K-State’s Coordinators Speak to the Media on Thursday
Aug 20, 2026 | Football
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State offensive coordinator Sean Gleeson, defensive coordinator Jordan Peterson and special teams coordinator Stanton Weber met with members of the media on Thursday inside the Vanier Family Football Complex. Links to video and audio of the press conferences are above, while a transcript of each press conference is below.
SEAN GLEESON, OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR
On the backup quarterback battle…
"It's been going pretty good. As a coach – and you guys too – you probably have something set in cement, but it seems like the competition level is pretty rigorous. They have days where you leave practice and you say, 'Hey, I think we're ready to kind of put it in maybe some ink.' But, then the next day, it kind of changes. So, it's evolving. I just think it's a testament to those guys and how they approach the battle and the preparation in the off-season and how they've performed thus far. So, TBD on that one, but I think we're in a good position. Coach (Klein) mentioned earlier about the offensive line depth and some different arrangements that we've had. I feel pretty confident that all those guys can go in and operate the offense and do a pretty good job."
On what Oliver Miller's role with the offensive line can be as a freshman…
"The young guys that I've been around that played that early up front, it's always kind of like balancing as a coach, like, 'Okay, he is incredibly versatile. He's tough. He's smart. He has all the qualities. He's a special player.' You just don't want to stub his toe and move him around too much. So, we've had long conversations about contingencies and trying to put everybody in the best situation. The good news is we were not siloed at all. I think in light of what Coach said, I think you'd be in a little bit more trouble if perhaps you had a bit more permanence in location for all those guys up front, but we really have been – musical chairs is like a bad way to describe it – but we have been moving them around quite a bit. So, Oliver is in that mix as well. Wherever he settles, he's going to be a great player, and he's going to be a great player from whenever he takes his first snap."
On making the most progress since the spring…
"I still feel like there's a hint of that newness as we're getting acclimated as a staff. In the spring, I remember there being a point at which I felt like we hit our stride maybe from a situational standpoint – some exposure to whether it be third down or two minute or whatever – that it wasn't just about installing the plays anymore and that we were applying it to what would be a game-like scenario. I feel like lately we've kind of came out really strong in camp, and then the defense kind of fought back, which is great. You want to be like a heavyweight fight, but lately we've seen more evidence of how hard we want our guys to play and show up on the tape. Those two things together – because I feel like we have banked all that situational experience – we've operated really well in some of the end-of-game and end-of-half scenarios that we've had for our guys. But how hard we need to play in light of back-to-back-to back practices, I think that's something that we've gotten over the hump recently on that stuff. So, I'm happy with that."
On the running back situation…
"I think we're in great shape. Some of those things with Rodney Fields Jr., maybe early where you didn't quite know what kind of what he was going to be, those have kind of resolved. I think we have three really good guys. I think everyone should be excited about the quality and depth of our running back room. We're moving those guys through and sharing carries when necessary, but Coach came in after our first scrimmage and made it pretty clear to us on offense that at every position, we're going to play the best guys regardless of depth or regardless of whatever. I'm all confident that they'll be great in the game, each of them, but I do think that we're going to reward the hot hand too and see how they take us."
On how different the three running backs are…
"I think maybe in the spring when we were talking about them, Jay Harris is just incredibly physical. I would not want to tackle him. I think I talked about him being on scout team being like Ed Reed running around. He just does everything super physical, extra effort all the time. Joe Jackson is just like a consummate vet. He's very smart, makes the right cut when you need make the right cut. Understands the scheme, understands pass protection. Rodney Fields Jr. is just like lightning in a bottle sometimes. So, I'm excited about that group for sure. I've been around some really good backs, so I hope that carries a little bit of weight."
On moving forward without John Pastore…
"That's coaching. I remember pretty vividly one year in my career probably our best player on offense went down in like a Wednesday practice doing one-on-ones. He just was running an in-cut, his knee went in the turf, and he didn't come out of it, didn't get up. I remember being on the sideline, and one of the backups at that position, I had asked like a rhetorical question, I was like, 'Well, who's going to play his position now?' He looked me right in the eyes, like, 'I'm playing that position,' and he ended up catching a touchdown in the game at that position. So, we're crushed for John. One of the things this time of year you're trying to find the soul of your team. He's one of those guys that we depended on. He's part of the soul of our team, and he still will be, just in a different role. I think coaching has taught me that when I was younger, I would get a little bit dejected about stuff like this, but this is why you train in the off-season. This is why you treat them in the meeting room like they're all starters and ask them to prepare and get going when you need to get a lift when something like this happens."
On if Jaron Tibbs has been a leader in the wide receiver room…
"Definitely, for sure. I think it's a shared duty. Every preeminent player that I've been around at a position group kind of shares a little bit of implied leadership, but there's some veteran experience there in that room too. Josh (Manning), obviously, has played a bunch. You know, B-White (Brandon White) is kind of an elder statesman. He's been around the block a little bit. So, I think right now it'd be unfair to say that it's just Jaron, but I do know I've watched that whole thing develop over the past however many months in station workouts and stuff. I do think that the guys look to him at times for some messaging, and he's been there to deliver it, and we need him to."
