Klanderman, Players Talk with Media on Thursday
Aug 19, 2021 | Football
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman along with four players – defensive backs TJ Smith and Reggie Stubblefield, and defensive linemen Felix Anudike and Timmy Horne – met with members of the media after practice on Thursday. Above are links to each video, and below is a complete transcript.
JOE KLANDERMAN, DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR/SAFETIES
On his top concern about the defense...
"Us executing what we're doing. If we can execute at the at a high rate, we're going to have great practices, and that's been the deal. The deal when we're not communicating, we're not focused on things, that's when explosive plays, mistakes tend to happen. Our deal has been – from the beginning – technique and effort. Now that we got through our installation, guys aren't swimming as much. It's just the execution should be crisp every time."
On the depth at nickelback...
"We're using Reggie Stubblefield in there a little bit more. It wasn't that way the first three days, but he has played at a level where I think he's going to deserve a spot on the field somewhere. We've used Ross Elder in that spot a little bit. He's done that in the past. So, we've had some options there, but right now it's those three guys mostly."
On what young players are impressing…
"Right now, I'd say Marvin Martin is the guy that's off the charts. He's doing a lot of stuff with the older guys right now. (He has) just tremendous body control, good natural feel for the game. Just doesn't quite understand some of the technique things yet. But, if we keep pushing him, I think by October he could be a guy."
On the improvement of defensive end Felix Anudike...
"Tremendous, tremendous. Last year he was a good player that made splash plays in practice, but in the game situations, you were always a little nervous. Now he's the guy, and I think he's stepped into more of a leadership role. You can just tell by the way he walks, talks, act, he's going to be a good player for a lot of years."
On if T.J. Smith is back up to speed after his injury...
"Yes, he is. You wouldn't know anything. He doesn't wear a brace. He's making cuts, running, changing direction. You wouldn't have noticed anything different."
On the linebackers...
"I think Deuce (Daniel) Green and Cody Fletcher have been outstanding. I think they're bringing a level of leadership that they have never brought before. They're hitting things quickly. They're seeing things quicker. They're communicating. Along with that, Ryan Henington has been outstanding. We've used a number of different guys in those spots also, and they're learning things as they go. But those four guys in particular with Wayne Jones being the fourth one, are standing out to me."
On the pass rush capabilities of the defensive line...
"The only thing that's different is Wyatt Hubert is out and Nate Matlack is in. Nate Matlack has been sensational in there. I think with him, Bronson Massie, Khalid Duke, Kirmari Gainous, the same usual suspects from a year ago, it's going to be a pretty good rush that we can put out there. Even some of the bigger guys, the Jaylen Pickles, the Tyrone Talenis, the Tim Hornes, Eli Huggins, those guys can get after the passer too. So, I think we'll be able to generate as much if not more with four."
On the potential of Omar Daniels and Darell Jones...
"Omar Daniels is another guy that's been up on the big field quite a bit. Just athletically, they're both sensational. Omar is ahead of Darell a little bit right now just because he has a better understanding of the game, playing at a high level ball in Georgia in high school. So, he's been up with the big guys, putting time with the older guys and the younger guys, and he's blending in when he's up there. He's still, again, some technique thing, same thing as Marvin Martin, but those guys are going to be solid guys, but you've got to keep developing those guys physically. Our older guys tell you, that was their problem too. The Tee Densons, the Ekow Boye-Does, those are the guys that played at 170 pounds. That's where those guys are at right now, and it's just hard to do in the Big 12. But, in future years here, they're going to be a great tandem."
On defensive back Ekow Boye-Doe...
"Ekow Boye-Doe has been phenomenal right now, as a leader and just in terms of his knowledge of stuff. A year ago at this time, he was a scout receiver. He wasn't doing any of this stuff. The leaps and bounds he's made in 12 months is incredible, really difficult."
On defensive tackle Timmy Horne...
"Tim's been great. Inside, I think, we're going to be as salty as we've ever been here. You throw in the D Hentz (Robert Hentz II), Jaylen Pickle, Tim Horne, Eli Huggins. Those are four guys inside that can get after it pretty good. I don't care who's in there, they're all equally disruptive, equally powerful, not going to move on. They're going to hold gaps. The thing that Tim has been so great on is being a vocal leader. We don't have a lot of vocal dudes here. Jahron McPherson maybe is one, but outside of that, you haven't had that up front. That's why I'm pleased to see Deuce (Daniel) Green taking that role and Tim Horne taking that role even though Tim is a new guy."
