Kansas State finished 2022 with a strong 10-4 record, which included a Big 12 Championship victory over TCU. All of Kansas State’s regular-season losses were by 10 points or fewer; only its bowl game loss to Alabama got out of hand. Otherwise, this Kansas State team played well in 2022 and persevered through injury. This year, FanDuel Sportsbook has opened the bidding on Kanas State’s win total at 7.5, with the over juiced to -188. Kansas State also is +470 to win the Big 12, which ranks behind Texas and Oklahoma. With all of that said, let’s dive into the Kansas State roster.
2023 Kansas State Football Season Preview & Predictions
Kansas State Football 2023 Season Preview: Coaching Staff
Kansas State appears to have found a real one in Chris Klieman. Formerly the coach of North Dakota State, Klieman holds a 30-20 record during his tenure with Kansas State. He retains both coordinators, with Collin Klein returning on offense and Joe Klanderman coming back on defense. Both coaches have shown the adaptability to work with a variety of personnel, which should help Kansas State build on its recent success.
Kansas State Football 2023 Season Preview: Offense
Quarterback
At quarterback, Kansas State lost Adrian Martinez to the next level, but it retains Will Howard. Howard played in seven games last year due to a Martinez injury. He has now played a few different times in his career. Last year, he completed 119 of his 199 pass attempts (59.8%) for 1,633 yards (8.2 yards per attempt), 15 touchdowns and four interceptions. In fact, Howard played well enough to keep the job even when Martinez returned. Howard has displayed decent mobility in his career with 570 yards on 145 attempts (3.9 yards per carry). He also took just eight sacks last year, showing the ability to take care of the ball. Behind him, Jake Rubley will return and should be the backup. However, he only has six career pass attempts and Kansas State did recruit a 4-star freshman quarterback and top 100 recruit in Avery Johnson. Johnson may take over this backup job sooner rather than later. The Kansas State quarterback situation is in a solid place ahead of 2023.
Running Back
Kansas State lost Deuce Vaughn along with his 1,558 rushing yards and 378 receiving yards on 42 catches. Fortunately, Kansas State did nab Treshaun Ward from Florida State in the transfer portal. Ward is 5-foot-10, 192 pounds, and rushed 94 times for 628 yards and seven touchdowns. He also caught six passes for 19 yards. Ward averaged 3.51 yards after contact and forced a missed tackle on 36.2% of his attempts, making him one of the most efficient runners in the ACC last year. Behind him, D.J. Giddens returns after an explosive 2022. He is 6-foot-1, 212 pounds, and rushed 89 times for 519 yards and six touchdowns in a change of pace role behind Vaughn. Giddens also caught eight passes for 98 yards in his first season with Kansas State. He averaged 3.88 yards after contact and forced a missed tackle on 27% of his attempts. These backs should provide a solid one-two punch for Kansas State.
Wide Receiver
Kansas State lost two of its top three receivers in Malik Knowles and Kade Warner this offseason. However, it does return second-leading receiver Phillip Brooks after catching 45 passes for 587 yards. Brooks is 5-foot-7, 169 pounds, and played in the slot 92.4% of the time. His 1.56 yards per route ranked 28th in the Big 12. The Wildcats’ other starter should be Iowa transfer Keagan Johnson. Johnson barely played last year, but he notched 18 catches for 352 yards in 2021. He logged a solid 1.66 yards per route that season. R.J. Garcia and Jadon Jackson are likely the next men up beyond Brooks and Johnson. Garcia caught seven passes last year and Jackson caught just two. Beyond this, Kansas State is a complete unknown at the receiver position. Ultimately, without much experience this group will likely take a small step back in 2023.
Tight End
At tight end Ben Sinnott returns after an excellent 2022 season. He caught 31 passes for 447 yards and four touchdowns. His 1.39 yards per route ranked 31st in the Big 12 last year. Sinnott also blocked on 59.3% of his snaps, but this area of his game could still use a little work. Behind him, Will Swanson only caught two passes, but he also only played 45 snaps. Kansas State runs an interesting offense that will often incorporate fullbacks. When it uses these formations, Christian Moore expects to handle most of the fullback duties after appearing in 13 games last year.
Offensive Line
The biggest strength on Kansas State’s offense will be the offensive line. The Wildcats have the benefit of returning their entire starting offensive line. Left tackle K.T. Leveston returns after 909 snaps. Left guard Cooper Beebe comes back after 940 snaps. Beebe took home All-American honors and earned Big 12 offensive lineman of the year as a junior. Center Hayden Gillum returns after 962 snaps. Right guard Hadley Panzer played 948 snaps as the weakest link on the unit. Finally, Christian Duffie played 947 snaps. Nobody on this offensive line got hurt last year, so Kansas State will hope for the same fortune in 2023. It also returns guard Taylor Poitier, who played 25 snaps in Week 1 before getting injured. In total, this team returned 15 linemen from last season’s roster. The unit did rank 66th in pass blocking, which could use a little work. Otherwise, this group should be the strength of the Kansas State offense.