On challenging backup quarterbacks in practice when there is an established starter…
"We have a healthy competition culture, to be honest. I don't there being like a malaise in the reps that are given to the twos or the threes, and it being like, 'Oh whatever, I'll just roll the ball out there.' Coach said to the quarterbacks the other day, 'That job is rented. Every one of them, that job is rented, so you have to do everything every day to maintain your status and seek to improve your career at every step of the way.' So, I think that there's healthy competition and those guys are dialed in all time."
On the competition amongst the younger players on the interior of the offensive line…
"I'm happy. I think the physical development of a guy like Charlie Adams or even Chase Durate, when they came back after that little break prior to summer conditioning in June, you could see in those first couple weeks they started to kind of transform a little bit. There's guys up and down the line that look different in light of Coach (Jeremy) Jacobs' work and how they've approached the off-season. So, I think the physical development is for sure there. Now I would say as we get into some of this game-week prep, it is just seeing that group gel however we decide to supply the depth and position guys as we get closer to game time."
On the competition at tight end…
"(Garrett) Oakley has been one that I have just kind of marveled at because I didn't get to see a lot of him in the spring either. He's always very conscientious about his work and the things that he's doing, how he eats. He actually spoke to the team this morning and just did an incredible job talking about his journey and how his scout team reps as a freshman getting his butt kicked by a draft pick every single day was so valuable. That has been a treat for me because I just see him affect our practice. When I mentioned earlier about the effort in which we need to play and how hard the guys play every single day, he's been one in the last two practices that's showing up quite a bit. A guy catches a ball in an intermediate world, he's trying to turn and run after catch, and who's trailing him trying to throw a block behind him? It's Oakley and his pretty big body. So, he's been tremendous. Really, all those guys have been really awesome. I think we're well fortified. One of the things about Coach's offense that's so awesome is just the multiplicity and how varied you can be in personnel group, in formation, in operation. There's just a lot of different ways the thing could look, and those guys give us some flexibility there."
JORDAN PETERSON, DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR
On the progress of the defense through training camp…
"We said this back in the spring that art of that is just comfortability with the scheme, comfortability with each other. You watch some red zone periods when the communication has to be on an elite level, and that's really starting to get closer to where we want it to be. So, that part's been really fun to watch. You guys kind of understand the standard over which we play, the relentless nature and the violence that we want to play with where sometimes we tell them they have to pull off because we don't want to hit our quarterbacks. But, no, it's been really fun to watch so far."
On what various players have brought to the table…
"Exactly what you just asked – competition. Nothing in this program is ever going to be given. Ultimately, we have to run out there with 11 guys here in a couple weeks. The message to all of them is game one may not be what game three is, so every day your job is being rented. So, from a consistency standpoint and an approach standpoint, it's how you prepare and how you go about your business. Just because you walk out there on day one for the first game does not mean it's going to be the same the whole year. So, it's just a continual body of work. Those decisions haven't fully been made yet because I think they're all thoroughly in the mix, which is a good thing for all of us because competition breeds getting better. So that's kind of where it sits right now, but all of those guys will fill in."
On what allows Jordan Allen to play both outside and inside along the defensive line…
"Well, number one, he's a smart football player. Football makes sense to him. He does a really good job from a preparation standpoint – dials into the playbook. He's got traits that he can do both. He's got some twitch and the hand fighting on the edge, but at the same time, he's an explosive athlete that can pack a punch. He plays with heavy hands. So, there's a lot of positions that we will dual train because you never know what's going to happen in a season – whether it's the secondary, whether it's linebackers, whether it's the front, we are dual-training guys at each one of those levels of the defense, because again, you don't want to get caught in a position where you go, 'Oh, we have to play our fifth-best guy because he only got reps at X position as opposed to playing the next best available player.' So, pretty much across the board we've chosen some specific guys to dual train at their position."
On the most competed positions for the top…
"All of them. It's really the truth. Every day we are posting their grades from the practice. We believe in transparency. We believe in guys understanding exactly where they're at compared to their peers. It obviously makes the conversations a whole lot easier. 'This is black and white. This is what this grade is, this is what this grade is, and this is what this production level is.' Ultimately, although they may not like what they hear all the time, they can have an appreciation for the fact that we're going to shoot them straight. Pretty much across the board, they have to show up every day. There's not going to be anybody in that, 'Oh yeah, you're definitely the starter' kind of mode."
On what has allowed JoJo Scott to see playing time this season…
"I think number one, it's his maturity level. He is showing himself over these last eight and a half months that he approaches it like a pro. What I mean by that is he's constantly inquisitive. He's asking questions. He's trying to figure out, 'Ok, cool, I know this is what my job is, but why? Where does it fit in the bigger piece? Where is my help?' He's done a really, really nice job, and obviously the play on the field has continued to get better and better and better. So, I'm really excited about his progress and where he's at right now. "
On Elijah Hill's role…
"We'll see. He missed a few practices in the spring. He's been healthy this entire fall camp. He's got really heavy hands. So, we talk about spilling pullers and slicing tight ends and things of that nature – they better bring it because he's about to headbutt them. He does a really good job from the standpoint of being physical at the point of attack, and he does have a really good explosion. That's one of those positions where it's yet to be determined exactly what the extent of the role and what specific situations, but despite the fact that he missed some practice in the spring, he's in a good spot right now."
