Breaking down the good, bad at every position from K-State football spring practice

The Kansas State football team held its final practice of the spring last week.

Here is a position-by-position look at where the Wildcats have improved since the end of last season, as well as some thoughts on where they still need to get better:

Quarterback

Projected starter: Skylar Thompson

Key reserves: Will Howard, Jaren Lewis, Jake Rubley

Analysis: The Wildcats came out of spring practice with a clear pecking order at quarterback. Thompson’s injury rehab is ahead of schedule, which allowed him to throw at moving targets and participate in seven-on-seven drills over the past month. That puts him on pace to once again lead the offense as one of the nation’s most experienced passers next season. Howard has emerged as his clear-cut backup, as he handled all of the first-string work this spring. Lewis looks like a capable option at No. 3. Rubley plans to redshirt as a freshman. That gives K-State more QB depth than it has had in recent years, including two capable passers at the top of the depth chart. Don’t be surprised if coaches find a way to play Howard in a complementary role next season, as he was one of K-State’s most improved players of the spring.

Running back

Projected starter: Deuce Vaughn

Key reserves: Joe Ervin, Jacardia Wright, Keyon Mozee

Analysis: This spring was all about developing depth behind Vaughn at running back, and K-State seems to have done exactly that with the emergence of Ervin and Wright. Ervin “opted out” last season but made several head-turning plays upon his return to practice. Wright also seemed to take a big step forward. After a quiet sophomore year in which he rarely saw the field, the 6-foot, 230-pound runner now seems poised to give the Wildcats a ball-carrying threat between the tackles. That should be a nice change of pace compared to Vaughn’s elusive running style. Here’s what Klieman had to say about him: “Jacardia Wright had an exceptional spring. We need a big back in there at times, and Jacardia ran extremely hard. The game is starting to slow down for him as well as understanding not only the run reads and stuff, but catching the ball out the backfield. Then, probably the most impressive and important thing, is the pass protection. I thought Jacardia did a really good job there.”

Tight end

Projected starter: Daniel Imatorbhebhe

Key reserves: Sammy Wheeler, Konner Fox, Nick Lenners

Analysis: Another year, another impact transfer at tight end. Imatorbhebhe appears capable of catching passes like a receiver the same way Briley Moore did last season. The former Illinois and USC player will add much-needed versatility to the position. Wheeler and Fox are also threats in the passing game. But can any of them block? That’s where Lenners and others could help. For once, K-State’s tight ends might be better at running routes than they are at run blocking.

Wide receiver

Projected starters: Malik Knowles, Phillip Brooks, Chabastin Taylor

Key reserves: Keenan Garber, Seth Porter, Jaelon Travis

Analysis: Klieman called this position a “work in progress” at his final news conference of the spring, which makes sense considering how ineffective K-State receivers were last season. But there are reasons to hope for more receiver production than we saw from them a year ago. Knowles is the biggest one. The junior from Mansfield, Texas is beginning to flash all-conference potential now that he is staying healthy. Garber, a sophomore from Lawrence, also had a nice spring. But the Wildcats need more than that. They are counting on Taylor to recover from injury and play well next season. Brooks will also need to continue to improve for K-State to have a reliable passing game next season. One more name to know: Kade Warner. Fans will want to keep an eye on the Nebraska transfer after he joins the team in the summer. He could be a valuable possession receiver.

Offensive line

Projected starters: Cooper Beebe, Josh Rivas, Noah Johnson, Ben Adler, Christian Duffie

Key reserves: Kaitori Leveston, Witt Mitchum, Taylor Poitier, Logan Long, Talor Warner

Analysis: Overall, this position may have made more progress than any other group over the past year. K-State’s offensive line was a huge question mark last season, as the Wildcats looked to replace five senior starters up front. Now they have some experience and emerging talent. Johnson will anchor the unit as a “super senior.” Coaches have had terrific things to say about Beebe and Duffie at the tackle spots. The unit’s depth is also better. K-State’s front five won’t reach its full potential until it finds a better fit at left tackle, allowing Beebe to move to guard. But things are heading in the right direction here. Klieman thinks they could go 10 deep next season. “Our offensive line has just come leaps and bounds from where we were last year at this time when we had all the new guys and didn’t have spring ball,” Klieman said. “I’m really excited about the growth there.”

