Confident Defense Poised to Take the Next Step
Aug 22, 2022 | Football, Sports Extra
By: D. Scott Fritchen
The Kansas State defense has finished out fall camp with a bang. And that could mean trouble for Big 12 Conference offenses this fall.
"The sky's the limit with this group," K-State cornerback Ekow Boye-Doe said.
"Guys have been flying around making plays," Preseason All-Big 12 linebacker Daniel Green said.
"We're playing extremely fast," defensive end Nate Matlack said.
K-State comes off a 2021 season in which it gave up its fewest points (21.0) since 2003 and its fewest total yards (344.7) since 2009 while its average tackles for a loss per game (6.9) was its best since 2006.
In all, K-State possessed one of its best defenses in at least a decade.
Those numbers are remarkable particularly given the fact that the Wildcats' 3-3-5 defensive system was still in its infancy last season. At times, the Wildcats were literally learning the defense on the run. Now the Wildcats have nailed down the philosophy and intricacies that they hope could make the unit one of the better ones in the league this fall.
K-State defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman certainly believes this defense could be even better than a year ago.
"No doubt, no doubt," Klanderman said. "We look at (those statistics) and we as coaches see a bunch of missed opportunities. We won games last year and played well on defense because we played very hard. We weren't right a whole lot. We still had a lot to learn. Even as coaches there were things we didn't do correctly.
"In reflecting on that through the spring and summer, the only way to go is up."
As anticipated, K-State's familiarity with the defense in year two has already paid dividends, as the Wildcats don't have to think too much before they react, there are fewer missed assignments, and overall speed has increased.
Virginia transfer safety Josh Hayes has witnessed the Wildcats' strides during fall camp.
"Tenacity is the biggest thing," Hayes said. "There are a lot of defenses that play on their heels. A lot of our guys are playing on their toes downhill ready to hit fits, make tackles, and just make plays in general. (Defensive) history might be made right there."
Klanderman isn't shy in touting the defensive prowess.
"The speed with which we're playing, we've never played with this speed in practice and fall camp," he said. "Guys are playing fast and confident, and I'm excited about it."
Klanderman outlined three keys in the Wildcats' consistency in fall camp.
Athleticism — "We're more athletic than we've been, in particular in the back seven."
Comfort — "There's a comfort level with the system and what we're doing. We've streamlined that somewhat. A year ago, at this time, you've got to remember, we were still transitioning from four-down to three-down."
Intelligence — "We're all in on what we're doing right now. In fact, that's evolved a little bit. The unforeseen thing is guys are playing smart situational football. Coach Klieman is putting us in two-minute and four-minute situations, backed up on third down, and in a bunch of different varieties of game situations that our guys really understand, and in the past haven't understood to that degree."
It could add up to a stirring debut when the Wildcats open their season against South Dakota on September 3 at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.
Preseason All-Big 12 linebacker Daniel Green hardly "entitled" heading into senior season
The patch on the right side of Daniel "Deuce" Green's No. 22 practice jersey is important. The black-and-white patch depicts a hooded boxer brandishing boxer gloves. It's called the "Prizefighter" patch. The K-State football staff decides a "Prizefighter of the Week" — the highest weekly honor for a player. The title and the accompanying logo aren't to be taken lightly.
"It's an honor to be able to wear this patch," Green said.
A Preseason All-Big 12 senior linebacker, the 6-foot-3, 242-pound Green is 88 tackles shy of becoming the first K-State player since 2014 to reach 250 tackles in a career.
Klanderman can't say enough about one of the team's top players.
"He's been outstanding," Klanderman said. "He's been the leader we thought he might be. Sometimes when guys get in that role, they feel comfortable, and I don't get that sense from him. I feel like every day he's still trying to achieve and is still playing physical. He's not slowing down on things.
"Sometimes guys get that entitled feeling. He doesn't have that. That's what impresses me about him. He's to that stage and he's still pushing himself."
There was a time when none of this seemed possible.
Arguably the top inside linebacker on the west coast in the 2017 recruiting class, Green, a standout at Madison High School, signed his letter-of-intent with K-State on February 1, 2017, choosing the Wildcats over Oregon State, Utah, Southern California, and Arizona. He was the highest-rated signee for K-State and the No. 6-rated high school prospect out of the state of Oregon by 247Sports.