On makes Wendell Gregory stand out…
"He's put on some weight over the course of the summer. He's a lot more comfortable with the scheme and what we're asking him to do, and I think that he is one of those guys that can kind of be a natural leader just because of what he puts on tape and what he does every day. I could have pulled 15 or 20 plays from the last four or five days of practice of a level of strain that is the standard for our defense. So, he's continued to grow, continued to do the things that we're asking him to do, and – to be honest – and then some."
On players that have taken significant steps this fall…
"Earlier I got the question about the safety position, I think one of those guys is Koy Beasley. He's really kind of stepped up his game from a standpoint of, 'Hey, I am the quarterback of the defense back here in the secondary. I've got to run the show.' Not always are the personality types all the same in the back end, but you got to be able to command and have that presence about him. He's done a nice job with his body over the course of the last three month since spring ball ended. I really like where he's progressed over the course of these last three months."
On the player on defense who will wear the green dot…
"It'll be a combination of linebackers just because they are in the center of the defense and can communicate effectively both between the front and the back. That has been kind of the most effective way to do that, in our opinion, just because of how fast things can happen in tempo and turbo situations. So, it will be a linebacker.
On the improvement of linebackers Gabe Powers and Rex Van Wyhe…
"They are the Bash Brothers. They very much – like I said with JoJo (Scott) – have mastered the playbook in the sense that they understand the what and the why. They do a phenomenal job of taking control. If we have to make a front adjustment or a front check based on formation, they are running that show and coordinating traffic and things of that nature. So, I think with that level of preparation comes a level of confidence. You can only fake confidence for so long before it kind of shows its face. I think because of their work ethic and the amount that they poured into learning the defense and learning what we're trying to do, it's shown over the course of the time they have been here."
STANTON WEBER, SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR
On if he's having fun during training camp…
"Yeah, it's lots of fun. You could ask Wyatt (Thompson) – he's able to attend several of them. Sometimes I get a little bit more animated than I'd like to. My priest was at practice the other day, and I can't say I'm proud of maybe every word I used when I was passionately coaching. But, I'm having a lot of fun. It's been a blast."
On the comparisons of training camp between Coach Klein and Coach Snyder…
"There are some – some that are very (similar), and others that are not at all. The not-at-all piece comes as much from the fact that the rules have changed dramatically since even when we were playing. We can't put pads on two times a day, right? We would do those two-a-days back in the day and a variety of other things in that matter. But, some things are so similar. We've been able to – in our evening team meetings – share with the team. Each coach is assigned an evening or a morning to give a message or something about themselves, and my turn was a couple days ago. I intentionally took that podium over there, rolled it to the middle of the room, and I told the guys, I said, 'Listen, this brings me back to when I was a player.' I get to public speak about three times a day right now, and I told them, 'Guys, I am genuinely nervous to give you this, essentially, message, this talk, because I remember how it felt when I was a player sitting in those chairs, and Coach Snyder would eventually open those evenings up to the players, and they would get a chance to step up and share their hearts.' I told the players, I said, 'Guys, you're going to feel nervous. You're going to feel like maybe no one wants to hear what you have to say, but if there's something on your heart, you should share it.' I said, 'Coach would step back to his chair, he'd sit down, cross his legs, lean back, and then there'd just be about 10 of the longest seconds of silence before someone would stand up and get it going.' So, that element is identical. There's a lot of awesome nuances that he is bringing along with him, but the training camp schedule is a little bit different because of how we have to abide by the different rules now."
On where he thinks the special teams has made the most progress…
"It's hard to say exactly where. We'll take every single day we can up to game day and you'll see dramatic improvement overnight. So, I think there's a few units that are coming together. In the spring, you're doing your best to sort of keep things broad stroke. You want everyone to have an opportunity to potentially flash. Now, as we're paring down and getting close to two weeks out, the depth charts are becoming a little more clear. But, at the same time, I just was just upstairs editing 17 things on the depth chart. So, everything's still changing. I would say the most things we've improved have been just elements of seeing guys who maybe were true freshmen in the spring, who all of a sudden are, it's like an overnight breakthrough. It's like, 'Wow, he's getting it.' As well as you know, this or that unit, you're trying to fit the pieces together, and then, bang, perfect rep. You're like, 'Alright, this group gets it.' So, you get those along the way as well, but, like I said, we got a big walk through this afternoon where we're going to do some really important things, and we got to keep rolling."
On if the age-based eligibility model allows him to pick from a bigger pool of players…
"Yeah, it does. It takes an additional roster-management element out that we're constantly having conversations of. As a special teams guy, you're like, 'Alright, when do we use this freshman who I think is going to be a really promising player for us, is he going to be a guy that's eventually going to help us on defense in week nine?' Now it's, 'Hey everybody – it's wide open. Let's get it going.' It makes it so you don't have to hesitate as much. You still also have the 75 guys we take on the road and sort of check that line. We had those meetings as a staff this weekend to sort of say, 'Alright, who is above, who's below.' Those, as a special teams coordinator, you're constantly managing of, 'Alright, well, if this guy's not going to be with us when we go to Cincinnati, I've got to invest my reps in guys that will.' So, some of those decisions are starting to be made, but it's nice to have the freedom to not worry about that redshirt deal and get guys for five years."
