Don’t be surprised if Kansas State gives these young receivers a chance at Texas Tech

Here’s a question about the Kansas State football team that probably should have been asked more before the season got underway: How difficult will it be for the Wildcats to replace their top two receivers?

The answer is already obvious.

K-State has sorely missed Malik Knowles and Kade Warner in its first five games. Without them, the Wildcats are averaging just 257.4 passing yards per game (eighth in the Big 12). To make matters worse, veteran quarterback Will Howard has already thrown seven interceptions (worst in the Big 12) compared to 10 touchdowns (eight in the Big 12).

That’s ... Not good.

Even though K-State is now throwing for more overall yardage than it did a year ago (210.5 yards per game) its average yardage per pass has dropped from 7.6 to 7.2. And two of Howard’s most reliable pass-catchers aren’t receivers. Tight end Ben Sinnott ranks first on the team in both receiving yards (286) and receiving touchdowns (three). Running back DJ Giddens ranks third in catches (16) and sixth in receiving yards (181).

Phillip Brooks, Jadon Jackson, Keagan Johnson and RJ Garcia have all made big plays this season, but their play could easily be described as inconsistent. They are solid contributors one game and then not much help the next.

That is why K-State coach Chris Klieman acknowledged this week that the Wildcats might pivot away from those receivers and give some new playmakers a chance to contribute starting against Texas Tech on Saturday at AT&T Jones Stadium.

Maybe that is nothing more than a motivational tactic to get the best out of his under performing starters, but there are a handful of young and talented players in K-State’s receiving corps who could make an impact against the Red Raiders.

Here are a few names to keep an eye on if Klieman follows through and makes a few changes to the depth chart at receiver.

Xavier Loyd

The 6-foot-2 and 191-pound sophomore from Blue Springs showed what he is capable of when he caught a pass for 16 yards from Avery Johnson during the season-opener against Southeast Missouri State.

He has played in three games this season and would jump at the chance to play meaningful snaps for the Wildcats.

Loyd is technically a walk-on for K-State, but he earns the full value of a football scholarship every year thanks to a unique NIL deal.

Jayce Brown

Here is another K-State receiver who was able to catch a pass from Johnson in the first game of the season.

Brown is a 5-foot-11 freshman playmaker from Fort Walton Beach, Florida who has played in two games this year and made one catch for 15 yards. It’s not hard to envision him using his speed to catch a few more passes in the future.

Tre Spivey

From a size perspective, it’s hard to find a better looking receiver than Tre Spivey on the K-State football roster.

He is a 6-foot-4 and 203-pound freshman from Chandler, Arizona who can catch 50/50 passes as well as any of his teammates because of his ability to high point the football.

Spivey has only played in one game this season, but he did haul in a 24-catch in Week 1.

Sterling Lockett

He hasn’t recorded a single statistic for the Wildcats yet, but maybe it’s time for him to start.

The 5-foot-10 and 164-pound redshirt freshman has quite the family connection to K-State. His father, Kevin, was a star for Bill Snyder. So was his uncle, Aaron. And everyone remembers his older brother, Tyler, who is currently catching passes for the Seattle Seahawks.

Most think the youngest of those Locketts is still a year or two away from contributing to the K-State offense, but maybe he is ready for an opportunity now.