Kansas State football linebacker Daniel Green to return as super-senior in 2023

Kansas State's football team got a lot better on defense Saturday, and that's not even counting a key transfer portal addition.

Middle linebacker Daniel Green, a preseason All-Big 12 pick, announced via social media that he is returning next year as a super-senior after an injury-plagued 2022 season.

"I have thought long and hard about leaving and entering the 2023 NFL draft," he wrote. "After a season plagued by injury and not being 100% for most of the year, I wanted to finish my college career playing my best ball. See y'all in the fall."

Green, a 6-foot-3, 242-pound senior from Portland, briefly entertained thoughts of leaving after a breakout junior year in 2021 when he led the team in tackles with 89 and tackles for loss with 16, while recording three sacks and two fumble recoveries. But he decided to return after an 8-5 season in hopes of helping the Wildcats win a conference championship.

More:Kansas State football defensive end Felix Anudike-Uzomah to enter 2023 NFL draft

K-State did win a Big 12 title, thanks in large part to Green and Eli Huggins' goal-line stop on fourth down in overtime that allowed the Wildcats to beat TCU, 31-28. Despite a series of ailments that seldom allowed him to practice, forced him to miss one game and included an in-season surgery, he finished fourth on the team with 58 tackles, including 3.5 for loss and two sacks, plus the first two interceptions of his career.

Green suffered an abdominal injury early in a 38-28 regular-season loss at TCU on Oct. 22 and missed the next game against Oklahoma State. But he fought his way back after the surgery and had a season-high 10 tackles in the championship game rematch with the Horned Frogs.

Green, who was elected a team captain before the season, emerged as a vocal leader on defense, even when he was hobbled. It was widely believed that he would move on to the NFL until rumors began to surface recently that he might come back.

After redshirting in 2018, Green recorded 219 career tackles, 28.5 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks in the next four years.

With Green's announcement, K-State now will return all three starting linebackers. Austin Moore had a big year as the weak-side linebacker with a team-high 87 tackles to go with 10 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and an interception. Strong-side backer Khalid Duke added 44 tackles, five for loss, with three sacks.

The Wildcats already lost junior defensive end Felix Anudike-Uzomah, the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year to the NFL draft in the past week and will have to replace senior cornerbacks Julius Brents and Ekow Boye-Doe as well.

More:Kansas State football adds running back and welcomes receiver Phillip Brooks back for 2023

Wildcats add transfer Jevon Banks

With super-senior nose guards Huggins and Robert Hentz exhausting their eligibility, K-State went shopping for veteran interior line help in the transfer portal.

The Wildcats got it Saturday with a commitment from former Mississippi State redshirt sophomore Jevon Banks.

Banks appeared in 10 games for the Bulldogs in 2022, recording 17 tackles. In 20 career games, he has 26 tackles, four for loss, with one-half sack.

Starters Huggins and Hentz saw most of the action in the middle of K-State's defense during the past season, combining for 41 tackles, seven tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. The Wildcats do return Uso Seumalu, who had five tackles, including two for loss, and redshirt freshman Damian Ilalio, who appeared in four games with two stops.

Arne Green is based in Salina and covers Kansas State University sports for the Gannett network. He can be reached at agreen@gannett.com or on Twitter at @arnegreen.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas State football linebacker Daniel Green will be back in 2023