On the traits Julius Brents brings at the cornerback position…
"That level of physicality, that level of length. We haven't had too many 6-foot-3 corners around here. That's noticeable when you're out there, it's noticeable when you blitz him, and it's noticeable when he's playing man coverage and he gets his hands on people. He can run, too – and we have some other guys that can run – but he can run and do all those things. So, he's a difference maker continuously."
On the offensive player that gives the defense problems…
"Easy answer is Deuce Vaughn, right. The second easy answer is Skylar Thompson, but I think they're much more cohesive up front right now than they've been. They're deeper in their rotations than they've been at wide out, at tight end. It's cool to see how they're coming along too."
On building depth on the defense...
"It's getting there, it's getting there. We're still young, and we're going to be young this year. It's what it is, but I think we're going to have more guys that you're going to see on the field. I don't think it's going to be – we talked about – we're doing a lot of substitution drills and things like that, just game management type things. There's a lot of times last year we didn't have that luxury. 'Jahron McPherson, your tongue's hanging on the ground, too bad man. That's all we got,' whether it's COVID, or talent or whatever. So we're going to be deeper at every position. Injuries and things are going to happen throughout the year, but we're more ready to handle those things we've ever been in the past."
On Jahron McPherson returning…
"Oh, huge. He's just such a good leader, does everything right, and his development from where he's been, when we first got here as his personality was and his kind of ragged edge a little bit. He's always been a good kid, but he always was kind of on the periphery to being center stage and to being a great leader and to being the guy that everybody looks to when it's crunch time. It's awesome. It's great to see him."
On the expectations for Cincere Mason...
"He's been great. He's been really impressive. He's been rolling a little bit even with the ones at times. Just how much he's learned from June 5th or whenever he got here until now is awesome. That's hard for a new guy to step into some of those things, and you can tell he's played ball before. It's one thing to get a new guy in your program that's a freshman that has talent. It's another thing to get a guy that's played a lot of snaps of college football at whatever level. He's been in the heat, so I trust them in there. I'm excited. You're going to see a lot of him."
T.J. SMITH, REDSHIRT FRESHMAN SAFETY
On the challenges of coming back from injury…
"I would have to say mentally. Physically, I felt like I was prepared, but coming back I had to get over the mental blockages, running, hitting people again, actually jumping for a ball. The other day I jumped for a ball in practice, and I kind of hesitated, but I got over that. So, I'd definitely say mental."
On being called the Wasp because of his physicality…
"I would say that's a part of my game. It's not everything I take pride in, but I just like to run fast to the ball. When you run fast, you get big hit sometimes. So, that's what I really take pride in, running to the ball."
On how tough it was to deal with last year's injury...
"That was honestly the hardest thing I probably had to do in my whole career. It was my first injury, so it was very tough for me, but I just stayed strong mentally. That really got me through the whole process."
On the rehab process….
"A long six, seven, eight months. It was long process. I actually had to take the test three times to get cleared. It was kind of frustrating, but I was happy to just get the whole process over with and get back out here playing football again."
On if missing last season makes him more excited for this year…
"Oh definitely. I'll never take football for granted, even though I never did before. I'll never take for granted."
On if that was the longest he'd ever been away from football…
"I've been playing since I was six. I stopped one year. My eighth-grade year I didn't play, but other than that I've been playing my whole life. So, that might have been my longest."
On if safety is his preferred position…
"I'd say I can play anything – safety, nickel, wherever they want to put me at."
On how much time he sees at the nickel position...
"I don't really see too much right now."
On what's impressed him most about the defense...
"We've been flying around, we've been communicating, we've been physical this year. I'm ready to see what we're going to do against another team because our bond this year is way tighter. I'm loving what I'm seeing from our whole defense, and I'm just ready to go out there and put it all together on the field."
