K-State Holds Penultimate Spring Football Press Conference

Apr 06, 2022 | Football

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State defensive coordinator/safeties coach Joe Klanderman along with assistant coaches Steve Stanard (linebackers), Mike Tuiasosopo (defensive tackle) and Buddy Wyatt (defensive ends) met with members of the media on Wednesday inside the Vanier Family Football Complex.

JOE KLANDERMAN, DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR/SAFETIES
On familiarity in the new system despite missing some players due to injury…
"There is, and that's one of the goals of spring is to try to identify who your best 11 are and then move those guys around accordingly. So, we've got a few position switches that we're experimenting with. Not sure what we're going to do with different people yet, but through all the turmoil, so to speak, of just not having the bodies, I think Coach Klieman has done an incredible job of being creative so that we can get good evaluations on everybody. We're doing a good job with the things that we did a year ago, I feel like. I think that we grasp those concepts, and now we're just trying to take the package and expand it, try to push it to different places and see what we want to keep in the fall."

On anyone filling into the defensive role Reggie Stubblefield played last season…
"The reason we made that move with Reggie was because he was one of our best 11. We're going to play a lot of people, but we want to have our best 11 people on the field as much as we can. And he was buried in a spot where there was other guys that were part of our best 11. So, he was the one that we thought had the most physical tools to be expendable, to be able to move. Right now, we're trying to figure out who that guy is that can do that. Is it somebody that plays that position now, Krew Jackson, Kienen Gaskin, is it Shawn Robinson? Is it Khalid Duke? There's a lot of people that we're kind of trying out in those spots right now just to figure out who's the best fit."

On transfer linebacker Branden Jennings…
"He does the look the part. I'll tell you this: he's extremely physical, he's got extraordinary heavy hands. He's been nicked up a little bit, so it's been tough to get a consistent evaluation on him. He'll flash on something, and then he's been bothered with a couple of little things, nothing major. So, he's missed a day here, missed a day there and kind of been in and out. When you're out, you're not doing those things if you're not used to doing them. I think it's difficult sometimes to know what you're doing and know where to be. So, it's sometimes hard to get a great evaluation on a guy that's playing fast because he's just trying to be right. So, he's not playing as fast as he can. He's going to get so much better once he gets consistent reps. I think he's certainly talented, and I think he's going to be a great name in the future here. Right now, I don't know if I have a great gauge of where he is completely other than I think he's got ability."

On anyone that has made a giant leap in spring practice…
"As a returner, I would say the two guys that we get more evaluation on than anybody are Brendan Mott and Cody Stufflebean just because they're getting the lion's share of the reps at defensive end. They're going to need to be guys with Tyrone Taleni moving on and Spencer Trussell moving on. We're going to play a lot of people in those positions up front. I think that those guys have shown us this spring that I think they can be part of that rotation. So, those guys as returners would be the ones that would jump out at me the most."

On expanding in the new defensive scheme…
"Exactly right, yeah. Philosophically, we want guys to play as fast as we can. My thing in the spring is spring is the time to test drive some things. So, we're looking at a few different looks. We're looking at a few different pressures, a few different things that might have some rules to them, and we've got a few guys befuddled right now, to be honest with you, because they're moving around positions. There's a lot of a lot of new things that we're throwing at them. What we wanted to do in spring was just test drive those things to see if they are worthy of us running them in the fall. There's a lot of things that we've stumbled on that we're excited about and a few things that maybe we're not as sold on after looking at them. They all look good on the board, but now that we've seen them with live bullets, it's just more about what can your players actually grasp and what can they do because I don't want to put things in at the expense of those guys having to be taxed mentally and play slow. We're going to do that in the spring – and that's okay – but in the fall, we want to be able to take things in the summertime, sit down and say, 'We're going to keep this, we're going to throw this, and this is what we're going to go into 2022 with.' So, we're throwing more at them right now than we should be, to be honest."