On who has stepped up as returners…
"There are guys that are doing better and competing well for it. I've been very pleased this summer with a handful of guys that have put in extra time. You got Rodney Fields Jr., Jay Harris, Monterrio Elston Jr., Brandon White. They're all putting in extra time, catching a bunch of kicks after every one of our walkthroughs. Then, (Sterling) Lockett and (Izaiah) Williams – guys out there – B-White (Brandon White) as well – catching punts and love it. It's just about who wants to take the professional ownership of it. I've seen guys start, and it's really cool. Then they come hang out in my office with me, and I can tell them, 'Hey, listen, you're actually trying to influence that guy to open this up,' and they're starting to realize, 'Oh, that's what you want.' It takes them taking the ownership, and several have. The competition is still wide open, but I am much more optimistic about who we have than I was in the spring. I felt a little bit like I was waiting, and things have emerged, which is good."
On if it surprises him that some of the running backs have stepped up as a returner…
"There have been a lot of great returners here, and as you go down the list on the kick return side, we've had some smaller guys. Go back to Brandon Banks, right? You talk about him. (Tyler) Lockett is a little bit smaller, but we have had some guys. Morgan Burns – you go watch his highlights, and guys bounce off him. So, there is a place for all types of runners in our scheme. You might be doing certain things that more attribute to the strengths of the bigger guy than the smaller guy. But, guess what? You can also swap them out. So, it is an interesting thing, because, I'll tell you what, when Jay (Harris) gets his reps back there, you talk to the kickoff team, and they're like, 'I would have no interest in tackling that guy.' And I'm like, 'Me neither.' That's a good thing."
On how Luis Rodriguez has improved during the offseason…
"He has just been steady, and that's what you love about. He's a guy that hits an incredibly consistent ball. He had an incredible spring every day getting out there. From an improvement standpoint, it's hard to say that, 'Man, he's improved tremendously,' because he's just been the same in the best way. So, I'd say the most impressive thing I've found from being around him is the moment's never too big. It still hasn't been. You can ask him to compete for this and that, and he's not going to back down, he's not going to be scared and he's not going to change his demeanor. I'm a big fan of kickers that don't have high heart rates, and I think he's one of them. So, I've been impressed by that."
On how they simulate pressure moments in practice…
"Well, we're constantly doing team situations that end in a field goal. So, the other day, we were doing end of game, two-minute drill, 38 seconds, no timeouts from X-yard line. You're going to get a live field goal, which means we're going to rush the defense and let them try to block it, and this is to win the game. So, you have a full live rush – the edge rusher is going to whiz two inches by your leg after you kick it. You're either going to win the game or not. So, several examples like that. Then, in our individual stuff, there's constantly some punishment that they really don't like on the line, and it's fun, because you'll get the guys who will start saying, 'Alright, who says Luis (Rodriguez) is going to make it? Who says Robert (Hammond III) is going to make it?' Then we'll see. We have a fun punishment that you can ask any specialist that's been in the program for decades, and they'll tell you what it is."
On if the players embrace the importance of special teams at Kansas State…
"Absolutely. You guys can read the wall over there. Coach Klein has defined a plan to win here, a tactic to win the game in terms of things that we need to emphasize and things that we need to, by definition, win. We can break it down to them in terms of, over the past X amount of years, if we win this statistic, then we win this percentage of our games. There are two stats that I've been tracking for years, which are hidden yards and momentum plays. We have essentially a menu of things called momentum plays that are dictated as a positive or a negative play for us. Then, hidden yards, you have an expected outcome and you track it. Anyways, if you win both of those, you win 90% of the games without any other statistic. So, that is something that they can see clearly. Then on top of all that, just being in different places, you realize that this place understands that special teams are important, the players embrace it, and your starters understand that if they have NFL aspirations, they're going to play special teams. They understand that, but also, guys just want to win. So, they get that. We've done a fantastic job. I've got no qualms with our players. I've got 20 guys coming in my office every day to just spend 10 minutes with me, and it's been a blast."
On what it is like being the steward of the special teams tradition at Kansas State…
"Well, it's a great honor. Like you said, you go to different places, different fan bases – our fan base has a relatively high IQ when it comes to special teams. They're cheering for the pinned punt inside the five. They're cheering for the 50-yard net punt when the TV's cutting to commercial. Those guys get it. So, it's a lot of fun being one of those fans, essentially, who I get to have the bat in my hands. I get a chance to go up there and try to get done for them. So, it's a tremendous honor, tremendous responsibility like we've said, and one that I'm excited for us to start putting pieces together to ideally help us win some games."
On how much Jacob Knuth is continuing to help on coverage and returns like he did in the spring…
"He's showing up every day and getting a little better. He's definitely still working, and he's a guy that, anytime you transition from quarterback, you have to get more comfortable striking things, you have to get more comfortable with block destruction. He's improving, and it's fun to watch him. We know he's going to be on the trip, so we have to be ready to utilize him in any situations we can. Right now, he's on a few depth charts, and it's been a lot of fun letting him participate. No new updates there, really."
