Looking Back at a Successful Preseason Camp
Aug 23, 2023 | Football, Sports Extra
By: D. Scott Fritchen
Manhattan ranked as the No. 1 hottest city in the country on Saturday. But as No. 16 Kansas State prepares to kick off its 2023 season next Saturday against SEMO, triple-digit temperatures didn't keep the Wildcats from elevating their performance in practice to close out fall camp.
"We finished up fall camp really well," K-State head coach Chris Klieman said during a news conference on Tuesday. "Next week, we'll pour all our attention into SEMO."
A bulk of returners are back for defending Big 12 Champion K-State, which finished No. 9 in the final College Football Playoff poll and capped a 10-4 record with an appearance against No. 5 Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. Optimism is high around the Vanier Family Football Complex.
"We're trying to be the team that makes history as the first team that's won back-to-back Big 12 Championships," Preseason AP First Team All-American left guard Cooper Beebe said. "Now we're looking even farther. We're trying to make the playoffs. We kind of got a taste that we can compete with any team in the country. We feel that way truly. That's our goal this year."
Senior Will Howard is poised to be a full-time starter for the first time in his career, the Wildcats appear to have solidified three wide receiver spots in Keagan Johnson, Phillip Brooks and RJ Garcia II, First Team All-Big 12 tight end Ben Sinnott returns, and the running game appears set with Doak Walker Award watch list member Treshaun Ward and DJ Giddens perhaps splitting reps in the backfield. Oh, and the Wildcats return the entirety of a veteran offensive line that some project to be among the best in the country.
"We have a confidence with this group," sixth-year senior center Hayden Gillum said. "We have a lot of experience on the offensive line, but with Will Howard you're going to see another level of confidence that he's built this offseason. There's a lot of good guys and it's going to be exciting to see this fall."
Defensively, it's expected that sixth-year senior linebacker Daniel Green will return to practice soon after missing time due to injury, while Austin Moore is the team's top-returning tackler, and sophomore Desmond Purnell has emerged as starting strongside linebacker.
"(Purnell) stepped up to the forefront as the for-sure starter there," Klieman said. "He's playing really well. He'll have a huge impact. He's not going to be a role player. He's going to be an impact player."
As for the position group that made the biggest strides during fall camp?
"Probably the depth at defensive line," Klieman said.
It's still to be determined whether senior defensive tackle Uso Seumalo will practice next week after missing time due to injury, but sophomore Damian Ilalio and junior transfer Jevon Banks have both stepped up their performance.
Meanwhile, Klieman didn't hesitate to identify a defensive player who most impressed him during fall camp.
"Jacob Parrish is a really, really good football player that we all know about," Klieman said, "but he has really taken his game to the next level."
Parrish, a sophomore cornerback who saw many reps last season, heads a group that features Will Lee III, Keenan Garber and Justice James. Senior Kobe Savage leads a safety corps that could feature sophomore VJ Payne, transfer Marques Sigle and/or redshirt freshman Colby McCalister.
Klieman said that between 8 and 10 true freshmen "that we're still heavily evaluating that we think can play."
It was often a fierce battle when offense played the defense in practice.
"I'd say the defense won, but it was definitely competitive," Savage said. "There were days that the offense was on us so bad that I didn't want to talk to Will after practice. The defense won, but it came down to that last day."
Although Klieman was hesitant to compare the personality of this current team to the personality of his previous four K-State squads — "We're going to find out when adversity strikes," he said — the Wildcats ended fall camp with momentum.
"It was 21 good days where guys got after it and never were complacent and never really just got through the practice," he said. "I credit our leaders for that."
K-State named seven team captains at the end of fall camp — Howard, Beebe, Savage, Moore, Green, Gillum and Seth Porter.
"In the past, we've had five or six (team captains), but there were seven guys that had substantial amount of votes, and between six and seven, the voice of the team said it was seven," Klieman said.
Klieman said that the team would practice amid the scalding heat "but we're going to cut back on some things and probably add a few more breaks."
Count Howard among those fired up for the road ahead.
"It's great. I'm excited," Howard said. "Now that we're done with camp, it's onto SEMO. I can't wait for that time to come. We still have some work to do and some planning, but, man, I can't wait until September 2."