On a teammate who helped him through the injury process last season…
"Eli Sullivan last year because he actually tore his ACL a few years back. So, he kind of helped me through the process. He came back a few weeks ago from the 49ers. He was telling me stuff that they were making him do for his ACL, so I kind of took in on that, and I've been doing that ever since he told me."
On the transfer defensive backs acclimating...
"Oh, very good, very good. Every single last one of them. I love them all. They acclimated pretty good. Reggie (Stubblefield), my boy Reggie, Cincere (Mason), everybody."
On the benefits of rotating so many guys in the secondary…
"Last year we probably didn't have as much depth as we have this year, but I feel like once we rotate, we won't miss a beat, no matter who's on the field. We definitely have way more depth this year, which is a good thing."
On how motivated the defense is after the way last season ended…
"We're very motivated. We plan on being one of the best defenses in the Big 12, maybe in the nation. That's what we pride ourself on every day in practice. That's what we work towards every day."
REGGIE STUBBLEFIELD, SENIOR CORNERBACK
On his first impressions of K-State…
"My first impression of Kansas State is the family atmosphere. That was the biggest thing – everybody's so tight knit, close knit. True love, honestly. I feel everybody cares to be here. That's my first impression."
On playing both at the corner and nickel spot…
"Yes, I've been moving around from corner and nickel, getting a lot of reps at both. Also probably going to get a little bit of safety in too."
On adjusting to the Big 12 level…
"As far as adjusting, probably just more plays, more schemes, more packages, but there hasn't been too much more of adjustment. I always prided myself on being a football player, being smart, physical, taking care of my body. So, it hasn't been too much."
On the emotions throughout his difficult signing process…
"To keep grinding, no matter what. I know there's always something else next in line. So, even though at one point I probably didn't think I was going to go here, I knew that I had something next in line. Just take every day by day and then just keep working with it."
On his reaction when he was allowed to come to K-State...
"Oh, it was one of the best moments. I remember everybody my family, when we got the call that and I could come up here, just screaming. The house was going crazy, and I got on the road like an hour later with a small suitcase. I was already down here. So yeah, I was excited, and I was waiting for it."
On his style of play...
"Very versatile. A DB who can play man coverage, zone coverage and also blitz off the edge, physical too with great footwork. I'm also an intelligent player. Versatile man, I can do a lot."
On his family's role in Stubbs Barbeque…
"My family's role in Stubbs Barbeque right now, my uncle and dad does work with the promotion team. We don't own Stubbs currently, but their role is still impacted. My favorite sauce would have to be sticky sweet. Go into the stores and see that. Yeah, I like sticky sweet."
FELIX ANUDIKE, SOPHOMORE DEFENSIVE END
On where his game has improved since last season...
"Basically, the game scheme. Coming in last year, I didn't really know that much about how to play my role football as a defensive end. Then seeing Wyatt Hubert, Bronson Massie and everybody ahead of me, they taught me the game better and made me play even faster."
On how much weight he has added since he arrived…
"That's actually funny. During quarantine before I was 215 (pounds). Then, the whole quarantine, all I did was lift. I didn't really run that much. I ran like once a week. Then I tacked on to 245. Then, from there, I just kept on gaining weight. Now I've 255."
On if 255 pounds is where he wants to play…
"Yeah, 255 (pounds) is perfect weight for me. I feel good moving."
On if he took anything away from Wyatt Hubert's game as he moved on…
"He said he wants me to learn every d-line position because he said it's very important. To be versatile player from the inside to the outside is 100% what you should do for a defensive lineman so, you can rush inside and you can rush outside. All that I learned from him, which I thank him a lot for that, and I look forward to looking at him in the NFL and see how he becomes."
On the defense being improved this season...
"I think the defense will be improved this season because I feel like we a lot of our people in our position understand the game better. That's what I think improved. We're playing even faster than last year. That's why I feel like having Bronson Massie helping us defensive ends, he's making us better understand how to play the defensive end position."
On the importance of having Bronson Massie back…
"It's very important because he's a veteran. He knows the game situation, because most of us haven't even played a lot of snaps before. He has been in the game situation with like a third down, tight games and other situations. So, he basically taught us how to overcome those obstacles and how to improve."
On playing with so many new transfers on defense…
"We are just building different relationships, which I like a lot. I love building relationships between the team. It makes us grow better, and it makes us become a better team and a bigger family."