SEAN GLEESON, OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR
On the backup quarterback battle…
"It's been going pretty good. As a coach – and you guys too – you probably have something set in cement, but it seems like the competition level is pretty rigorous. They have days where you leave practice and you say, 'Hey, I think we're ready to kind of put it in maybe some ink.' But, then the next day, it kind of changes. So, it's evolving. I just think it's a testament to those guys and how they approach the battle and the preparation in the off-season and how they've performed thus far. So, TBD on that one, but I think we're in a good position. Coach (Klein) mentioned earlier about the offensive line depth and some different arrangements that we've had. I feel pretty confident that all those guys can go in and operate the offense and do a pretty good job."
On what Oliver Miller's role with the offensive line can be as a freshman…
"The young guys that I've been around that played that early up front, it's always kind of like balancing as a coach, like, 'Okay, he is incredibly versatile. He's tough. He's smart. He has all the qualities. He's a special player.' You just don't want to stub his toe and move him around too much. So, we've had long conversations about contingencies and trying to put everybody in the best situation. The good news is we were not siloed at all. I think in light of what Coach said, I think you'd be in a little bit more trouble if perhaps you had a bit more permanence in location for all those guys up front, but we really have been – musical chairs is like a bad way to describe it – but we have been moving them around quite a bit. So, Oliver is in that mix as well. Wherever he settles, he's going to be a great player, and he's going to be a great player from whenever he takes his first snap."
On making the most progress since the spring…
"I still feel like there's a hint of that newness as we're getting acclimated as a staff. In the spring, I remember there being a point at which I felt like we hit our stride maybe from a situational standpoint – some exposure to whether it be third down or two minute or whatever – that it wasn't just about installing the plays anymore and that we were applying it to what would be a game-like scenario. I feel like lately we've kind of came out really strong in camp, and then the defense kind of fought back, which is great. You want to be like a heavyweight fight, but lately we've seen more evidence of how hard we want our guys to play and show up on the tape. Those two things together – because I feel like we have banked all that situational experience – we've operated really well in some of the end-of-game and end-of-half scenarios that we've had for our guys. But how hard we need to play in light of back-to-back-to back practices, I think that's something that we've gotten over the hump recently on that stuff. So, I'm happy with that."
On the running back situation…
"I think we're in great shape. Some of those things with Rodney Fields Jr., maybe early where you didn't quite know what kind of what he was going to be, those have kind of resolved. I think we have three really good guys. I think everyone should be excited about the quality and depth of our running back room. We're moving those guys through and sharing carries when necessary, but Coach came in after our first scrimmage and made it pretty clear to us on offense that at every position, we're going to play the best guys regardless of depth or regardless of whatever. I'm all confident that they'll be great in the game, each of them, but I do think that we're going to reward the hot hand too and see how they take us."
On how different the three running backs are…
"I think maybe in the spring when we were talking about them, Jay Harris is just incredibly physical. I would not want to tackle him. I think I talked about him being on scout team being like Ed Reed running around. He just does everything super physical, extra effort all the time. Joe Jackson is just like a consummate vet. He's very smart, makes the right cut when you need make the right cut. Understands the scheme, understands pass protection. Rodney Fields Jr. is just like lightning in a bottle sometimes. So, I'm excited about that group for sure. I've been around some really good backs, so I hope that carries a little bit of weight."
On moving forward without John Pastore…
"That's coaching. I remember pretty vividly one year in my career probably our best player on offense went down in like a Wednesday practice doing one-on-ones. He just was running an in-cut, his knee went in the turf, and he didn't come out of it, didn't get up. I remember being on the sideline, and one of the backups at that position, I had asked like a rhetorical question, I was like, 'Well, who's going to play his position now?' He looked me right in the eyes, like, 'I'm playing that position,' and he ended up catching a touchdown in the game at that position. So, we're crushed for John. One of the things this time of year you're trying to find the soul of your team. He's one of those guys that we depended on. He's part of the soul of our team, and he still will be, just in a different role. I think coaching has taught me that when I was younger, I would get a little bit dejected about stuff like this, but this is why you train in the off-season. This is why you treat them in the meeting room like they're all starters and ask them to prepare and get going when you need to get a lift when something like this happens."
On if Jaron Tibbs has been a leader in the wide receiver room…
"Definitely, for sure. I think it's a shared duty. Every preeminent player that I've been around at a position group kind of shares a little bit of implied leadership, but there's some veteran experience there in that room too. Josh (Manning), obviously, has played a bunch. You know, B-White (Brandon White) is kind of an elder statesman. He's been around the block a little bit. So, I think right now it'd be unfair to say that it's just Jaron, but I do know I've watched that whole thing develop over the past however many months in station workouts and stuff. I do think that the guys look to him at times for some messaging, and he's been there to deliver it, and we need him to."
On challenging backup quarterbacks in practice when there is an established starter…
"We have a healthy competition culture, to be honest. I don't there being like a malaise in the reps that are given to the twos or the threes, and it being like, 'Oh whatever, I'll just roll the ball out there.' Coach said to the quarterbacks the other day, 'That job is rented. Every one of them, that job is rented, so you have to do everything every day to maintain your status and seek to improve your career at every step of the way.' So, I think that there's healthy competition and those guys are dialed in all time."