However, dreams of making an immediate impact stalled due to the NCAA Clearinghouse. Green did a lot of thinking during his time away from football. He discovered an emptiness. The experience tested his limits and changed his perspective on the game as well.
Green finally made it to Manhattan. He redshirted the 2018 season, served as a reserve linebacker in 2019, and was a part of the regular rotation in 2020 before leading the team with 89 tackles last season.
He's appreciated every moment while reaching this point heading into his senior season.
"Obviously, I was drowning so much back then in my first year, like most guys are," Green said. "You're getting tossed the playbook and not really knowing what to expect. Now the game has slowed down a lot more for me and I'm just working on the little things and trying to polish my game."
Just how good is Green? Allow sophomore defensive end Nate Matlack to explain.
"Looking behind me and seeing him, one of the best linebackers in the Big 12, seeing how fast he plays — I'm just getting off the ball and he's already in the backfield making a play," Matlack said. "It's a really good feeling."
Josh Hayes adjusting well to free safety position
Virginia transfer Josh Hayes, who formerly played for Klieman and Klanderman while winning national championships at North Dakota State, appears at home at K-State. Once a shutdown corner, Hayes moved to safety one week into spring workouts.
Apparently, everything is working out just fine, as he occupies the free safety position.
"I feel pretty good about it," Hayes said. "I work good in space, and I have a great coach to teach me the ins and outs. I'm excited. They have me rolling down in the slot playing man, so I think those reps over my freshman through senior year have definitely helped me out a lot."
Both Klanderman and assistant head coach, passing game coordinator and cornerbacks coach Van Malone have lauded Hayes' leadership.
Hayes welcomes the duty.
"I don't think it's pressure," he said. "It just comes with the territory. Being back deep, you're the last line of defense, and you have to in some shape or form be able to lead and let guys know what's going on. It's not pressure, just a part of the job."
Ekow Boye-Doe is a confident cornerback going into his senior season
K-State cornerback Ekow Boye-Doe sets the example for other players on the team — a scout-team player can indeed make it big. Once a scout squad player, the 6-foot, 171-pound Boye-Doe, a Lawrence native, has flourished — and quarterbacks tend to throw away from him. A 13-game starter, he was only targeted in coverage on 40 pass attempts during the 2021 season.
Now Boye-Doe appears to be eager for anything — or anyone — coming his way.
"My confidence has grown a ton," he said. "I feel like there's no one in the country who I can't go up against. I feel very confident with any receiver."
Although Ekow Boye-Doe and Preseason All-Big 12 senior Julius Brents could be considered among the more impressive cornerback duos in the Big 12, Boye-Doe seems confident with the depth behind them.
"I'm excited about a lot of those younger guys," Boye-Doe said. "Omar Daniels is a great player, Jordan Wright, a new addition, and even the younger freshman, Jacob Parrish, who's a fast guy and picking up on things quick, he could be in there. We'll see."
Nate Matlack is seeing dividends from watching the best
K-State sophomore defensive end Nate Matlack will likely become a household name this season, but the 6-foot-5, 245-pound native of Olathe, Kansas, found himself shelved during spring workouts due to injury.
Matlack apparently made the most of his time off the field.
"I've seen a lot of growth," he said. "I sat in the film room and watched a lot of film and watched NFL guys and tried to take parts of their game and put it into mine, and I've been able to put that onto the field this fall camp. It's gone well so far.
"I watched Maxx Crosby a lot and T.J. Watt and Joey Bosa. Those are my favorite guys to watch."
Matlack also feels more confident in the 3-3-5 defensive system heading into his sophomore season.
"We're just playing with more confidence," he said. "In fall camp, I already feel much more confident. I can play faster, and we have a lot more stuff in the defense that allows us to get after the quarterback, so I can just use my abilities."
Matlack has added about 10 pounds of muscle.
"I definitely had to get bigger and learn how to play the run a lot better. You get a lot more double teams when you're playing three-down compared to four-down, so I had to learn how to play different techniques. That was probably the hardest part. I definitely had to gain some weight, too, to help me out there.
"I just want to take it day by day and get better each day. I have goals for the season and just have to keep those in mind when I'm attacking each day. My main thing is to take it day by day and not worry about the future or the past, just worry about the present."
