Maryland transfer leaves Kansas State before playing in single game with Wildcats
When Branden Jennings announced his intentions to transfer from Maryland and continue his college football career at Kansas State, his decision was met with much excitement from the Wildcats.
The 6-foot-3 linebacker appeared capable of helping K-State immediately on defense next season after making 17 tackles in seven games as a freshman with the Terrapins. He was also a four-star recruit coming out of high school.
But the excitement that surrounded his January arrival in Manhattan won’t carry over to the fall.
Even though Jennings clearly has potential, he won’t realize it while he wears a K-State football uniform. The sophomore linebacker entered his name in the NCAA transfer portal on Monday, less than three months after he showed up on campus. That means he won’t finish spring practice with the Wildcats or play in a single game for head coach Chris Klieman.
He will transfer and look to continue his career elsewhere for the second time in a matter of months.
That qualifies as unusual even in today’s transfer-heavy climate.
K-State defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman had nice things to say about Jennings when asked about the Maryland transfer last week, but he made sure to point out that he was adjusting slowly to a new system. The odds of him starting alongside Daniel Green next season seemed slim.
“He looks the part,” Klanderman said. “He is extremely physical, he has got extraordinarily heavy hands. He has been nicked up a little bit so it’s been tough to get a consistent evaluation on him. He will flash on something and then he has been bothered with a couple little things. He has missed a day here and there and been in and out. When you are out, it’s difficult sometimes to know what you are doing and where you are supposed to be.
“It is hard to get a consistent evaluation on a guy who isn’t playing fast. He is just trying to be right. He is going to be so much better when he gets consistent reps. I think he is certainly talented and I think he is going to be a great name in the future here. But right now I don’t have a great gauge of where he is, other than that I know he has ability.”
Without Jennings in the mix, that means Krew Jackson, Nick Allen and Nebraska transfer Will Honas will have easier paths toward significant playing time next season.
This story was originally published April 11, 2022 at 9:07 PM with the headline "Maryland transfer leaves Kansas State before playing in single game with Wildcats."