Chris Klieman defends Kansas State’s football culture after losing wave of transfers
Chris Klieman has heard the noise.
More than a dozen scholarship players have chosen to transfer away from the Kansas State football team since the regular season came to an end, including major contributors like Will Howard, Nate Matlack and Kobe Savage. Those departures have left some K-State fans wondering what the heck is going on with the Wildcats.
Klieman chose to address those concerns head on during his latest news conference.
“I know that that our culture has been mentioned. Is it still sound? Is it stable? It’s really strong,” Klieman said. “Has it been battered and hit? You bet. So has everybody’s in the country.”
Indeed, the number of transfers that the Wildcats have lost over the past month is on par with what most other college football teams are dealing with at the moment.
But it still comes as a shock to some K-State fans, because the Wildcats only said goodbye to a handful of transfers last season when they won a Big 12 championship. And the players who did look for new teams mostly decided to wait until after the Sugar Bowl to enter the transfer portal.
Some of the early transfer movement surprised Klieman during this cycle. But he is not worried about the long-term outlook of his football team.
“Our culture is strong,” Klieman said. “It has taken a couple of body blows, but it is going to stand the test of time because of the great kids that we have in that locker room and the great coaches that we have who are great mentors and role models for these kids.”
K-State offensive lineman Cooper Beebe had a similar response when he was asked if fans should be worried about recent transfers.
“Don’t be,” Beebe said. “It’s the new age of college football. I think a lot of people are going to try to chase money, and that’s not who we are. We have got coach Klieman at the helm, so we’ll be fine. I see all the worry on Twitter, but don’t be. We have got the right man at the top and he’ll get us going again.”
The Wildcats are losing transfers for many different reasons.
Some, such as veteran quarterback Will Howard, no longer wanted to compete with Avery Johnson and desired a fresh start elsewhere. His choice was met with heavy interest from Miami and USC. Matlack relocated to Pittsburgh and Oregon is reportedly in hot pursuit of Savage.
Other transfers, such as third-string QB Jake Rubley, left in search of increased playing time. K-State coaches also encouraged some players to seek new homes.
“We are very honest with our players about where we are at,” Klieman said, “and we want the best for our guys.”
The possibility of NIL money was also a factor for some of the transfers.
If there is one area of concern for K-State and the transfer market, it is in the NIL space. Klieman thinks Wildcats could have done more to retain current players or to bring in new impact transfers with NIL deals.
But he is ready to fix that problem.
“We are continuing to improve and enhance our name, image and likeness,” Klieman said. “We have had some really good conversations and I am excited about the trajectory we are on to improve that landscape.”
Klieman hopes to maintain a patient approach when it comes to NIL opportunities with his players. The last thing he wants to do is make a promise he can’t keep. Klieman thinks that happens too often in college football, which has led to an increase in transfers all across the country.
The Wildcats have reeled in a pair of incoming transfers since the end of the regular season. Austin Peay defensive end Travis Bates and North Dakota offensive lineman Easton Kilty have both committed to play for K-State next season.
He is expecting more good news on the horizon.
“We’re moving in a really good trajectory,” Klieman said, “on having a lot of real numbers that we can compete and compete well to make sure kids want to stay and play for Kansas State.”
This story was originally published December 18, 2023 at 1:28 PM with the headline "Chris Klieman defends Kansas State’s football culture after losing wave of transfers."