards should qualify, right? I could see him being the talk of college football at times because of his speed and burst.
Mason: Receiver Tre Spivey got a mention as being in the top six wideouts this week by K-State assistant Matt Wells. Opportunities will come and I think Spivey is equipped to handle them.
Drew: It feels a bit like low hanging fruit, but I’m going to go with Keagan Johnson. I think he’s due for a big season and may end up leading Kansas State in receiving yards. He has been the talk of the offense during training camp and looks very impressive from a physical standpoint. I am back on the Keagan Johnson bandwagon and could be the bus driver.
Breakout defensive player
DY: A defensive end seems appropriate here, or Austin Romaine. Give me Ryan Davis. His name is getting louder and louder.
Mason: K-State needs a defensive end to step up and Tobi Osunsanmi would fit the bill if he could do it. It might be too crowded of a room to bring to fruition, but I don’t think anybody is so good to lock down a spot.
Drew: I’m going to go with VJ Payne. I have thought he was one of the more underrated players on the entire roster for a bit now. Watching his press conference last week got me very excited about his potential and think he can really shine through and be an All-Big 12 selection.
Top K-State true freshman
DY: Simply put, hardly any true freshmen are being spoken about right now and more so because Kansas State doesn’t necessarily need one to surface at any specific spot. Heck, they don’t even have a true freshman defensive lineman on scholarship. Neither of the linebackers are ready. Offensive linemen won’t play year one. They don’t need Blake Barnett this year. Those most equipped are kind of buried, such as cornerback Zashon Rich or running back DeVon Rice. My stab in the dark is wide receiver Jacques Spradley-Demps, but it wouldn’t stun me if none played a significant role.
Mason: I don’t think we see the true freshmen presence on field in 2024 like we did in 2023. DeVon Rice might have the best chance to claim this title on various touches through the year. His skills might flash at a few key moments.
Drew: This one is a bit tougher because the players that could break through as true freshmen have some traffic ahead of them. Ultimately I’m going to go with Zashon Rich because I think there is a chance he plays and potentially does not redshirt. Jacob Parrish and Kanijal Thomas did not redshirt as true freshmen while playing a majority of special teams and that may be the route for Rich.
Top position group
DY: Just because the defensive ends don’t have the experience, the correct answer is cornerback, safety or running back. Again, I don’t see anyone in the league matching what K-State has with Edwards and DJ Giddens. Running back it is for me.
Mason: The safeties are going to be really good, but I am going to take the running backs. DJ Giddens is one of the best running backs in a conference full of them. His running mate, Dylan Edwards, might be the most dynamic player on the roster and will be fed the ball in a myriad of ways. A lot of the offense’s success will come from those two guys.
Drew: I’ve said it all summer, but it’s safety for me. I love the safeties Kansas State has on the roster. In fact I think all three starting safeties will play on Sundays. Could all three push for All-Big 12? It’s definitely possible.
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