Kansas State Football 2023 Season Preview: Defense
Kansas State ranked 75th on defense in 2022. This included the 81st-ranked run defense, 85th-ranked pass rush and 52nd-ranked secondary. Even worse, Kansas State lost five of its top six defenders in terms of snap count. Within this group, the Wildcats saw four starters in the secondary and star edge Felix Anudike-Uzomah depart. Replacing these players will be key, but Kansas State will mostly rely on depth. The team added four transfers and two 4-star recruits on the defensive side of the ball.
Defensive Line
The Wildcats will have to replace edge Anudike-Uzomah after his team-leading 8.5 sacks. Fortunately, their other edge Brendan Mott returns after six sacks and seven tackles for loss. He finished second in most pass rushing metrics, making him the most logical next man up. From there, Nate Matlack could hold down the other edge position after 322 snaps last year. Matlack was a major liability in run defense, but still logged a pair of sacks and three tackles for loss. This group does not have much depth and could even see younger players like Jordan Allen get on the field.
On the interior, the Wildcats lost stud Eli Huggins after 32 tackles last year. Huggins mostly clogged the interior and opened up stats for others, but his loss will be felt. Kansas State added Mississippi State transfer Jevon Banks after playing three years of rotational snaps. However, this position lacks any certainty. Uso Seumalo was the next most active among defensive tackle returners, but he only played 87 snaps last year. The defensive line comes with major questions.
Linebacker
Unlike the defensive line, linebacker should be the strongest position on the Kansas State defense. The team returns all three starters in Khalid Duke, Daniel Green and Austin Moore. Duke played 592 snaps last year and excelled as a pass rusher with five tackles for loss and three sacks. Moore led the team with 87 tackles, while defending four passes. Green excelled in coverage with two pass breakups and two interceptions himself. This unit returns a ton of experience and brings a versatile skillset.
Defensive Back
With Kansas State losing most of its starting secondary, this unit will rely on its player development. Jacob Parrish should start at one of the corner spots after playing 323 snaps last year. Parris defended three passes, despite his part-time role in 2022. The other corner position is a complete unknown. Junior college transfer Will Lee III has received praise this offseason, but players like Jordan Wright and Keenan Garber are also in the mix. Kansas State also added Southeast Missouri State transfer Tyler Nelome to the mix, who provides depth if nothing else. Finally, the nickel should be jack-of-all-trade V.J. Payne. Payne played 355 snaps last year and actually lined up in the slot on 122 of those. Ultimately, the corner position comes with many questions this offseason, but Kansas State appears happy with the unit based on its lack of offseason moves.
At safety, the Wildcats return their only full-time starter Kobe Savage. He played 512 snaps last year, recording three interceptions and 58 tackles. Opposite Savage could be North Dakota State transfer Marques Sigle. Like corner, this position does not have much proven depth. However, a younger player starting over Sigle would not be much of a surprise. It is reasonable to expect a step back from the Kansas State secondary ahead of 2023.
2023 Kansas State Football Schedule & Predictions
Kansas State Football 2023 Schedule
Kansas State plays a moderate schedule this year. Its non-conference features Southeast Missouri, Troy and Missouri. The Missouri game will likely come in with a semi-tight spread, but Kansas State should roll through the other two. In conference, Kansas State will get Texas, but it will dodge Oklahoma. It does face Baylor, Texas Tech and TCU, but this schedule looks fairly manageable prior to the start of the season.
Kansas State Football Futures Bet & Prediction
It is a bit surprising to see Kansas State’s win total come in at 7.5. The Wildcats will be clear underdogs just once all season if the season started today. Now, a number of games will feature tight spreads, which certainly contributes to a lower win total. Right now, eating the -188 juice on over 7.5 is the only option. However, an under 8.0 or 8.5 would become intriguing, if that number ever pops. For now, this team will remain a stay-away.
Best Kansas State Football Futures Bet: Over 7.5 Wins -188 at FanDuel
You can read the rest of Matt Gajewski’s 2023 college football season previews and predictions below!
- Alabama Season Preview & Predictions
- Arkansas Season Preview & Predictions
- Auburn Season Preview & Predictions
- Florida Season Preview & Predictions
- Georgia Season Preview & Predictions
- Iowa Season Preview & Predictions
- Iowa State Season Preview & Predictions
- Kentucky Season Preview & Predictions
- LSU Season Preview & Predictions
- Michigan Season Preview & Predictions
- Mississippi State Season Preview & Predictions
- Missouri Season Preview & Predictions
- Oklahoma Season Preview & Predictions
- Oklahoma State Season Preview & Predictions
- Ole Miss Season Preview & Predictions
- South Carolina Season Preview & Predictions
- Tennessee Season Preview & Predictions
- Texas Season Preview & Predictions
- Texas A&M Season Preview & Predictions
- Vanderbilt Season Preview & Predictions
- West Virginia Season Preview & Predictions