On the progress of the incoming defensive transfers…
"Excited about Will Honas. He's a non-contact guy right now. I've seen plenty of evidence of his physicality on his game tape at Nebraska, but we're excited about him. We think he's going to be in the mix. He's doing some 7-on-7 things and some individual things and just his capacity to learn is incredible. Really excited about him. Really excited about Josh Hayes. Of course, I've had background with Josh, and I knew what kind of competitor he was. He's going to be very much in the mix. Excited about Kobe Savage. He's another guy that has exceeded expectations and will very much be in the mix. I think Shawn Robinson, we're extremely excited about. He's another one that's been nicked up a little bit, but in the limited time that we've seen him, he flashes like crazy as just a super athlete that is also incredibly intelligent. You can tell he's played a lot of football. He's physical. So, I think we've hit on everybody that we brought in, and I think you'll see all those guys on the field next year."

On practicing with so many missing defensive lineman…
"Coach Klieman, again, it's his methodology of we're going to go team for a certain period of time that those guys can handle, and then we're going to do a special teams drill where we can maybe give those guys a blow. Then we're going to go team, and then we're going to go field goal. So, we're not just taxing those guys for an hour and 45 minutes consecutively. We're trying to get those guys where they can manage. We're aware of that in individual, and Coach (Buddy) Wyatt and Coach (Mike) Tuiasosopo are doing a good job of taking care of them in individual. In the individual time that you do have, you can't just go bashing heads with each other. So, it's been a lot more technical. Another thing I think we're doing a really good job of is we've got six d-lineman, or seven really, that are out. We're doing a number of walkthroughs. We're doing a number of things that are keeping those guys engaged even though they are not getting reps. They're seeing pictures, they're getting lined up, they're hearing closed calls, they're running paths on blitzes. They're just not hitting anybody. Those guys will be ready to go in the summer, and we'll be full speed again."

On Trevor Stange and Nelson Pipes filling in on the defensive line in practice…
"I appreciate them, I'll tell you that. I appreciate those guys like you won't believe. We wouldn't be able to practice without them. The unselfishness that those guys have to do what we asked them to do, that's what this program is all about. Because, quite literally, we would not be able to practice if those guys wouldn't have made the sacrifice that they did, even though maybe it wasn't in their best interest. I think they're having a lot of fun. I think there's a little less accountability with those guys. They have a little more leeway to make mistakes, but I couldn't tell you how much I appreciate those guys. That's what Wildcat football is all about."

On what concerns him throughout spring football…
"Spring, philosophically, to me is about evaluating your personnel and getting that part down. It's about test driving new schemes. It's about polishing up some things that maybe you'd want to change from the year previous and getting those guys prepared for the summer, really. I think we're right on target with a lot of things. It isn't necessarily to me about winning practice. Of course, it's competitive and all that stuff, but it's about teaching concepts. There's going to be position switches that are going to happen in spring, there's going to be position switches that are going to happen in the summertime, there's going to be things that happen in the fall when injuries come up. I don't get too worked up about the results of every drill. I just want to see guys compete. I want to see guys play full speed. I want to get our base nuts and bolts stuff in terms of what we believe in – running to the football, playing physicality, running through leverage. I want to get those things taught to everybody so that when they get together as a true team in the fall once transfers come in or whatever – however the team gets formulated – everybody understands exactly what we want, and we can go full speed ahead starting August 1 or whenever."

On any missteps they made last year in the 3-man front that they have been able to fix…
"Looking back at where we were a year ago into where we are now ,it's ridiculous. It quite literally was trial and error with blitz paths, with how we want to cover things down, with maybe some of the techniques that we played. A lot of those modifications came along as the fall went along, and I think now we're able to actually teach what we believe in or what we've come to believe in, if that makes any sense. One of the things that that I looked at in the offseason was we weren't as good on third down as we wanted to be. That could come from a lot of different reasons: we're losing one-on-ones, we're not executing on third down whatever. One of the, probably, hidden reasons is we had a ton – probably as much as anybody in the country – of 3^rd and 1 to 2s. Quite honestly, the conversion rate of 3^rd and 1 to 2 is much higher than the conversion rate of 3^rd and 3 to 7. So, what I came to realize is maybe we weren't quite as disruptive on base downs as we needed to be. Maybe we need to pressure more, maybe we need to find different looks where we can attack the line of scrimmage a little bit more so that we can get into some of those longer-yardage situations and get off the field a little bit more. I'm not willing to do that at the expense of giving up explosive plays, so we're trying to find that happy medium right now."

