SE: Five Returning Seniors Could Define 2021 for K-State Football
Feb 09, 2021 | Football, Sports Extra
By: Austin Siegel
Skylar Thompson didn't want to end his K-State career after a season-ending injury against Texas Tech.
"I'm a pretty competitive kid…I treated every day of my rehab like it was game day" Thompson said. "I didn't want to go out like that. I've got a lot of football in the tank."
You don't find many guys like Thompson in college football.
NFL teams might think about franchise quarterbacks in terms of decades, but college programs are lucky to find a player who can hold down any position on the field for more than two years.
Ask yourself how well you knew names like Deuce Vaughn, Will Howard, Briley Moore or Justin Gardner last February. 2020 was a season of new faces for K-State Football.
2021 is already shaping up to be a different story and a big part of that has to do with the players who spoke to the media on Friday.
These five seniors will take advantage of a season that didn't count towards their college eligibility due to COVID-19, returning for a sixth year at K-State. Here's a quick look at what each one of them has done in Manhattan and what 2021 could have in store.
QB Skylar Thompson
The Numbers: 626 Passing Yards & Four Touchdowns, 38 Rushing Yards & Three Touchdowns Before a Season-Ending Injury in 2020
In a Tweet: "30-game starter at K-State and one of the most efficient quarterbacks in Big 12 history. He's eighth all-time in interception percentage."
Oklahoma fans might be wondering if Thompson is Michael Meyers, asking themselves just how many more times he's going to show up as the villain in another Sooner horror movie.
Two memorable wins over a top-five Oklahoma team and a victory in the Cactus Bowl have been the signature moments during Thompson's career in Manhattan. He's coming back in 2021 with his eyes on an encore.
"I'm going to embrace this opportunity," Thompson said. "I was just talking to Khalid Duke and he said he was born in 2002. I was sitting there like 'I was in Kindergarten when you were born.' Being able to mentor guys and use the things I've gone through and experienced here to make them better. That's what I'm going to invest in."
The supporting cast around Thompson might just be the most experienced of his K-State career.
He begins 2021 with a third-year head coach and offensive line full of returning talent. Deuce Vaughn gives Thompson the reigning Big 12 Freshman of the Year at running back, part of an offense that also returns four of five leading receivers.
"After the Oklahoma game, I felt like I was starting to get into a groove and playing good football. Of course, that's when everything happened" Thompson said. "It's always been my dream to play at the next level and I believe I need more film in this offense. It was a pretty easy decision for me."
C Noah Johnson
The Numbers: Started Every Game in 2020, O-Line Finished First in the Big 12 in Sacks Allowed
In a Tweet: "An All-Big 12 offensive lineman, Johnson brings chemistry with Thompson and experience transforming an inexperienced O-Line into the team's most improved unit."
Noah Johnson wasn't ready to be done with college football. Any lingering doubts about his decision in 2021 were erased after a conversation with his quarterback.
"Once Skylar got hurt and let me know about his plans, it was pretty much a guarantee that I was going to run it back," Johnson said. "As soon as that happened, I was all in."
A former JUCO transfer from Butler Community College, Johnson might have been the most consistent part of a K-State offense that changed dramatically throughout the 2020 season.
He was an invaluable constant for a position group that took big strides in his first season as a starter. That's something that should continue in 2021, though Johnson said it's going to take more than just walking through the door every day.
"We can be a lot better. It's going to require action and it's going to require work," he said. "Everybody loves the word potential, and I think we have an insane amount of potential with some of our young guys, but it's going to require action and work."
DB Jahron McPherson
The Numbers: Started Every Game in 2020, Led Team with 54 Tackles, Snagged Two INTs
In a Tweet: "Team captain and an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention at safety, McPherson has starts across three seasons. Burst onto the Big 12 scene against No. 3 Oklahoma in 2020."
McPherson was the first senior to announce his return to K-State in 2021 and could anchor a revamped secondary next to Iowa transfer Julius Brents and Louisville transfer Russ Yeast.
There might not be a more interesting position group to watch when spring football starts.
"Emerging and playing strong safety for the first time, I feel like I played OK," McPherson said. "Getting extra [time] with Coach Klanderman in the spring and summer, I feel like I can be a way better player than I was last year."
Even as the Wildcats lost some of their early-season momentum on defense, McPherson was a reliable presence at the back of the K-State secondary.