On which offensive linemen have shined in his eyes…
"Cooper Beebe. He's very hard. He and I go at it all the time in practice. We push each other a lot. Honestly, we always have competitions. I'm trying to try to beat him on every one-on-one I can get. He got me so far, but I'm going to keep trying."
On defensive end Khalid Duke...
"Oh, he's a dog. Khalid Duke is a dog. I look at him all the time and I'm just, 'Wow, I want to play like that,' because he plays so fast. That's what I'm trying to get my game to be like his so I can play fast through anything."
On the emphasis from Joe Klanderman on getting pressure...
"He talks about a lot. During tempo time, he wants us to keep on getting pressure, because the more pressure we have on the quarterback, the better, and the more it lays off the DBs. So, he emphasized that a lot."
On the transfer defensive backs...
"Oh, it's kind of crazy because they already know what they're supposed to do. When they came here, they learned super fast. They knew the coverages very like fast. It's pretty impressive. Russ Yeast, Cincere (Mason), all of them, and Reggie (Stubblefield). It's surprising how fast they learned the defense like that."
On the leaders on the defense…
"I'll have to say, for the d-line, Tim (Timmy Horne) and Eli (Huggins). Then, I probably say for the linebackers, Daniel Green. And for the backfield, J-Mac (Jahron McPherson)."
TIMMY HORNE, SENIOR DEFENSIVE TACKLE
On his impressions so far of K-State…
"The family atmosphere really, because this place is built off of family and tradition. So, once you come into Manhattan, literally, you will feel the family atmosphere and see how tight-knit everybody is around here."
On how fall camp is at K-State compared to Charlotte...
"It's not different in many ways because camp is camp. You're going to grind either way. You're going to have to camp legs, dog days. So, it's no different because football is football everywhere you go."
On what kind of impact he feels he has made…
"Honestly, leadership and helping people communicate more, because it's extremely important for us to further our communication because communication can fix a lot of things even in life outside of football. It teaches you that, outside of football."
On if he feels he excels better in passing rushing or run defense…
"Honestly, run stop but, this will camp has helped mold into a better pass rusher."
On going against the interior of the offensive line…
"Oh man, every day is a grind with Noah (Johnson), Ben (Adler) and Josh (Rivas). Everyday with them is a grind, especially Noah because we talk about it after practice all the time how much better we are getting with each other. It's extremely important for that because that's going to take us a long way because it always starts up front."
On how he has seen his pass run improve…
"Seeing the keys and seeing my reads. Understanding the backfield set and what the offensive line is giving me and the DND (down and distance). I just narrow my stance to a track stance. I like how the track stance feels."
On who he looked at when he got to K-State…
"Drew (Wiley). Watching Drew highlights because Drew was an interior guy."
On what it has been like working with Trumain Carroll…
"Oh man, Coach Tru is the real deal. The summer conditioning, it was a good summer to get us ready for camp and get us ready for the season. Of course, taking care of your body more and understanding the impact that your body has on the game."
On how he has seen his body change…
"My shoulders broadened out more. My traps got bigger. My arms definitely got bigger. So, it's amazing."
On the defense's mindset of trying to be the best…
"Yes, because it's a mindset, day by day. You want to go attack how you want your end goal to be. So, you have to care about the process and each day. Make sure you take a step to the area we want to go. So, we always pride ourselves on making sure we communicate, play physical and understand what we have in meetings. So, that's something that's important for us and for us to continue to train for."
Horne asks Derek Young of K-State Online his top-five favorite cereals…
Young: Frosted Flakes, Lucky Charms, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Chocolate Krispies and Fruit Loops.
Horne asks Grant Flanders of K-State Online his top-three favorite movies of all time…
Flanders: I'll go Inception, Interstellar and - what's a newer movie I've seen that's really good… Man, I'll throw out The Dark Knight, too. I'll go with three Christopher Nolan movies.
Horne asks Kellis Robinett of the Wichita Eagle/Kansas City Star his top-three favorite Avengers…
Robinett: That's a good one… I'll say Spiderman, Ironman, and… um… can we say Wolverine? He's in the comic version.
