One Kansas State running back may already be emerging as Deuce Vaughn’s understudy
This is the time of year when position battles take center stage within college football teams.
Quarterback competitions understandably get most of the attention, but there are other spots on the field worth monitoring. Sometimes, a good derby can be entertaining without involving a starting role.
Such is the case at Kansas State, where one of the most fascinating questions facing the Wildcats this preseason revolves around which running backs will help Deuce Vaughn in the backfield.
It goes without saying that Vaughn is the focal point of K-State’s offense. Chris Klieman wants to do everything he can to get the ball in Vaughn’s hands this season and then watch the All-American pile up yards and touchdowns. But even the best running backs need an occasional breather. And Klieman has long preferred to split carries among multiple runners in order to keep them all fresh and add balance to his team’s attack.
Joe Ervin and Jacardia Wright were K-State’s other running backs last season. But they both transferred during the offseason in hopes of finding a starting role elsewhere.
So who is going to take over for them?
“It’s wide open,” Klieman said on Monday.
The candidates: redshirt freshman D.J. Giddens, junior-college transfer Anthony Frias, Air Force transfer La’James White and Jordan Schippers.
All of them have an opportunity to earn carries during preseason camp, but one name already seems to be emerging from the group as a top contender. Read between the lines, and it’s obvious one player is generating more buzz than his teammates
“I have been impressed with D.J. Giddens,” Klieman said. “I think he’s made a nice step from where he was in the fall to spring and spring to this fall. We are excited about him.”
Giddens had the look of a player who was ready to see the field at this time last year, too. When he touched the ball in preseason practice, he showed terrific speed and burst through the line of scrimmage. After Vaughn, he had some of the best highlight runs at camp.
But the 6-foot-1 and 212-pound bruiser was fresh out of Junction City High School back then. He hadn’t learned the intricacies of K-State’s offense. He is still learning how to read college defenses.
That could ultimately put Giddens at a disadvantage compared to Schippers, who has already logged carries at both Western Illinois and K-State, or Frias, who stood out at the juco level last season.
But there is no denying his talent.
Once he puts it all together, Vaughn is confident Giddens will be a difference-maker for the Wildcats. It could happen this season following a competitive position battle.
“He can squat the house,” Vaughn said of Giddens earlier this summer. “Just today, he was running some team drills and he didn’t lose one rep. He’s unbelievable when it comes to athleticism. As soon as he gets that other side — the wisdom side — down he is going to be big-time for us.”
This story was originally published August 9, 2022 at 10:55 AM with the headline "One Kansas State running back may already be emerging as Deuce Vaughn’s understudy."