He played some of his best games of the season against nationally ranked opponents, with 11 tackles and a pick against No. 3 Oklahoma and seven tackles against No. 14 Oklahoma State.
"Everyone has their goals and ambitions. That was one of my goals that I wrote down on a piece of paper at the beginning of fall camp," McPherson said, of leading the team in tackles. "That was a big accomplishment for me."
LB Cody Fletcher
The Numbers: Three Starts at Linebacker in 2020, 44 Tackles, 1.5 Sacks
In a Tweet: "A player who's grinded from JUCO to special teams to starting linebacker at K-State, Fletcher will look to be a week-in week-out force for the Wildcats in 2021."
Every offseason is a challenge, but Cody Fletcher believes in what K-State is building.
"The main thing I'm going to bring is leadership and experience. I know there are a lot of young guys coming up in that group," he said. "I played a lot of ball there, haven't started, but I took a lot of snaps. I think helping teach the guys the system is the biggest thing I'll bring."
Fletcher will also have his first opportunity to start for the Wildcats since arriving from Tyler Community College in 2018, after playing behind an experienced duo in Justin Hughes and Elijah Sullivan.
"We're eager to get back out there," he said. "We didn't play our best those last couple games. As a defense, that's not something we want to be remembered by. We want to be remembered for how hard we played and how tough we are."
DE Bronson Massie
The Numbers: Played in Every Game in 2020, 13 Tackles, 2.5 Sacks
In a Tweet: "Experienced edge rusher with 42 game at K-State, looking to build off career-highs across the board in 2020 and impress in a starting role at a position of need."
They call him Boom, even if that nickname was actually earned playing Little League.
Playing behind the NFL-bound Wyatt Hubert and All-Big 12 Drew Wiley in 2020, Massie found a way make his presence felt with new career-highs in tackles for loss (4.5) and sacks (2.5).
"I think our potential is very big, we've got some young guys who could take the next step," he said. "Last year was the best season I've had since I've been here."
Like so many members of this K-State defense, Massie's return was motivated by an ending to the 2020 season that he couldn't walk away from.
There's not a position group on the Wildcats more in need of an impact player in 2021 than defensive end. For Massie, it's an opportunity he's been waiting for.
"This is my last ride for sure," he said. "I want to give it all I got and bring my brothers with me."
Skylar Thompson didn't want to end his K-State career after a season-ending injury against Texas Tech.
"I'm a pretty competitive kid…I treated every day of my rehab like it was game day" Thompson said. "I didn't want to go out like that. I've got a lot of football in the tank."
You don't find many guys like Thompson in college football.
NFL teams might think about franchise quarterbacks in terms of decades, but college programs are lucky to find a player who can hold down any position on the field for more than two years.
Ask yourself how well you knew names like Deuce Vaughn, Will Howard, Briley Moore or Justin Gardner last February. 2020 was a season of new faces for K-State Football.
2021 is already shaping up to be a different story and a big part of that has to do with the players who spoke to the media on Friday.
These five seniors will take advantage of a season that didn't count towards their college eligibility due to COVID-19, returning for a sixth year at K-State. Here's a quick look at what each one of them has done in Manhattan and what 2021 could have in store.
QB Skylar Thompson
The Numbers: 626 Passing Yards & Four Touchdowns, 38 Rushing Yards & Three Touchdowns Before a Season-Ending Injury in 2020
In a Tweet: "30-game starter at K-State and one of the most efficient quarterbacks in Big 12 history. He's eighth all-time in interception percentage."
Oklahoma fans might be wondering if Thompson is Michael Meyers, asking themselves just how many more times he's going to show up as the villain in another Sooner horror movie.
Two memorable wins over a top-five Oklahoma team and a victory in the Cactus Bowl have been the signature moments during Thompson's career in Manhattan. He's coming back in 2021 with his eyes on an encore.
"I'm going to embrace this opportunity," Thompson said. "I was just talking to Khalid Duke and he said he was born in 2002. I was sitting there like 'I was in Kindergarten when you were born.' Being able to mentor guys and use the things I've gone through and experienced here to make them better. That's what I'm going to invest in."
The supporting cast around Thompson might just be the most experienced of his K-State career.
He begins 2021 with a third-year head coach and offensive line full of returning talent. Deuce Vaughn gives Thompson the reigning Big 12 Freshman of the Year at running back, part of an offense that also returns four of five leading receivers.