JOE KLANDERMAN, DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR/SAFETIES
On his top concern about the defense...
"Us executing what we're doing. If we can execute at the at a high rate, we're going to have great practices, and that's been the deal. The deal when we're not communicating, we're not focused on things, that's when explosive plays, mistakes tend to happen. Our deal has been – from the beginning – technique and effort. Now that we got through our installation, guys aren't swimming as much. It's just the execution should be crisp every time."
On the depth at nickelback...
"We're using Reggie Stubblefield in there a little bit more. It wasn't that way the first three days, but he has played at a level where I think he's going to deserve a spot on the field somewhere. We've used Ross Elder in that spot a little bit. He's done that in the past. So, we've had some options there, but right now it's those three guys mostly."
On what young players are impressing…
"Right now, I'd say Marvin Martin is the guy that's off the charts. He's doing a lot of stuff with the older guys right now. (He has) just tremendous body control, good natural feel for the game. Just doesn't quite understand some of the technique things yet. But, if we keep pushing him, I think by October he could be a guy."
On the improvement of defensive end Felix Anudike...
"Tremendous, tremendous. Last year he was a good player that made splash plays in practice, but in the game situations, you were always a little nervous. Now he's the guy, and I think he's stepped into more of a leadership role. You can just tell by the way he walks, talks, act, he's going to be a good player for a lot of years."
On if T.J. Smith is back up to speed after his injury...
"Yes, he is. You wouldn't know anything. He doesn't wear a brace. He's making cuts, running, changing direction. You wouldn't have noticed anything different."
On the linebackers...
"I think Deuce (Daniel) Green and Cody Fletcher have been outstanding. I think they're bringing a level of leadership that they have never brought before. They're hitting things quickly. They're seeing things quicker. They're communicating. Along with that, Ryan Henington has been outstanding. We've used a number of different guys in those spots also, and they're learning things as they go. But those four guys in particular with Wayne Jones being the fourth one, are standing out to me."
On the pass rush capabilities of the defensive line...
"The only thing that's different is Wyatt Hubert is out and Nate Matlack is in. Nate Matlack has been sensational in there. I think with him, Bronson Massie, Khalid Duke, Kirmari Gainous, the same usual suspects from a year ago, it's going to be a pretty good rush that we can put out there. Even some of the bigger guys, the Jaylen Pickles, the Tyrone Talenis, the Tim Hornes, Eli Huggins, those guys can get after the passer too. So, I think we'll be able to generate as much if not more with four."
On the potential of Omar Daniels and Darell Jones...
"Omar Daniels is another guy that's been up on the big field quite a bit. Just athletically, they're both sensational. Omar is ahead of Darell a little bit right now just because he has a better understanding of the game, playing at a high level ball in Georgia in high school. So, he's been up with the big guys, putting time with the older guys and the younger guys, and he's blending in when he's up there. He's still, again, some technique thing, same thing as Marvin Martin, but those guys are going to be solid guys, but you've got to keep developing those guys physically. Our older guys tell you, that was their problem too. The Tee Densons, the Ekow Boye-Does, those are the guys that played at 170 pounds. That's where those guys are at right now, and it's just hard to do in the Big 12. But, in future years here, they're going to be a great tandem."
On defensive back Ekow Boye-Doe...
"Ekow Boye-Doe has been phenomenal right now, as a leader and just in terms of his knowledge of stuff. A year ago at this time, he was a scout receiver. He wasn't doing any of this stuff. The leaps and bounds he's made in 12 months is incredible, really difficult."
On defensive tackle Timmy Horne...
"Tim's been great. Inside, I think, we're going to be as salty as we've ever been here. You throw in the D Hentz (Robert Hentz II), Jaylen Pickle, Tim Horne, Eli Huggins. Those are four guys inside that can get after it pretty good. I don't care who's in there, they're all equally disruptive, equally powerful, not going to move on. They're going to hold gaps. The thing that Tim has been so great on is being a vocal leader. We don't have a lot of vocal dudes here. Jahron McPherson maybe is one, but outside of that, you haven't had that up front. That's why I'm pleased to see Deuce (Daniel) Green taking that role and Tim Horne taking that role even though Tim is a new guy."