On Daniel Green's leadership…
"He's been incredible. He's been incredible this spring. Where he is now as to where he was a year ago where we didn't know what we had, right? We didn't know what we had. We thought we had a talented kid, but he had never been in the spotlight. Now just how he's bringing along some of those young linebackers, and heck for that matter, bringing along some of the guys in the back end, the safeties, is outstanding. Very, very pleased with Daniel."

On learning how to recruit to the new defensive scheme…
"Exactly right, yeah. It's unfortunate that we're not set up that way, and we won't be set up that way for probably three years. But I think we're figuring out what body types we need. We need more length. Everybody wants length, but quite honestly, our linebackers are going to have to take on more blocks in this than they did in what we were previously doing. You could probably get away with a shorter guy in the box because he just never was going to be put in those situations where you have to extend on a blocker and do some of those things in a close quarter. Now, we see inside linebackers, what the body types are that we want, we see what skillsets a safety needs to have. A year ago, we're still dabbling in the four-down and the three-down, and we just looked for dang good players. That's not going to change, but there are certain things that go along with being a free safety – I have to have man coverage ability, I have to be able to play a half field, I have to be able to play in the post. You know? We didn't maybe know all those things at this time a year ago. So, it's definitely changed our trajectory in recruiting."

On Khalid Duke's recovery…
"He's doing individual work right now. He's not doing anything in a team setting, but again, I think those walkthroughs are helping him. He's one of those guys where we are not sure positionally where he is going to land. But just know, he's one of our best 11 and you're going to see him somewhere."

On going up against a Collin Klein-led offense…
"Again, I'm not giving away too many secrets, but it is different. Collin is a competitive guy, I'll tell you that. We're doing a lot of 'call it' scenarios where it's not scripted. It's just we're playing football, and I'm kind of getting used to his rhythm a little bit. You get used to guys as a coordinator. You're able to cheat some things, and I won't give any too many secrets on that either. But he's a competitive guy, and he's kept us on our toes. He's done some things that we haven't seen. He's doing some things that we're going to see consistently in the league, which I very much appreciate. I think we've got a great partnership – us giving him what he wants to see sometimes, and vice versa."

On how eager Khalid Duke is to get back from injury…
"Oh, he's working. He's working his tail off. I look over, and we call it 'The Pit' where we put all our injured guys during practice, and just the amount of snaps that are sitting over there in The Pit, it's just incredible. Eli Huggins is over there and Khalid Duke and Felix Anudike-Uzomah and Nate Matlack and Cincere Mason and Nick Allen. Boy, you can put pretty good lineup together with those guys over there. Our strength staff, led by Coach Tru (Trumain Carroll) are the guys that kind of orchestrate and run that during the practice. I'm just telling you, they are not over there playing Candyland. I mean, they're getting after it. I think Khalid as a self-motivator. I think Khalid's teammates realize how valuable he is. I think, of course, our training staff, our strength staff and our coaching staff understand how valuable he is. I think everybody is pushing him along to be the best that he can be in the fall."

On how dangerous Khalid Duke is when he's healthy…
"He's incredible. I think he's just got really good natural feel. He's got tremendous length. He's got quickness and ability. We'll see how that looks when he gets back healthy, but when he's full speed, he's got the athleticism of a linebacker, he's got the strength of an interior defensive lineman. He's a guy that could play inside, he's a guy that could play on the edge, he's a guy that could play linebacker, and he's intelligent and he works hard at it. When you're that versatile, you're a big deal."