On the competition amongst the younger players on the interior of the offensive line…
"I'm happy. I think the physical development of a guy like Charlie Adams or even Chase Durate, when they came back after that little break prior to summer conditioning in June, you could see in those first couple weeks they started to kind of transform a little bit. There's guys up and down the line that look different in light of Coach (Jeremy) Jacobs' work and how they've approached the off-season. So, I think the physical development is for sure there. Now I would say as we get into some of this game-week prep, it is just seeing that group gel however we decide to supply the depth and position guys as we get closer to game time."
On the competition at tight end…
"(Garrett) Oakley has been one that I have just kind of marveled at because I didn't get to see a lot of him in the spring either. He's always very conscientious about his work and the things that he's doing, how he eats. He actually spoke to the team this morning and just did an incredible job talking about his journey and how his scout team reps as a freshman getting his butt kicked by a draft pick every single day was so valuable. That has been a treat for me because I just see him affect our practice. When I mentioned earlier about the effort in which we need to play and how hard the guys play every single day, he's been one in the last two practices that's showing up quite a bit. A guy catches a ball in an intermediate world, he's trying to turn and run after catch, and who's trailing him trying to throw a block behind him? It's Oakley and his pretty big body. So, he's been tremendous. Really, all those guys have been really awesome. I think we're well fortified. One of the things about Coach's offense that's so awesome is just the multiplicity and how varied you can be in personnel group, in formation, in operation. There's just a lot of different ways the thing could look, and those guys give us some flexibility there."
JORDAN PETERSON, DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR
On the progress of the defense through training camp…
"We said this back in the spring that art of that is just comfortability with the scheme, comfortability with each other. You watch some red zone periods when the communication has to be on an elite level, and that's really starting to get closer to where we want it to be. So, that part's been really fun to watch. You guys kind of understand the standard over which we play, the relentless nature and the violence that we want to play with where sometimes we tell them they have to pull off because we don't want to hit our quarterbacks. But, no, it's been really fun to watch so far."
On what various players have brought to the table…
"Exactly what you just asked – competition. Nothing in this program is ever going to be given. Ultimately, we have to run out there with 11 guys here in a couple weeks. The message to all of them is game one may not be what game three is, so every day your job is being rented. So, from a consistency standpoint and an approach standpoint, it's how you prepare and how you go about your business. Just because you walk out there on day one for the first game does not mean it's going to be the same the whole year. So, it's just a continual body of work. Those decisions haven't fully been made yet because I think they're all thoroughly in the mix, which is a good thing for all of us because competition breeds getting better. So that's kind of where it sits right now, but all of those guys will fill in."
On what allows Jordan Allen to play both outside and inside along the defensive line…
"Well, number one, he's a smart football player. Football makes sense to him. He does a really good job from a preparation standpoint – dials into the playbook. He's got traits that he can do both. He's got some twitch and the hand fighting on the edge, but at the same time, he's an explosive athlete that can pack a punch. He plays with heavy hands. So, there's a lot of positions that we will dual train because you never know what's going to happen in a season – whether it's the secondary, whether it's linebackers, whether it's the front, we are dual-training guys at each one of those levels of the defense, because again, you don't want to get caught in a position where you go, 'Oh, we have to play our fifth-best guy because he only got reps at X position as opposed to playing the next best available player.' So, pretty much across the board we've chosen some specific guys to dual train at their position."
On the most competed positions for the top…
"All of them. It's really the truth. Every day we are posting their grades from the practice. We believe in transparency. We believe in guys understanding exactly where they're at compared to their peers. It obviously makes the conversations a whole lot easier. 'This is black and white. This is what this grade is, this is what this grade is, and this is what this production level is.' Ultimately, although they may not like what they hear all the time, they can have an appreciation for the fact that we're going to shoot them straight. Pretty much across the board, they have to show up every day. There's not going to be anybody in that, 'Oh yeah, you're definitely the starter' kind of mode."
On what has allowed JoJo Scott to see playing time this season…
"I think number one, it's his maturity level. He is showing himself over these last eight and a half months that he approaches it like a pro. What I mean by that is he's constantly inquisitive. He's asking questions. He's trying to figure out, 'Ok, cool, I know this is what my job is, but why? Where does it fit in the bigger piece? Where is my help?' He's done a really, really nice job, and obviously the play on the field has continued to get better and better and better. So, I'm really excited about his progress and where he's at right now. "
On Elijah Hill's role…
"We'll see. He missed a few practices in the spring. He's been healthy this entire fall camp. He's got really heavy hands. So, we talk about spilling pullers and slicing tight ends and things of that nature – they better bring it because he's about to headbutt them. He does a really good job from the standpoint of being physical at the point of attack, and he does have a really good explosion. That's one of those positions where it's yet to be determined exactly what the extent of the role and what specific situations, but despite the fact that he missed some practice in the spring, he's in a good spot right now."
On makes Wendell Gregory stand out…
"He's put on some weight over the course of the summer. He's a lot more comfortable with the scheme and what we're asking him to do, and I think that he is one of those guys that can kind of be a natural leader just because of what he puts on tape and what he does every day. I could have pulled 15 or 20 plays from the last four or five days of practice of a level of strain that is the standard for our defense. So, he's continued to grow, continued to do the things that we're asking him to do, and – to be honest – and then some."