"After the Oklahoma game, I felt like I was starting to get into a groove and playing good football. Of course, that's when everything happened" Thompson said. "It's always been my dream to play at the next level and I believe I need more film in this offense. It was a pretty easy decision for me."
C Noah Johnson
The Numbers: Started Every Game in 2020, O-Line Finished First in the Big 12 in Sacks Allowed
In a Tweet: "An All-Big 12 offensive lineman, Johnson brings chemistry with Thompson and experience transforming an inexperienced O-Line into the team's most improved unit."
Noah Johnson wasn't ready to be done with college football. Any lingering doubts about his decision in 2021 were erased after a conversation with his quarterback.
"Once Skylar got hurt and let me know about his plans, it was pretty much a guarantee that I was going to run it back," Johnson said. "As soon as that happened, I was all in."
A former JUCO transfer from Butler Community College, Johnson might have been the most consistent part of a K-State offense that changed dramatically throughout the 2020 season.
He was an invaluable constant for a position group that took big strides in his first season as a starter. That's something that should continue in 2021, though Johnson said it's going to take more than just walking through the door every day.
"We can be a lot better. It's going to require action and it's going to require work," he said. "Everybody loves the word potential, and I think we have an insane amount of potential with some of our young guys, but it's going to require action and work."
DB Jahron McPherson
The Numbers: Started Every Game in 2020, Led Team with 54 Tackles, Snagged Two INTs
In a Tweet: "Team captain and an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention at safety, McPherson has starts across three seasons. Burst onto the Big 12 scene against No. 3 Oklahoma in 2020."
McPherson was the first senior to announce his return to K-State in 2021 and could anchor a revamped secondary next to Iowa transfer Julius Brents and Louisville transfer Russ Yeast.
There might not be a more interesting position group to watch when spring football starts.
"Emerging and playing strong safety for the first time, I feel like I played OK," McPherson said. "Getting extra [time] with Coach Klanderman in the spring and summer, I feel like I can be a way better player than I was last year."
Even as the Wildcats lost some of their early-season momentum on defense, McPherson was a reliable presence at the back of the K-State secondary.
He played some of his best games of the season against nationally ranked opponents, with 11 tackles and a pick against No. 3 Oklahoma and seven tackles against No. 14 Oklahoma State.
"Everyone has their goals and ambitions. That was one of my goals that I wrote down on a piece of paper at the beginning of fall camp," McPherson said, of leading the team in tackles. "That was a big accomplishment for me."
LB Cody Fletcher
The Numbers: Three Starts at Linebacker in 2020, 44 Tackles, 1.5 Sacks
In a Tweet: "A player who's grinded from JUCO to special teams to starting linebacker at K-State, Fletcher will look to be a week-in week-out force for the Wildcats in 2021."
Every offseason is a challenge, but Cody Fletcher believes in what K-State is building.
"The main thing I'm going to bring is leadership and experience. I know there are a lot of young guys coming up in that group," he said. "I played a lot of ball there, haven't started, but I took a lot of snaps. I think helping teach the guys the system is the biggest thing I'll bring."
Fletcher will also have his first opportunity to start for the Wildcats since arriving from Tyler Community College in 2018, after playing behind an experienced duo in Justin Hughes and Elijah Sullivan.
"We're eager to get back out there," he said. "We didn't play our best those last couple games. As a defense, that's not something we want to be remembered by. We want to be remembered for how hard we played and how tough we are."
DE Bronson Massie
The Numbers: Played in Every Game in 2020, 13 Tackles, 2.5 Sacks
In a Tweet: "Experienced edge rusher with 42 game at K-State, looking to build off career-highs across the board in 2020 and impress in a starting role at a position of need."
They call him Boom, even if that nickname was actually earned playing Little League.
Playing behind the NFL-bound Wyatt Hubert and All-Big 12 Drew Wiley in 2020, Massie found a way make his presence felt with new career-highs in tackles for loss (4.5) and sacks (2.5).
"I think our potential is very big, we've got some young guys who could take the next step," he said. "Last year was the best season I've had since I've been here."
Like so many members of this K-State defense, Massie's return was motivated by an ending to the 2020 season that he couldn't walk away from.
There's not a position group on the Wildcats more in need of an impact player in 2021 than defensive end. For Massie, it's an opportunity he's been waiting for.
"This is my last ride for sure," he said. "I want to give it all I got and bring my brothers with me."
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