On replacing guys like Russ Yeast and Jahron McPherson in the safety room…
"Extremely difficult, and I can't commend Cincere Mason enough, TJ Smith and the guys that have come in. Josh Hayes has got incredible leadership ability, and then Kobe Savage has leadership ability. But more than the on-the-field play, it's the leadership that those guys provided and the spark that those guys provided. Those guys have been in and out of the weight room down here as they're in their offseason and getting ready for their next step, and just watching those guys go about their business now even is incredible, just how businesslike and how professional they are and what they do. So, it's a work in progress to be sure. That's going back to what we talked about previously, I think Daniel Green is helping us a lot in the leadership aspect. It's a challenge when we've got so many of those older guys that have played a lot of football not participating, to see who's going to step up, but that is the hurdle that we're trying to overcome right now is who are going to be the vocal leaders on this on this unit? That's what we'll miss with those two guys that you mentioned."

On younger guys who have stepped up…
"Yeah, I think Omar Daniels is a guy that's flashed consistently. I think Krew Jackson is a guy that's flashing consistently. I think Max Marsh is a guy that's flashing consistently. Max is a guy that was a scout team quarterback a year ago that we've dabbled with at safety, and I think he's doing a tremendous job. Marvin Martin is a guy that's flashed. There's a lot of good young talent here. The question is how reliable can they be in the heat? So, we're just trying to put those guys in stressful situations. We're doing that on a daily basis, and they're responding as of now."

On Damian Illalio and Titus Tuiasosopo getting more reps…
"Well, Damian's been a little bit nicked up also, unfortunately, because in the first few days of practice was showing that he can play with those big guys. It's a two-man rotation in there at nose, and that's not a fun time. Getting triple teamed and double teamed and slobberknocker after slobberknocker. I really appreciate Titus Tuiasosopo, and I really appreciate Trevor Stange for taking that every day, and those guys are getting better because of it. When it's not necessarily fair, the amount of reps that they're having to take but at the end of the day, it's going to make them better players."

On what has helped Krew Jackson make the leap…
"Confidence. For a younger player, it's all about confidence. Krew has got all the ability in the world. He's 6-foot-4, he can run like crazy. He's not probably as heavy as we would like him to be right now, but he's intelligent. He works at it. He just sometimes isn't quite sure, and there are times when he just decides he's going to go. When he goes, he's as impressive to watch as anybody we have on defense, and there's other times where he just has a little bit of uncertainty, I guess is maybe the best word. We're trying to work that out of him to trust his instincts a little bit more because his instincts are good. When we go live – and we've done that a couple of times in the spring where live bullets and tackling and whatever – he's always going to make a play or two that's going to make you say, 'Oh, this guy is pretty dang good.'"

BUDDY WYATT, DEFENSIVE ENDS COACH
On the challenge of practicing with so many guys injured right now…
"Well, it is good and bad. When I am out there coaching the guys that are practicing and it's not going very well, I can at least look over to the side and know that there is help coming."

On how much the injured guys are able to accomplish through walkthrough drills…
"Well, it is better than nothing. Obviously, it's not as good as them being able to go out there and get the physical reps, but it's better than the alternative of them not being allowed to do anything at all. So, it's good when they can get in those mental reps in practice when they are not over on the sidelines. I like to get my guys involved by having them out there helping to coach the other guys who are out there. So, they are getting even more mental reps even though they think they are just coaching. It's going well. I have a good room and they are smart guys that pick up things really fast. The most important thing is to get them healthy."

On if Khalid Duke is in his room…
"Khalid is not in my room. He is kind of doing double duty, and he is spending more time with the linebackers just because he hasn't had as many reps as a linebacker due to us using him in a dual role."