On players that have taken significant steps this fall…
"Earlier I got the question about the safety position, I think one of those guys is Koy Beasley. He's really kind of stepped up his game from a standpoint of, 'Hey, I am the quarterback of the defense back here in the secondary. I've got to run the show.' Not always are the personality types all the same in the back end, but you got to be able to command and have that presence about him. He's done a nice job with his body over the course of the last three month since spring ball ended. I really like where he's progressed over the course of these last three months."
On the player on defense who will wear the green dot…
"It'll be a combination of linebackers just because they are in the center of the defense and can communicate effectively both between the front and the back. That has been kind of the most effective way to do that, in our opinion, just because of how fast things can happen in tempo and turbo situations. So, it will be a linebacker.
On the improvement of linebackers Gabe Powers and Rex Van Wyhe…
"They are the Bash Brothers. They very much – like I said with JoJo (Scott) – have mastered the playbook in the sense that they understand the what and the why. They do a phenomenal job of taking control. If we have to make a front adjustment or a front check based on formation, they are running that show and coordinating traffic and things of that nature. So, I think with that level of preparation comes a level of confidence. You can only fake confidence for so long before it kind of shows its face. I think because of their work ethic and the amount that they poured into learning the defense and learning what we're trying to do, it's shown over the course of the time they have been here."
STANTON WEBER, SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR
On if he's having fun during training camp…
"Yeah, it's lots of fun. You could ask Wyatt (Thompson) – he's able to attend several of them. Sometimes I get a little bit more animated than I'd like to. My priest was at practice the other day, and I can't say I'm proud of maybe every word I used when I was passionately coaching. But, I'm having a lot of fun. It's been a blast."
On the comparisons of training camp between Coach Klein and Coach Snyder…
"There are some – some that are very (similar), and others that are not at all. The not-at-all piece comes as much from the fact that the rules have changed dramatically since even when we were playing. We can't put pads on two times a day, right? We would do those two-a-days back in the day and a variety of other things in that matter. But, some things are so similar. We've been able to – in our evening team meetings – share with the team. Each coach is assigned an evening or a morning to give a message or something about themselves, and my turn was a couple days ago. I intentionally took that podium over there, rolled it to the middle of the room, and I told the guys, I said, 'Listen, this brings me back to when I was a player.' I get to public speak about three times a day right now, and I told them, 'Guys, I am genuinely nervous to give you this, essentially, message, this talk, because I remember how it felt when I was a player sitting in those chairs, and Coach Snyder would eventually open those evenings up to the players, and they would get a chance to step up and share their hearts.' I told the players, I said, 'Guys, you're going to feel nervous. You're going to feel like maybe no one wants to hear what you have to say, but if there's something on your heart, you should share it.' I said, 'Coach would step back to his chair, he'd sit down, cross his legs, lean back, and then there'd just be about 10 of the longest seconds of silence before someone would stand up and get it going.' So, that element is identical. There's a lot of awesome nuances that he is bringing along with him, but the training camp schedule is a little bit different because of how we have to abide by the different rules now."
On where he thinks the special teams has made the most progress…
"It's hard to say exactly where. We'll take every single day we can up to game day and you'll see dramatic improvement overnight. So, I think there's a few units that are coming together. In the spring, you're doing your best to sort of keep things broad stroke. You want everyone to have an opportunity to potentially flash. Now, as we're paring down and getting close to two weeks out, the depth charts are becoming a little more clear. But, at the same time, I just was just upstairs editing 17 things on the depth chart. So, everything's still changing. I would say the most things we've improved have been just elements of seeing guys who maybe were true freshmen in the spring, who all of a sudden are, it's like an overnight breakthrough. It's like, 'Wow, he's getting it.' As well as you know, this or that unit, you're trying to fit the pieces together, and then, bang, perfect rep. You're like, 'Alright, this group gets it.' So, you get those along the way as well, but, like I said, we got a big walk through this afternoon where we're going to do some really important things, and we got to keep rolling."
On if the age-based eligibility model allows him to pick from a bigger pool of players…
"Yeah, it does. It takes an additional roster-management element out that we're constantly having conversations of. As a special teams guy, you're like, 'Alright, when do we use this freshman who I think is going to be a really promising player for us, is he going to be a guy that's eventually going to help us on defense in week nine?' Now it's, 'Hey everybody – it's wide open. Let's get it going.' It makes it so you don't have to hesitate as much. You still also have the 75 guys we take on the road and sort of check that line. We had those meetings as a staff this weekend to sort of say, 'Alright, who is above, who's below.' Those, as a special teams coordinator, you're constantly managing of, 'Alright, well, if this guy's not going to be with us when we go to Cincinnati, I've got to invest my reps in guys that will.' So, some of those decisions are starting to be made, but it's nice to have the freedom to not worry about that redshirt deal and get guys for five years."
On who has stepped up as returners…
"There are guys that are doing better and competing well for it. I've been very pleased this summer with a handful of guys that have put in extra time. You got Rodney Fields Jr., Jay Harris, Monterrio Elston Jr., Brandon White. They're all putting in extra time, catching a bunch of kicks after every one of our walkthroughs. Then, (Sterling) Lockett and (Izaiah) Williams – guys out there – B-White (Brandon White) as well – catching punts and love it. It's just about who wants to take the professional ownership of it. I've seen guys start, and it's really cool. Then they come hang out in my office with me, and I can tell them, 'Hey, listen, you're actually trying to influence that guy to open this up,' and they're starting to realize, 'Oh, that's what you want.' It takes them taking the ownership, and several have. The competition is still wide open, but I am much more optimistic about who we have than I was in the spring. I felt a little bit like I was waiting, and things have emerged, which is good."