Manhattan ranked as the No. 1 hottest city in the country on Saturday. But as No. 16 Kansas State prepares to kick off its 2023 season next Saturday against SEMO, triple-digit temperatures didn't keep the Wildcats from elevating their performance in practice to close out fall camp.
"We finished up fall camp really well," K-State head coach Chris Klieman said during a news conference on Tuesday. "Next week, we'll pour all our attention into SEMO."
A bulk of returners are back for defending Big 12 Champion K-State, which finished No. 9 in the final College Football Playoff poll and capped a 10-4 record with an appearance against No. 5 Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. Optimism is high around the Vanier Family Football Complex.
"We're trying to be the team that makes history as the first team that's won back-to-back Big 12 Championships," Preseason AP First Team All-American left guard Cooper Beebe said. "Now we're looking even farther. We're trying to make the playoffs. We kind of got a taste that we can compete with any team in the country. We feel that way truly. That's our goal this year."
Senior Will Howard is poised to be a full-time starter for the first time in his career, the Wildcats appear to have solidified three wide receiver spots in Keagan Johnson, Phillip Brooks and RJ Garcia II, First Team All-Big 12 tight end Ben Sinnott returns, and the running game appears set with Doak Walker Award watch list member Treshaun Ward and DJ Giddens perhaps splitting reps in the backfield. Oh, and the Wildcats return the entirety of a veteran offensive line that some project to be among the best in the country.
"We have a confidence with this group," sixth-year senior center Hayden Gillum said. "We have a lot of experience on the offensive line, but with Will Howard you're going to see another level of confidence that he's built this offseason. There's a lot of good guys and it's going to be exciting to see this fall."
Defensively, it's expected that sixth-year senior linebacker Daniel Green will return to practice soon after missing time due to injury, while Austin Moore is the team's top-returning tackler, and sophomore Desmond Purnell has emerged as starting strongside linebacker.
"(Purnell) stepped up to the forefront as the for-sure starter there," Klieman said. "He's playing really well. He'll have a huge impact. He's not going to be a role player. He's going to be an impact player."
As for the position group that made the biggest strides during fall camp?
"Probably the depth at defensive line," Klieman said.
It's still to be determined whether senior defensive tackle Uso Seumalo will practice next week after missing time due to injury, but sophomore Damian Ilalio and junior transfer Jevon Banks have both stepped up their performance.
Meanwhile, Klieman didn't hesitate to identify a defensive player who most impressed him during fall camp.
"Jacob Parrish is a really, really good football player that we all know about," Klieman said, "but he has really taken his game to the next level."
Parrish, a sophomore cornerback who saw many reps last season, heads a group that features Will Lee III, Keenan Garber and Justice James. Senior Kobe Savage leads a safety corps that could feature sophomore VJ Payne, transfer Marques Sigle and/or redshirt freshman Colby McCalister.
Klieman said that between 8 and 10 true freshmen "that we're still heavily evaluating that we think can play."
It was often a fierce battle when offense played the defense in practice.
"I'd say the defense won, but it was definitely competitive," Savage said. "There were days that the offense was on us so bad that I didn't want to talk to Will after practice. The defense won, but it came down to that last day."
Although Klieman was hesitant to compare the personality of this current team to the personality of his previous four K-State squads — "We're going to find out when adversity strikes," he said — the Wildcats ended fall camp with momentum.
"It was 21 good days where guys got after it and never were complacent and never really just got through the practice," he said. "I credit our leaders for that."
K-State named seven team captains at the end of fall camp — Howard, Beebe, Savage, Moore, Green, Gillum and Seth Porter.
"In the past, we've had five or six (team captains), but there were seven guys that had substantial amount of votes, and between six and seven, the voice of the team said it was seven," Klieman said.
Klieman said that the team would practice amid the scalding heat "but we're going to cut back on some things and probably add a few more breaks."
Count Howard among those fired up for the road ahead.
"It's great. I'm excited," Howard said. "Now that we're done with camp, it's onto SEMO. I can't wait for that time to come. We still have some work to do and some planning, but, man, I can't wait until September 2."
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