On how good Khalid Duke is when he is healthy…
"He is a very dynamic pass rusher, and he's a very explosive young man. He has the ability to make plays in both the run and the pass. He was young and was playing defensive end a couple of years back, and he showed the ability to make plays. So, going into last year we thought he was our best pass rusher, and he was our best pass rusher. Then Felix (Anudike-Uzomah) came along and Nate (Matlack) came along, so it will be good to get him back out there."

On the next step for a guy like Felix Anudike-Uzomah…
"His next step is to master his craft. What I mean by that is, yeah, he had a good year, but don't settle. He wants to be the best not just be able to get the job done. He wants to be the best. He can play the run better. He'll tell you that he got better last year, but he can get even better than that. Pass rush wise, he left some opportunities out there. He had a good year last year, but just being more consistent with his technique and just locking in more. Felix is still a young player, and he is still learning things. He needs to adapt a similar work ethic to Wyatt Hubert. It was good that he was able to be around Wyatt for a bit and see the way that he was in meetings, took notes, the way he watched film, and the way he worked out there on the field. I think Felix is starting to do some of those things."

MIKE TUIASOSOPO, DEFENSIVE TACKLES COACH
On natural talent in the nose position…
"Yeah, the nose position is a different animal altogether. It's a different issue you have to deal with a lot of times your life involves two people blocking you, and you have to play all the different combinations. It's just a different deal in there."

On coaching his son, Titus Tuiasosopo…
"It's been interesting, I'm learning a lot, to be very honest with you. I would say that he has gotten himself better with all the opportunities he's had here in the spring. There's always a fine line between teaching your son and players, but I think in our room, what's been really pleasing for me personally, is just how the older guys are looking over all our younger guys and developing and continuing our culture in our room. I looked at guys like Eli Huggins, Jaylen Pickle, Robert Hentz II, those older guys have been amazing this spring and winter in terms of bringing those guys along. Sometimes there are things that I coach that have to come from a player. It's going to mean something different coming from a player than it will from a coach. But no doubt about it, it's different. I'm learning every day, but I'm glad he's here."

STEVE STANARD LINEBACKERS COACH
On Khalid Duke…
"He's a dynamic athlete. He's explosive. He's an explosive guy that can turn the corner and can come off the edge whether he is blitzing or whether he is rushing from the three-point stance. He gives us some length out there that we didn't maybe have with Reggie (Stubblefield). So, he can cover some ground because he's athletic and explosive, but he's an extra two or three inches longer and that makes a huge difference. We're excited to see what he can do in the fall."

On Branden Jennings providing the defense more length…
"That's the thing we're finding in this three-down stuff is length is important when you are taking on guards. In the four-down, you're protected by an extra defensive lineman. So, we've got more guys getting up in the three-down and being able to get some separation to get off those blocks makes a big difference. Branden's got heavy hands. He's an explosive young man. Being in the box is going to be more so than being out in space."

On Daniel Green's improvement…
"Here's the thing with Daniel: when I got here, he was a little bit of a waist-bender because he was still young and learning to play with bent knees. His footwork has improved tremendously. So, playing with bent knees and playing with good feet has continued to make him a good player. His block destruction skills are getting better and better, but he's a disruptive guy. When he runs through, you notice it. His angles have gotten better on the perimeter. He was losing the cup a little bit – a term we use – losing the leverage, getting cut back on a couple of years ago. But he's improved 10-fold from that standpoint, and he's going to continue to be a work in progress on that, but it's a conscious effort from him when he's out in space."

On who is running the most reps at Sam linebacker…
"Krew Jackson. Kienen Gaskin we moved out there at the beginning of spring. He was a Will and we're trying to see if this is a better place for him. Desmond (Purnell) we moved out to Sam. I think his skillset is probably better at Sam than maybe at safety. Then we're looking at Shawn Robinson potentially going out there at Sam backer because that's the spot that has the least experience right now. We lost Reggie (Stubblefield) and Henny (Ryan Henington) was out there, and Wayne Jones and those guys. Krew was the only one getting any kind of repetitions. So, Sam is going to be one of those things that's going to be a work in progress through the spring."