On the traits Julius Brents brings at the cornerback position…
"That level of physicality, that level of length. We haven't had too many 6-foot-3 corners around here. That's noticeable when you're out there, it's noticeable when you blitz him, and it's noticeable when he's playing man coverage and he gets his hands on people. He can run, too – and we have some other guys that can run – but he can run and do all those things. So, he's a difference maker continuously."
On the offensive player that gives the defense problems…
"Easy answer is Deuce Vaughn, right. The second easy answer is Skylar Thompson, but I think they're much more cohesive up front right now than they've been. They're deeper in their rotations than they've been at wide out, at tight end. It's cool to see how they're coming along too."
On building depth on the defense...
"It's getting there, it's getting there. We're still young, and we're going to be young this year. It's what it is, but I think we're going to have more guys that you're going to see on the field. I don't think it's going to be – we talked about – we're doing a lot of substitution drills and things like that, just game management type things. There's a lot of times last year we didn't have that luxury. 'Jahron McPherson, your tongue's hanging on the ground, too bad man. That's all we got,' whether it's COVID, or talent or whatever. So we're going to be deeper at every position. Injuries and things are going to happen throughout the year, but we're more ready to handle those things we've ever been in the past."
On Jahron McPherson returning…
"Oh, huge. He's just such a good leader, does everything right, and his development from where he's been, when we first got here as his personality was and his kind of ragged edge a little bit. He's always been a good kid, but he always was kind of on the periphery to being center stage and to being a great leader and to being the guy that everybody looks to when it's crunch time. It's awesome. It's great to see him."
On the expectations for Cincere Mason...
"He's been great. He's been really impressive. He's been rolling a little bit even with the ones at times. Just how much he's learned from June 5th or whenever he got here until now is awesome. That's hard for a new guy to step into some of those things, and you can tell he's played ball before. It's one thing to get a new guy in your program that's a freshman that has talent. It's another thing to get a guy that's played a lot of snaps of college football at whatever level. He's been in the heat, so I trust them in there. I'm excited. You're going to see a lot of him."
T.J. SMITH, REDSHIRT FRESHMAN SAFETY
On the challenges of coming back from injury…
"I would have to say mentally. Physically, I felt like I was prepared, but coming back I had to get over the mental blockages, running, hitting people again, actually jumping for a ball. The other day I jumped for a ball in practice, and I kind of hesitated, but I got over that. So, I'd definitely say mental."
On being called the Wasp because of his physicality…
"I would say that's a part of my game. It's not everything I take pride in, but I just like to run fast to the ball. When you run fast, you get big hit sometimes. So, that's what I really take pride in, running to the ball."
On how tough it was to deal with last year's injury...
"That was honestly the hardest thing I probably had to do in my whole career. It was my first injury, so it was very tough for me, but I just stayed strong mentally. That really got me through the whole process."
On the rehab process….
"A long six, seven, eight months. It was long process. I actually had to take the test three times to get cleared. It was kind of frustrating, but I was happy to just get the whole process over with and get back out here playing football again."
On if missing last season makes him more excited for this year…
"Oh definitely. I'll never take football for granted, even though I never did before. I'll never take for granted."
On if that was the longest he'd ever been away from football…
"I've been playing since I was six. I stopped one year. My eighth-grade year I didn't play, but other than that I've been playing my whole life. So, that might have been my longest."
On if safety is his preferred position…
"I'd say I can play anything – safety, nickel, wherever they want to put me at."
On how much time he sees at the nickel position...
"I don't really see too much right now."
On what's impressed him most about the defense...
"We've been flying around, we've been communicating, we've been physical this year. I'm ready to see what we're going to do against another team because our bond this year is way tighter. I'm loving what I'm seeing from our whole defense, and I'm just ready to go out there and put it all together on the field."
On a teammate who helped him through the injury process last season…
"Eli Sullivan last year because he actually tore his ACL a few years back. So, he kind of helped me through the process. He came back a few weeks ago from the 49ers. He was telling me stuff that they were making him do for his ACL, so I kind of took in on that, and I've been doing that ever since he told me."
On the transfer defensive backs acclimating...
"Oh, very good, very good. Every single last one of them. I love them all. They acclimated pretty good. Reggie (Stubblefield), my boy Reggie, Cincere (Mason), everybody."
