Spring football practice began at Kansas State on Friday morning.
Here are a few things I will be watching for while the Wildcats are on the field this month:
1. The K-State offense will look different with yet another new offensive coordinatorcalling plays next season. But how much different? I can’t see Matt Wells making radical changes to the offense after he spent last season working with Avery Johnson as the team’s quarterbacks coach. But not everything will be the same. I expect more from the passing game, especially when it comes to short throws. Using Dylan Edwards as more of a home-run player would also make sense. Perhaps we will get a sneak peek in spring ball.
2. Chris Klieman and K-State players are talking about the football roster as if it is filled with Hulks after the Wildcats spent a few extra weeks in the weight room before the start of spring practice. K-State claims to have added 700 collective pounds of muscle as a team. And four players have clocked speeds above 23 miles per hour in workouts. That all sounds great, but other teams have also been in the weight room. It’s not like the Wildcats have gained superpowers by lifting weights. Or have they? I’m curious to see if there is a noticeable difference in athleticism with this group.
3. It’s boring, but I want to see how the offensive line looks with a new position coach and several holes to fill in the starting rotation. Easton Kilty, Hadley Panzer and Carver Willis were all great blockers. Taylor Poitier and Sam Hecht are back. Who will join them on the front five?
4. Who will serve as Avery Johnson’s backup next season? I assume that Jacob Knuth will be the guy. But it will be interesting to see how Blake Barnett and Dillon Duff look in spring practice.
5. Linkon Cure is the first 5-star recruit to suit up for a K-State spring practice in a long time. Will he be ready to make an immediate impact? I assume the answer is yes. But the Wildcats are loaded at tight end. I want to see how he fits in there.
6. K-State needs to trim its roster down to 105 by the end of spring practices. That means about two dozen walk-ons will be cut. The next few weeks will feel like tryouts for certain players. Will that make this feel like a preseason NFL camp?
7. How much time will K-State devote to the triple-option? Most fans are fixated on Game 1 against Iowa State in Ireland. But the Wildcats also play a tricky home game against Army next season, which means they will need to be prepared to stop a unique offense. It takes time to learn how to defend the triple-option. It would behoove Chris Klieman to get a head start on that now. Otherwise, the Wildcats will only have a week to prepare for it early in the season. Klieman says the plan is to spend some time on the triple-option this month. How much? We will soon find out.
Now, let’s dive into your questions. Thanks, as always, for providing them.
