Drew checks in on the depth chart before the Houston game. One position group is starting to run out of players.
Offense
WR
#10 – Kegan Johnson – 6’0”, 206 – Jr. – Bellevue, Neb (Univ. of Iowa)
#0 – Jadon Jackson – 6’1”, 187 – Sr. – Centeron, Ark (Univ. of Mississippi)
or
#8 – Ty Bowman – 6’5”, 220 – Sr. – Chanute, Kan (Chanute)
TE
#86 – Garrett Oakley – 6’5”, 239 – So. – Columbus, Neb (Scotus Central Catholic)
#87 – Brayden Loftin – 6’5”, 237 – So. – Omaha, Neb (Lewis Central (IA)
LT
#71 – Easton Kilty – 6’6”, 307 – Sr. – Stamford, Wis (University of North Dakota)
#78 – John Pastore – 6’6”, 303 – So. – Erie, Colo (Erie)
LG
#54 – Hadley Panzer – 6’4”, 305 – Sr. – Lakin, Kan (Lakin)
#56 – Andrew Leingang – 6’6”, 306 – Jr. – Bismark, N.D. (Century)
C
#75 – Sam Hecht – 6’4”, 287 – Jr. – Shawnee, Kan (Mill Valley)
#66 – Michael Capria – 6’2”, 295 – So. – Liberty, Mo (Liberty)
RG
#69 – Taylor Poitier – 6’3”, 305 – Sr. – Kansas City, Kan. (Bishop Miege)
or
#56 – Andrew Leingang – 6’6”, 306 – Jr. – Bismark, N.D. (Century)
RT
#77 – Carver Willis – 6’5”, 291 – Sr. – Durango, Colo (Durango)
#53 – Drake Bequeath – 6’6”, 292 – So. – Colleyville, Texas (Grapevine)
TE
#83 – Will Swanson – 6’5”, 251 – Sr. – Papillion, Neb (La Vista South)
#80 – Will Anciaux – 6’6”, 246 – Fr. – Wichita, Kan (Kapaun Mt. Carmel)
QB
#2 – Avery Johnson – 6’2”, 192 – So. – Wichita, Kan (Maize)
#5 – Ta’Quan Roberson – 6’0”, 201 – Sr. – Orange, J.J. (Univ. of Connecticut)
or
#7 – Jacob Knuth – 6’3”, 213 – So. – Sioux Falls, S.D. (Univ. of Minnesota)
RB
#31 – DJ Giddens – 6’1”, 212 – Jr. – Junction City, Kan (Junction)
#4 – Joe Jackson – 6’0”, 203 – Fr. – Haines City, Fla (Ridge Community)
RB
#3 – Dylan Edwards – 5’9”, 167 – So. – Derby, Kan (Univ of Colorado)
#47 – La’James White – 5’7”, 196 – Jr. – Kansas City, Kan (Air Force)
WR
#1 – Jayce Brown – 6’0”, 179 – So. – Fort Walton Beach, Fla (Choctawhatchee)
#6 – Sterling Locket – 5’10”, 170 – So. – Leawood, Kan (Blue Valley)
WR
#14 – Dante Cephas – 6’0”, 193 – Sr. – Pittsburgh, Pa. (Penn State Univ.)
#12 – Tre Spivey – 6’4”, 217 – Fr. – Chandler, Ariz (Hamilton)
Notes
- The offense continues to chug along, mostly in one piece. This is a game where K-State needs to get up early and start rotating through the offensive line. Panzer and Willis have both missed time recently; any opportunity to let the heal should be utilized.
- DJ Giddens is another guy that looks like he could use a lighter workload this week. His physical running style requires him to take some teeth rattling hits. I think it’s fair to wonder if his production has slipped a little recently because the cumulative effect off all those hits. I don’t think he’s injured, but he doesn’t look fresh…if that makes sense.
- Keagan Johnson is another guy that’s been fighting through some injuries this season. He’s fought through, but some extra time on the sidelines this weekend could pay dividends down the stretch.
- On the other side of the coin, Brayden Loftin returned to the lineup last week in a limited role, it would be nice to get him back into the flow against Houston.