On the benefits of rotating so many guys in the secondary…
"Last year we probably didn't have as much depth as we have this year, but I feel like once we rotate, we won't miss a beat, no matter who's on the field. We definitely have way more depth this year, which is a good thing."
On how motivated the defense is after the way last season ended…
"We're very motivated. We plan on being one of the best defenses in the Big 12, maybe in the nation. That's what we pride ourself on every day in practice. That's what we work towards every day."
REGGIE STUBBLEFIELD, SENIOR CORNERBACK
On his first impressions of K-State…
"My first impression of Kansas State is the family atmosphere. That was the biggest thing – everybody's so tight knit, close knit. True love, honestly. I feel everybody cares to be here. That's my first impression."
On playing both at the corner and nickel spot…
"Yes, I've been moving around from corner and nickel, getting a lot of reps at both. Also probably going to get a little bit of safety in too."
On adjusting to the Big 12 level…
"As far as adjusting, probably just more plays, more schemes, more packages, but there hasn't been too much more of adjustment. I always prided myself on being a football player, being smart, physical, taking care of my body. So, it hasn't been too much."
On the emotions throughout his difficult signing process…
"To keep grinding, no matter what. I know there's always something else next in line. So, even though at one point I probably didn't think I was going to go here, I knew that I had something next in line. Just take every day by day and then just keep working with it."
On his reaction when he was allowed to come to K-State...
"Oh, it was one of the best moments. I remember everybody my family, when we got the call that and I could come up here, just screaming. The house was going crazy, and I got on the road like an hour later with a small suitcase. I was already down here. So yeah, I was excited, and I was waiting for it."
On his style of play...
"Very versatile. A DB who can play man coverage, zone coverage and also blitz off the edge, physical too with great footwork. I'm also an intelligent player. Versatile man, I can do a lot."
On his family's role in Stubbs Barbeque…
"My family's role in Stubbs Barbeque right now, my uncle and dad does work with the promotion team. We don't own Stubbs currently, but their role is still impacted. My favorite sauce would have to be sticky sweet. Go into the stores and see that. Yeah, I like sticky sweet."
FELIX ANUDIKE, SOPHOMORE DEFENSIVE END
On where his game has improved since last season...
"Basically, the game scheme. Coming in last year, I didn't really know that much about how to play my role football as a defensive end. Then seeing Wyatt Hubert, Bronson Massie and everybody ahead of me, they taught me the game better and made me play even faster."
On how much weight he has added since he arrived…
"That's actually funny. During quarantine before I was 215 (pounds). Then, the whole quarantine, all I did was lift. I didn't really run that much. I ran like once a week. Then I tacked on to 245. Then, from there, I just kept on gaining weight. Now I've 255."
On if 255 pounds is where he wants to play…
"Yeah, 255 (pounds) is perfect weight for me. I feel good moving."
On if he took anything away from Wyatt Hubert's game as he moved on…
"He said he wants me to learn every d-line position because he said it's very important. To be versatile player from the inside to the outside is 100% what you should do for a defensive lineman so, you can rush inside and you can rush outside. All that I learned from him, which I thank him a lot for that, and I look forward to looking at him in the NFL and see how he becomes."
On the defense being improved this season...
"I think the defense will be improved this season because I feel like we a lot of our people in our position understand the game better. That's what I think improved. We're playing even faster than last year. That's why I feel like having Bronson Massie helping us defensive ends, he's making us better understand how to play the defensive end position."
On the importance of having Bronson Massie back…
"It's very important because he's a veteran. He knows the game situation, because most of us haven't even played a lot of snaps before. He has been in the game situation with like a third down, tight games and other situations. So, he basically taught us how to overcome those obstacles and how to improve."
On playing with so many new transfers on defense…
"We are just building different relationships, which I like a lot. I love building relationships between the team. It makes us grow better, and it makes us become a better team and a bigger family."
On which offensive linemen have shined in his eyes…
"Cooper Beebe. He's very hard. He and I go at it all the time in practice. We push each other a lot. Honestly, we always have competitions. I'm trying to try to beat him on every one-on-one I can get. He got me so far, but I'm going to keep trying."