On if it surprises him that some of the running backs have stepped up as a returner…
"There have been a lot of great returners here, and as you go down the list on the kick return side, we've had some smaller guys. Go back to Brandon Banks, right? You talk about him. (Tyler) Lockett is a little bit smaller, but we have had some guys. Morgan Burns – you go watch his highlights, and guys bounce off him. So, there is a place for all types of runners in our scheme. You might be doing certain things that more attribute to the strengths of the bigger guy than the smaller guy. But, guess what? You can also swap them out. So, it is an interesting thing, because, I'll tell you what, when Jay (Harris) gets his reps back there, you talk to the kickoff team, and they're like, 'I would have no interest in tackling that guy.' And I'm like, 'Me neither.' That's a good thing."
On how Luis Rodriguez has improved during the offseason…
"He has just been steady, and that's what you love about. He's a guy that hits an incredibly consistent ball. He had an incredible spring every day getting out there. From an improvement standpoint, it's hard to say that, 'Man, he's improved tremendously,' because he's just been the same in the best way. So, I'd say the most impressive thing I've found from being around him is the moment's never too big. It still hasn't been. You can ask him to compete for this and that, and he's not going to back down, he's not going to be scared and he's not going to change his demeanor. I'm a big fan of kickers that don't have high heart rates, and I think he's one of them. So, I've been impressed by that."
On how they simulate pressure moments in practice…
"Well, we're constantly doing team situations that end in a field goal. So, the other day, we were doing end of game, two-minute drill, 38 seconds, no timeouts from X-yard line. You're going to get a live field goal, which means we're going to rush the defense and let them try to block it, and this is to win the game. So, you have a full live rush – the edge rusher is going to whiz two inches by your leg after you kick it. You're either going to win the game or not. So, several examples like that. Then, in our individual stuff, there's constantly some punishment that they really don't like on the line, and it's fun, because you'll get the guys who will start saying, 'Alright, who says Luis (Rodriguez) is going to make it? Who says Robert (Hammond III) is going to make it?' Then we'll see. We have a fun punishment that you can ask any specialist that's been in the program for decades, and they'll tell you what it is."
On if the players embrace the importance of special teams at Kansas State…
"Absolutely. You guys can read the wall over there. Coach Klein has defined a plan to win here, a tactic to win the game in terms of things that we need to emphasize and things that we need to, by definition, win. We can break it down to them in terms of, over the past X amount of years, if we win this statistic, then we win this percentage of our games. There are two stats that I've been tracking for years, which are hidden yards and momentum plays. We have essentially a menu of things called momentum plays that are dictated as a positive or a negative play for us. Then, hidden yards, you have an expected outcome and you track it. Anyways, if you win both of those, you win 90% of the games without any other statistic. So, that is something that they can see clearly. Then on top of all that, just being in different places, you realize that this place understands that special teams are important, the players embrace it, and your starters understand that if they have NFL aspirations, they're going to play special teams. They understand that, but also, guys just want to win. So, they get that. We've done a fantastic job. I've got no qualms with our players. I've got 20 guys coming in my office every day to just spend 10 minutes with me, and it's been a blast."
On what it is like being the steward of the special teams tradition at Kansas State…
"Well, it's a great honor. Like you said, you go to different places, different fan bases – our fan base has a relatively high IQ when it comes to special teams. They're cheering for the pinned punt inside the five. They're cheering for the 50-yard net punt when the TV's cutting to commercial. Those guys get it. So, it's a lot of fun being one of those fans, essentially, who I get to have the bat in my hands. I get a chance to go up there and try to get done for them. So, it's a tremendous honor, tremendous responsibility like we've said, and one that I'm excited for us to start putting pieces together to ideally help us win some games."
On how much Jacob Knuth is continuing to help on coverage and returns like he did in the spring…
"He's showing up every day and getting a little better. He's definitely still working, and he's a guy that, anytime you transition from quarterback, you have to get more comfortable striking things, you have to get more comfortable with block destruction. He's improving, and it's fun to watch him. We know he's going to be on the trip, so we have to be ready to utilize him in any situations we can. Right now, he's on a few depth charts, and it's been a lot of fun letting him participate. No new updates there, really."
– k-statesports.com –
How to follow the Cats: For complete information on K-State Football, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team's social media channels on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Facebook.
How to follow the Cats: For complete information on K-State Football, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team's social media channels on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Facebook.
Players Mentioned
OL
/ Football
DE
/ Football
S
/ Football
RB
/ Football
RB
/ Football
DE
/ Football
RB
/ Football
DE
/ Football
RB
/ Football
QB
/ Football
OL
/ Football
OL
/ Football
LB
/ Football
K
/ Football
CB
/ Football
WR
/ Football
LB
/ Football
WR
/ FootballThursday, August 20
Thursday, August 20
Thursday, August 20
Tuesday, August 18
