One of K-State’s best receivers was supposed to be helping on defense this year
Don’t feel bad if you lost track of D.J. Render’s presence on the Kansas State football roster over the past five years.
He has switched positions more times than an athletic and impatient third-string quarterback.
Not even he expected to be catching passes for the Wildcats this season, let alone making an impact in all five of their games and emerging as the team’s No. 3 receiver.
“I definitely thought I was going to be playing defensive back this season,” Render said during a video conference with reporters on Tuesday.
Render, a 5-foot-11 senior from Kennesaw, Georgia, has changed positions several times since enrolling at K-State in 2016. The Wildcats originally recruited him as a receiver, and that is where he expected to play during his first three years in Manhattan. But when he failed to record a single offensive statistic, he shifted most of his energy to special teams. Then Chris Klieman replaced Bill Snyder as football coach and suggested that Render give defense a try. That’s where he played all last season and figured to remain as a fifth-year senior until the coronavirus pandemic arrived.
Plans changed when positive COVID-19 tests and contact tracing decimated the Wildcats at receiver during preseason practice. Fearing he might not have enough healthy receivers for the season opener against Arkansas State, Klieman asked Render if he would finish his college career on offense.
“Without hesitation, I said ‘yes,’” Render said. “I just want to do anything and everything to help this team win and be successful. When he asked me to do that, I was all-in.”
Render’s importance to the offense has grown steadily since. He has made four catches for 45 yards, becoming a valuable slot receiver for the Wildcats following a season-ending injury to Wykeen Gill and a transfer from Joshua Youngblood.
Render has played a meaningful role in K-State’s four-game winning streak and climb to No. 16 in the national polls. Without him, it’s hard to imagine who freshman quarterback Will Howard might be targeting at receiver along with Chabastin Taylor, Phillip Brooks and Malik Knowles.
“He is an athletic kid,” K-State defensive back Ross Elder said. “You see him on special teams, he was a very versatile guy at receiver for three years, then tried defensive back. He is a guy who is willing to do whatever you want for the team. He is a quick, shifty receiver. He can catch the ball pretty well. He is definitely an asset for the offense. I’m glad to see him out there.”
It took five long years, but Render is finally realizing his potential as a utility player for the Wildcats.
Funny thing is, that isn’t the type of player he expected to be when he entered college. Like any high school senior, he used to dream about lighting up defenses with long runs and touchdown passes. So he was naturally disappointed when that didn’t happen. He admits he thought about transferring as a redshirt sophomore but decided to stick it out with the Wildcats after Klieman was hired.
He is glad he did, though switching positions from offense to defense and then back to offense hasn’t been easy.
Senior linebacker Justin Hughes took Render under his wing when he originally switched to defensive back and helped him learn how to prevent catches from behind instead of trying to get open. That wasn’t easy. Neither was switching back to receiver.
Whenever the challenge seemed like too much, Hughes shared some advice.
“No matter where you are on the field, you are helping this team,” Hughes remembers telling Render. “You being a versatile player that is able to do special teams, defense and offense, you should see that as a gift. To be athletic enough to do that you can be a pivotal piece for us ... I am proud of him to just keep his head level and stay the course.”
Render listened and kept on working.
All that time and energy paid off last week against Kansas when he caught a career-long pass for 21 yards and drew a defensive penalty while being targeted on another play. The Wildcats won 55-14, and after years or relative anonymity on the roster became easy for the most casual fans to notice.
“It has honestly been an amazing journey,” Render said. “I wouldn’t want it any other way.”
This story was originally published October 28, 2020 at 5:00 AM with the headline "One of K-State’s best receivers was supposed to be helping on defense this year."