The Kansas State defense has finished out fall camp with a bang. And that could mean trouble for Big 12 Conference offenses this fall.
"The sky's the limit with this group," K-State cornerback Ekow Boye-Doe said.
"Guys have been flying around making plays," Preseason All-Big 12 linebacker Daniel Green said.
"We're playing extremely fast," defensive end Nate Matlack said.
K-State comes off a 2021 season in which it gave up its fewest points (21.0) since 2003 and its fewest total yards (344.7) since 2009 while its average tackles for a loss per game (6.9) was its best since 2006.
In all, K-State possessed one of its best defenses in at least a decade.
Those numbers are remarkable particularly given the fact that the Wildcats' 3-3-5 defensive system was still in its infancy last season. At times, the Wildcats were literally learning the defense on the run. Now the Wildcats have nailed down the philosophy and intricacies that they hope could make the unit one of the better ones in the league this fall.
K-State defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman certainly believes this defense could be even better than a year ago.
"No doubt, no doubt," Klanderman said. "We look at (those statistics) and we as coaches see a bunch of missed opportunities. We won games last year and played well on defense because we played very hard. We weren't right a whole lot. We still had a lot to learn. Even as coaches there were things we didn't do correctly.
"In reflecting on that through the spring and summer, the only way to go is up."
As anticipated, K-State's familiarity with the defense in year two has already paid dividends, as the Wildcats don't have to think too much before they react, there are fewer missed assignments, and overall speed has increased.
Virginia transfer safety Josh Hayes has witnessed the Wildcats' strides during fall camp.
"Tenacity is the biggest thing," Hayes said. "There are a lot of defenses that play on their heels. A lot of our guys are playing on their toes downhill ready to hit fits, make tackles, and just make plays in general. (Defensive) history might be made right there."
Klanderman isn't shy in touting the defensive prowess.
"The speed with which we're playing, we've never played with this speed in practice and fall camp," he said. "Guys are playing fast and confident, and I'm excited about it."
Klanderman outlined three keys in the Wildcats' consistency in fall camp.
Athleticism — "We're more athletic than we've been, in particular in the back seven."
Comfort — "There's a comfort level with the system and what we're doing. We've streamlined that somewhat. A year ago, at this time, you've got to remember, we were still transitioning from four-down to three-down."
Intelligence — "We're all in on what we're doing right now. In fact, that's evolved a little bit. The unforeseen thing is guys are playing smart situational football. Coach Klieman is putting us in two-minute and four-minute situations, backed up on third down, and in a bunch of different varieties of game situations that our guys really understand, and in the past haven't understood to that degree."
It could add up to a stirring debut when the Wildcats open their season against South Dakota on September 3 at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.
Preseason All-Big 12 linebacker Daniel Green hardly "entitled" heading into senior season
The patch on the right side of Daniel "Deuce" Green's No. 22 practice jersey is important. The black-and-white patch depicts a hooded boxer brandishing boxer gloves. It's called the "Prizefighter" patch. The K-State football staff decides a "Prizefighter of the Week" — the highest weekly honor for a player. The title and the accompanying logo aren't to be taken lightly.
"It's an honor to be able to wear this patch," Green said.
A Preseason All-Big 12 senior linebacker, the 6-foot-3, 242-pound Green is 88 tackles shy of becoming the first K-State player since 2014 to reach 250 tackles in a career.
Klanderman can't say enough about one of the team's top players.
"He's been outstanding," Klanderman said. "He's been the leader we thought he might be. Sometimes when guys get in that role, they feel comfortable, and I don't get that sense from him. I feel like every day he's still trying to achieve and is still playing physical. He's not slowing down on things.
"Sometimes guys get that entitled feeling. He doesn't have that. That's what impresses me about him. He's to that stage and he's still pushing himself."
There was a time when none of this seemed possible.
Arguably the top inside linebacker on the west coast in the 2017 recruiting class, Green, a standout at Madison High School, signed his letter-of-intent with K-State on February 1, 2017, choosing the Wildcats over Oregon State, Utah, Southern California, and Arizona. He was the highest-rated signee for K-State and the No. 6-rated high school prospect out of the state of Oregon by 247Sports.