Defense
#38 – Brendan Mott – 6’5”, 244 – Sr. – Iowa City, Iowa (Iowa City West)
#44 – Tobi Osunsanmi – 6’3”, 248 – Wichita, Kan (Wichita East)
or
#52 – Ryan Davis – 6’4”, 252 – Fr. – Phoenix, Ariz (Sandra Day O’Connor)
DL
#56 – Damian Illalio – 6’2”, 300 – Jr. – Manhattan, Kan. (Manhattan)
#99 – Uso Seumalo – 6’3”, 333 – Sr. – Maunaloa, Hawaii (Garden City CC)
DE
#39 – Travis Bates – 6’3”, 265 – So. – Tomball, Texas (Austin Peay Univ.)
or
#8 – Chiddi Obiazor – 6’6”, 282 – Fr. – Eden Prairie, Minn (Eden Prairie)
DE
#47 – Cody Stufflebean – 6’4”, 257 – Sr. – McPherson, Kan. (McPherson)
#91 – Jordan Allen – 6’4”, 258 – Fr. – (Olathe South)
SLB
#32 – Desmond Purnell – 6’0”, 236 – Jr. – Topeka, Kan. (Hayden)
#23 – Asa Newsom – 6’3”, 228 – Fr. – Waverly, Iowa (Waverly-Shell Rock)
MLB
#45 – Austin Romaine – 6’2”, 242 – So. – Hillsboro, Mo (Hillsboro)
#57 – Beau Palmer – 6’2”, 225 – Sr. – Overland Park, Kan. (Blue Valley)
WLB
#41 – Austin Moore – 6’1”, 220 – Sr. – Louisburg, Kan (Louisburg)
#28 – Rex Van Wyhe – 6’5”, 239 – So. – Rock Rapids Iowa (Iowa Central CC)
CB
#10 – Jacob Parrish – 5’10”, 198 – Jr. – Olathe, Kan. (Olathe North)
#5 – Justice James – 5’10”, 198 – Sr. – West Columbia, Texas (Tyler JC)
SS
#19 – VJ Payne – 6’3”, 211 – Jr.- Gainesville, Ga (Buford)
#2 – Colby McCallister – 5’10”, 200 – So. – Houston, Texas (Clear Brook)
or
#18 – Wesley Fair – 6’1”, 200 – Fr. – Wichita, Kan. (Wichita Collegiate)
JS
#6 – Jordan Riley – 6’0”, 202 – Sr. – Clinton, Md. (Ball State Univ)
#36 – Jack Fabris – 6’1”, 193 – Fr. – Bogart, Ga. (North Oconee)
FS
#21 – Marques Sigle – 6’0”, 197 – Sr. – Omaha, Neb (North Dakota State Univ)
#12 – Nickendre Stinger – 5’11”, 187 – Sr. – Wichita, Kan (Butler CC)
or
#27 – Daniel Cobbs – 5’10”, 190 – So. – Fort Worth, Texas (Tyler JC)
CB
#1 – Keenan Garber – 6’0”, 188 – Sr. – Lawrence, Kan. (Free State)
#34 – Jordan Dunbar – 6’0”, 196 – Jr. – Tarrytown, N.Y. (Rice Univ)
or
#9 – Donovan McIntosh – 6’3”, 190 – Fr. – St. Louis. Mo. (St. Mary’s)
Notes
- The Kansas State coach staff has the first true personnel problem to deal with at linebacker after losing both Beau Palmer and Asa Newsome to season ending injuries in consecutive weeks.
- While excelling at every other position, this staff has struggled to find linebackers, either in JuCo or the portal, and have whiffed on a couple evaluations. That’s not a problem until you start losing guys. It’s a problem now.
- The good news is the front-line guys are still good to go, but they’re going to have to carry the load moving forward.
- One way to take some of the pressure off the linebackers is to put an extra defensive back on the field and let the 3 starters rotate through 2 positions. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a larger role for someone like Colby McCalister moving forward.
- If things get truly bleak, Tobi Osunsanmi has some experience at linebacker and could potentially help against a run heavy team.
Overall
The ‘Cats could use a breather this weekend against Houston. 2 of their last 3 games have been slugfests, and that starts to take a toll. It would behoove the offense to come out hot and the defense to get early stops to let some of the depth play in this one.
At the same time, Willie Fritz and Cougars are coming off their biggest win of the season against an injury ravage Utah team. Their offense isn’t good, and that’s putting it mildly, but their defense has kept them in some games this season. That’s not what Kansas State needs on Saturday. This is one of those games that elite teams put away early in order to avoid the capricious nature of college football.
Let a team like Houston hang around and not only do you have to worry about winning, but you also have to play your starters longer than you would like. This sort of game is the next step in the Wildcat evolution. Good teams win, great teams dominate and knock teams out early.
Houston is feeling good about themselves, can the Wildcats knock that feeling out of them by halftime?
It would be a whole lot cooler if they did.