Is this the final ride for the Purple Wizard? Who the hell knows, honestly.
Bill Snyder cannot die. Going into age 78, he still coaches the Wildcats. The most celebrated (and successful) coach in K-State’s history seems to not be slowing down. Sure, there is the whole thing about holding the school hostage so his son can be the next coach, but hey, we’ll cross that bridge when we get there. As it stands now, Snyder has a QB battle and two new coordinators to worry about, so retirement talk can wait.
Prestige Ranking: 4
The consistent success of Snyder at K-State lends itself to this grade. He has only won two Big 12 championships, yes, but turning around one of the worst programs in the country, leaving, and then coming back and still being successful will get you four stars.
Returning Starters: 12
Offense: 7
WR Isaiah Zuber, LT Scott Frantz, LG Abdul Beecham, C Adam Holtorf, RG Tyler Mitchell, RT Dalton Risner, RB Alex Barnes
Sure, the Wildcats have a quarterback battle going on, but whoever wins should be well protected. The offensive line returns all five(!) starters. This is a group that will be one of, if not the, best O-line in the Big 12. For a tough, physical running team, the experience on the line is huge, and should open lanes for what has potential to be an explosive running game. Tackle Risner has been mentioned in NFL circles, and should be one of the best lineman in the country.
The quarterback position is obviously the most interesting, as two capable candidates are battling for the spot. Alex Delton and Skylar Thompson both saw time last year, with varying degrees of success. Barring a transfer, Thompson is the QB of the future, but Delton played extremely well in the Cactus Bowl. The battle will likely last into the season, and both may juggled around in different situations, this wouldn’t be the first time this happened with Snyder.
Whoever plays QB will likely be forced to make some plays with their feet, because there is not much in the way of experience for the receiving corp. Isaiah Zuber will likely be the lead receiver, coming off of a four touchdown season. Backup Dalton Schoen contributed last season, but beyond that, there is a bunch of unknowns.
It is not all bad at the skill positions though, as running back Alex Barnes returns after rushing for 819 yards last season. Likely the most explosive player on the offensive, Barnes should carry the workload this year and should surpass 1,000 yards behind the veteran O-line.
Defense: 5
DE Reggie Walker, DT Trey Dishon, CB Duke Shelley, SS Denzel Goolsby, FS Kendall Adams
The defense must replace its best run stopper and pass rusher (coincidentally the same guy), and that is not going to be easy. DE Kyle Ball is the returning leader in sacks with… 2.5. The D-line is going to have find someone to get pressure on the QB, especially in the BIG 12, or the young defense is going to suffer.
Speaking of the defense being young, the Wildcats only return their number three linebacker from last season, Elijah Sullivan. With 28 tackles last season, Sullivan will be relied upon to guide the linebacking group. The group will have to round into shape quickly, as K-State will face two nationally ranked teams in the first four weeks of the season.
In the secondary, three of the four starters from last season return. SS Denzel Goolsby is the team’s returning lead tackler, and should be a force on the backend. Despite losing last year’s top cover corner, Duke Shelley is a senior with experience in the system, and should slide into the number one role. As the most experienced unit on the defense, the secondary will be heavily relied upon throughout the season, especially in a conference featuring Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and Texas Tech.
Special Teams: 0
No returning starters? There is no way this could go wrong, right? Kicker Nick McLellan has been in the system for three years but his only action to this point has been an extra point attempt (which he made).
At punter, Devin Anctil comes from JUCO, so he at least has game experience.
Tyroil Smoochie-Wallace All Name Team Member: Jhet Burkhart
Key Losses: Will Geary, D.J. Reed, Byron Pringle
Geary was the team’s best pass rusher AND run stopper, and the young defense is likely going to hurt without his presence. Reed was the best corner and would have made the defensive backfield terrifying. Pringle was the leading receiver last season, and would have been a safety net for the whoever plays QB.
Five Year Recruiting Rank: 61
This actually makes a lot of sense. K-State has always been good because of Snyder finding diamonds in the rough and fitting them to his scheme in order to succeed. This worked well for awhile, but something changed. While glancing around the roster I was amazed by the amount of JUCO guys on the team. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but that makes it somewhat harder to fit people in your system, since you have less time. Add this on to Snyder’s weird affinity for walk ons, and yeah, your recruiting rank is gonna fall.
Alcohol Prediction for Fans: Johnnie Walker Black Label
I’m predicting a successful season for K-State, so I gave them a very well known brand. Plus, it is aged for at least 12 years, making it pretty old in some circles. You know who else is pretty old? Bill Snyder. This makes perfect sense in my opinion.
Outlook:
No one knows when Snyder is going to call it quits, and at this point it is worthless to attempt to try. However, in the event this is it for him, he has a decent team. They shouldn’t be competing in the Big 12 per se, but they can make a bowl. And this being a Bill Snyder team, they will likely upset someone at some point. That being said, games against Mississippi State and West Virginia in the first month of the season makes sorting out the defense imperative. If Snyder can stick with a QB, the Wildcats will be fine, but they can’t afford to play hot potato with who starts, lest they want no offensive cohesion.
If the QB position and the defense sort themselves out, Eight wins is entirely possible, but given the young defense, it is hard to see much more than that. But the Purple Wizard being who he is, will take every chance to prove people wrong.