Fullback

Projected starter: Mason Barta

Key reserve: Jax Dineen

Analysis: It all comes down to what the staff wants out of the position. Barta is a quality option as a traditional blocker. Dineen offers enough versatility to both block and catch the occasional pass.

Defensive end

Projected starters: Khalid Duke, Bronson Massie

Key reserves: Nate Matlack, Felix Anudike, Brendan Mott

Analysis: It won’t be easy to replace Wyatt Hubert on the edge, but K-State has some talent returning at this position. Duke flashed serious potential as a sophomore last season and Massie is back as a “super senior.” It will be interesting to see how often coordinator Joe Klanderman utilizes them as hybrid linebackers in a 3-3-5 formation. The Wildcats plan to use that look on third downs, and possibly beyond, next season. Duke seems athletic enough to thrive as both a pass rusher and a coverage threat. Matlack had the play of K-State’s final spring practice when he dropped back and intercepted a throw from Howard in the flats. Overall, K-State will try to rotate a bunch of players at defensive end, so depth from Anudike and Mott could be important.

Defensive tackle

Projected starters: Timmy Horne, Eli Huggins

Key reserves: Jaylen Pickle, Robert Hentz

Analysis: The Wildcats hated to lose Drew Wiley last season, but the addition of Horne, a senior transfer from Charlotte, will help soften that blow. Horne appears poised to start right away next season alongside Huggins. Pickle has seen plenty of action in the past and will once again play a key role up front whenever the Wildcats need him.

Linebacker

Projected starters: Daniel Green, Cody Fletcher

Key reserves: Eric Munoz, Nick Allen, Austin Moore, Wayne Jones

Analysis: K-State is at an unusual place with this position. Coaches feel like they have at least six linebackers capable of making an impact next season, which means there is good depth. But there might not be a single linebacker on the roster ready to command the defense or lead the team in tackling. Green, a former four-star recruit, is viewed as the closest thing the Wildcats have to an all-conference linebacker. It would be big for the team if he could take a step forward next season. Fletcher provides a solid starting option as a “super senior” and Munoz has been a good influence since transferring in from Utah State. Jones could be a X-Factor here. He was always good at delivering hits when he played safety. Perhaps a position switch will help him do more of that next season.

Cornerback

Projected starters: Julius Brents, Ekow Boye-Doe

Key reserves: Justin Gardner, Tee Denson

Analysis: If the Wildcats can stay healthy at this position, it could be one of the strongest spots on the defense. Brents was the talk of spring practice after transferring in from Iowa. The 6-foot-3 and 203-pound corner wowed onlookers with both his athleticism and physicality in coverage. K-State coaches are unafraid to play him at the line of scrimmage against quick receivers. Boye-Doe and Gardner are both coming off strong seasons, which gives K-State an impressive three-man rotation at corner. But there are big question marks as you go down the depth chart from there. Don’t be surprised if Klieman tries to add another transfer to help this group.

Safety

Projected starters: Jahron McPherson, Russ Yeast, T.J. Smith (nickelback)

Key reserves: Hunter Henry, Russ Yeast, Ryan Henington

Analysis: Here’s another position that looks strong at the top and weak at the bottom. McPherson will lead the back end of the secondary next season as a “super senior” and Yeast has settled into a starting role beside him since transferring in from Louisville. But there aren’t many capable backups currently on the roster. It’s also unclear who will start at nickelback. Henington spent a lot of time there during the spring, but that was only because of injuries to other players. A healthy Smith will help. Klanderman has said he wants to play McPherson, Yeast and Smith as much as possible next season. Could he be the answer at the nickel? Perhaps, but K-State still needs to add or develop depth at this position. Don’t be surprised if Klieman looks to the transfer portal for reinforcements.

Specialists

Kicker: Ty Zentner

Punter: Jake Blumer

Kick return: Phillip Brooks, Russ Yeast

Punt return: Phillip Brooks

Analysis: The Wildcats appear to be in good hands with Zentner taking over for Blake Lynch at kicker and Brooks resuming his role as an all-conference return man. It will be interesting to see who lines up next to him on kickoffs. K-State experimented with a number of other return options during the spring, including Yeast, Knowles, Vaughn and others.