On defensive end Khalid Duke...
"Oh, he's a dog. Khalid Duke is a dog. I look at him all the time and I'm just, 'Wow, I want to play like that,' because he plays so fast. That's what I'm trying to get my game to be like his so I can play fast through anything."
On the emphasis from Joe Klanderman on getting pressure...
"He talks about a lot. During tempo time, he wants us to keep on getting pressure, because the more pressure we have on the quarterback, the better, and the more it lays off the DBs. So, he emphasized that a lot."
On the transfer defensive backs...
"Oh, it's kind of crazy because they already know what they're supposed to do. When they came here, they learned super fast. They knew the coverages very like fast. It's pretty impressive. Russ Yeast, Cincere (Mason), all of them, and Reggie (Stubblefield). It's surprising how fast they learned the defense like that."
On the leaders on the defense…
"I'll have to say, for the d-line, Tim (Timmy Horne) and Eli (Huggins). Then, I probably say for the linebackers, Daniel Green. And for the backfield, J-Mac (Jahron McPherson)."
TIMMY HORNE, SENIOR DEFENSIVE TACKLE
On his impressions so far of K-State…
"The family atmosphere really, because this place is built off of family and tradition. So, once you come into Manhattan, literally, you will feel the family atmosphere and see how tight-knit everybody is around here."
On how fall camp is at K-State compared to Charlotte...
"It's not different in many ways because camp is camp. You're going to grind either way. You're going to have to camp legs, dog days. So, it's no different because football is football everywhere you go."
On what kind of impact he feels he has made…
"Honestly, leadership and helping people communicate more, because it's extremely important for us to further our communication because communication can fix a lot of things even in life outside of football. It teaches you that, outside of football."
On if he feels he excels better in passing rushing or run defense…
"Honestly, run stop but, this will camp has helped mold into a better pass rusher."
On going against the interior of the offensive line…
"Oh man, every day is a grind with Noah (Johnson), Ben (Adler) and Josh (Rivas). Everyday with them is a grind, especially Noah because we talk about it after practice all the time how much better we are getting with each other. It's extremely important for that because that's going to take us a long way because it always starts up front."
On how he has seen his pass run improve…
"Seeing the keys and seeing my reads. Understanding the backfield set and what the offensive line is giving me and the DND (down and distance). I just narrow my stance to a track stance. I like how the track stance feels."
On who he looked at when he got to K-State…
"Drew (Wiley). Watching Drew highlights because Drew was an interior guy."
On what it has been like working with Trumain Carroll…
"Oh man, Coach Tru is the real deal. The summer conditioning, it was a good summer to get us ready for camp and get us ready for the season. Of course, taking care of your body more and understanding the impact that your body has on the game."
On how he has seen his body change…
"My shoulders broadened out more. My traps got bigger. My arms definitely got bigger. So, it's amazing."
On the defense's mindset of trying to be the best…
"Yes, because it's a mindset, day by day. You want to go attack how you want your end goal to be. So, you have to care about the process and each day. Make sure you take a step to the area we want to go. So, we always pride ourselves on making sure we communicate, play physical and understand what we have in meetings. So, that's something that's important for us and for us to continue to train for."
Horne asks Derek Young of K-State Online his top-five favorite cereals…
Young: Frosted Flakes, Lucky Charms, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Chocolate Krispies and Fruit Loops.
Horne asks Grant Flanders of K-State Online his top-three favorite movies of all time…
Flanders: I'll go Inception, Interstellar and - what's a newer movie I've seen that's really good… Man, I'll throw out The Dark Knight, too. I'll go with three Christopher Nolan movies.
Horne asks Kellis Robinett of the Wichita Eagle/Kansas City Star his top-three favorite Avengers…
Robinett: That's a good one… I'll say Spiderman, Ironman, and… um… can we say Wolverine? He's in the comic version.
Players Mentioned
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/ FootballK-State FB | Welcome back Collin Klein
Monday, December 08
K-State FB | Head Coach Collin Klein Radio Interview
Friday, December 05
K-State FB | Head Coach Collin Klein Official Introductory Event
Friday, December 05
K-State FB | Thank You Coach Klieman
Wednesday, December 03
