‘He’s a terror’: Why Khalid Duke is suddenly reeling in sacks for Kansas State
Kansas State was supposed to take a step back on the defensive line this season.
Dominant edge rusher Felix Anudike-Uzomah left for the NFL and longtime nose tackle Eli Huggins ran out of college eligibility. Replacing them looked like the opposite of an easy task for the Wildcats.
And yet, through two games, it seems like they have more playmakers than ever before at the line of scrimmage. The Wildcats already have 20 tackles for loss, including eight sacks, on defense.
The biggest reason why: Khalid Duke.
“Man,” K-State football coach Chris Klieman said, “he’s a terror. He’s a good player. We are keeping him fresh, too. Duke is just so difficult to try and block.”
Duke has, at least temporarily, made K-State fans forget about the talented players they lost and the lower expectations that surrounded his position during the preseason. The 6-foot-4 and 246-pound senior defensive end from Atlanta has already delivered four tackles for loss, including three sacks. He has also forced a fumble.
After every big tackle, he breaks out his signature celebration and pretends to reel in the catch of the day with an invisible fishing pole.
“I love it, because he is out there reeling them in right now,” K-State linebacker Daniel Green said. “He’s out there fishing and he’s catching a lot of fish.”
Many are taking notice. Duke played so well during a 42-13 victory over Troy that the Senior Bowl named him its “Stock Up Player of the Week.” He has already matched his career high for sacks, and he only needs one more tackle for loss to match his best season-long performance in that statistic, too.
But not everyone is surprised.
“I expected him to be like that,” K-State linebacker Austin Moore said. “His athleticism is crazy. His strength and his athleticism combined make him so special.”
It makes sense that Duke is on pace for a breakthrough season. After asking him to play out of position the past two years at linebacker, the Wildcats have moved him back to his ideal spot on the football field. And he is now fully healthy after recovering from a ACL injury that he suffered in 2021.
Add it all up, and he feels like a different player.
“I am definitely playing faster,” Duke said. “Being with your head down is more reaction. It gives me a chance to play more aggressively and use my physical tools, like as fast and as aggressive as I want.”
This story was originally published September 14, 2023 at 6:30 AM with the headline "‘He’s a terror’: Why Khalid Duke is suddenly reeling in sacks for Kansas State."