However, dreams of making an immediate impact stalled due to the NCAA Clearinghouse. Green did a lot of thinking during his time away from football. He discovered an emptiness. The experience tested his limits and changed his perspective on the game as well.
Green finally made it to Manhattan. He redshirted the 2018 season, served as a reserve linebacker in 2019, and was a part of the regular rotation in 2020 before leading the team with 89 tackles last season.
He's appreciated every moment while reaching this point heading into his senior season.
"Obviously, I was drowning so much back then in my first year, like most guys are," Green said. "You're getting tossed the playbook and not really knowing what to expect. Now the game has slowed down a lot more for me and I'm just working on the little things and trying to polish my game."
Just how good is Green? Allow sophomore defensive end Nate Matlack to explain.
"Looking behind me and seeing him, one of the best linebackers in the Big 12, seeing how fast he plays — I'm just getting off the ball and he's already in the backfield making a play," Matlack said. "It's a really good feeling."
Josh Hayes adjusting well to free safety position
Virginia transfer Josh Hayes, who formerly played for Klieman and Klanderman while winning national championships at North Dakota State, appears at home at K-State. Once a shutdown corner, Hayes moved to safety one week into spring workouts.
Apparently, everything is working out just fine, as he occupies the free safety position.
"I feel pretty good about it," Hayes said. "I work good in space, and I have a great coach to teach me the ins and outs. I'm excited. They have me rolling down in the slot playing man, so I think those reps over my freshman through senior year have definitely helped me out a lot."
Both Klanderman and assistant head coach, passing game coordinator and cornerbacks coach Van Malone have lauded Hayes' leadership.
Hayes welcomes the duty.
"I don't think it's pressure," he said. "It just comes with the territory. Being back deep, you're the last line of defense, and you have to in some shape or form be able to lead and let guys know what's going on. It's not pressure, just a part of the job."
Ekow Boye-Doe is a confident cornerback going into his senior season
K-State cornerback Ekow Boye-Doe sets the example for other players on the team — a scout-team player can indeed make it big. Once a scout squad player, the 6-foot, 171-pound Boye-Doe, a Lawrence native, has flourished — and quarterbacks tend to throw away from him. A 13-game starter, he was only targeted in coverage on 40 pass attempts during the 2021 season.
Now Boye-Doe appears to be eager for anything — or anyone — coming his way.
"My confidence has grown a ton," he said. "I feel like there's no one in the country who I can't go up against. I feel very confident with any receiver."
Although Ekow Boye-Doe and Preseason All-Big 12 senior Julius Brents could be considered among the more impressive cornerback duos in the Big 12, Boye-Doe seems confident with the depth behind them.
"I'm excited about a lot of those younger guys," Boye-Doe said. "Omar Daniels is a great player, Jordan Wright, a new addition, and even the younger freshman, Jacob Parrish, who's a fast guy and picking up on things quick, he could be in there. We'll see."
Nate Matlack is seeing dividends from watching the best
K-State sophomore defensive end Nate Matlack will likely become a household name this season, but the 6-foot-5, 245-pound native of Olathe, Kansas, found himself shelved during spring workouts due to injury.
Matlack apparently made the most of his time off the field.
"I've seen a lot of growth," he said. "I sat in the film room and watched a lot of film and watched NFL guys and tried to take parts of their game and put it into mine, and I've been able to put that onto the field this fall camp. It's gone well so far.
"I watched Maxx Crosby a lot and T.J. Watt and Joey Bosa. Those are my favorite guys to watch."
Matlack also feels more confident in the 3-3-5 defensive system heading into his sophomore season.
"We're just playing with more confidence," he said. "In fall camp, I already feel much more confident. I can play faster, and we have a lot more stuff in the defense that allows us to get after the quarterback, so I can just use my abilities."
Matlack has added about 10 pounds of muscle.
"I definitely had to get bigger and learn how to play the run a lot better. You get a lot more double teams when you're playing three-down compared to four-down, so I had to learn how to play different techniques. That was probably the hardest part. I definitely had to gain some weight, too, to help me out there.
"I just want to take it day by day and get better each day. I have goals for the season and just have to keep those in mind when I'm attacking each day. My main thing is to take it day by day and not worry about the future or the past, just worry about the present."
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