K-State Wildcats Q&A: Some thoughts on spring football, basketball transfers and more
Spring football practice began at Kansas State on Friday morning.
Here are a few things I will be watching for while the Wildcats are on the field this month:
1. The K-State offense will look different with yet another new offensive coordinator calling plays next season. But how much different? I can’t see Matt Wells making radical changes to the offense after he spent last season working with Avery Johnson as the team’s quarterbacks coach. But not everything will be the same. I expect more from the passing game, especially when it comes to short throws. Using Dylan Edwards as more of a home-run player would also make sense. Perhaps we will get a sneak peek in spring ball.
2. Chris Klieman and K-State players are talking about the football roster as if it is filled with Hulks after the Wildcats spent a few extra weeks in the weight room before the start of spring practice. K-State claims to have added 700 collective pounds of muscle as a team. And four players have clocked speeds above 23 miles per hour in workouts. That all sounds great, but other teams have also been in the weight room. It’s not like the Wildcats have gained superpowers by lifting weights. Or have they? I’m curious to see if there is a noticeable difference in athleticism with this group.
3. It’s boring, but I want to see how the offensive line looks with a new position coach and several holes to fill in the starting rotation. Easton Kilty, Hadley Panzer and Carver Willis were all great blockers. Taylor Poitier and Sam Hecht are back. Who will join them on the front five?
4. Who will serve as Avery Johnson’s backup next season? I assume that Jacob Knuth will be the guy. But it will be interesting to see how Blake Barnett and Dillon Duff look in spring practice.
5. K-State needs to trim its roster down to 105 by the end of spring practices. That means about two dozen walk-ons will be cut. The next few weeks will feel like tryouts for certain players. Will that make this feel like a preseason NFL camp?
6. How much time will K-State devote to the triple-option? Most fans are fixated on Game 1 against Iowa State in Ireland. But the Wildcats also play a tricky home game against Army next season, which means they will need to be prepared to stop a unique offense. It takes time to learn how to defend the triple-option. It would behoove Chris Klieman to get a head start on that now. Otherwise, the Wildcats will only have a week to prepare for it early in the season. Klieman says the plan is to spend some time on the triple-option this month. How much? We will soon find out.
Now, let’s dive into your questions. Thanks, as always, for providing them.
Do you ever wear those Catapult GPS sports bras when you go shopping at the Westloop Dillons? -@KSTATEUPRL via X.
No, I’m too fast for those.
They may be able to track K-State football speed champion VJ Payne as he zooms above 23 miles per hour on the football field, but he’s got nothing on my ability to get in and out of a grocery store.
Was Jerome Tang expecting to lose associate head coach Ulric Maligi this week? And how does Kansas State plan to replace him? - Andrew B. via e-mail.
The Wildcats weren’t caught off guard by this move.
I was told months ago that this was likely going to be Maligi’s last season in Manhattan. He was thought to be a candidate for head coach openings at Stephen F. Austin and Oral Roberts. He also has deep ties to the Lone Star State, which made him a natural fit as an assistant at Texas and/or Texas A&M as they looked to replace Rodney Terry and Buzz Williams, respectively.
In year’s past, Jerome Tang would have fought hard to keep Maligi. But things have been going downhill for the Wildcats since they lost to Florida Atlantic in the Elite Eight during Tang’s first year. Maligi leaving for Texas gives Tang an opportunity to add new blood to his coaching staff, which is probably needed after a pair of lackluster seasons on the hardwood.
Now, K-State may have been better off losing some of its other assistants. I always enjoyed my talks with Maligi and thought he was an up-and-coming coach. But it’s easier to lure a big name to K-State with the title of “associate head coach” than a standard assistant. So it will be interesting to see how Tang goes about hiring a replacement.
I would not recommend an in-house promotion. But that is a possibility.
Personally, I think someone with head coaching experience might be very helpful next to Tang on the K-State bench.
But it’s also possible that Tang will want to bring in a portal wizard or a defense/offense specialist. I’m not sure exactly what to expect just yet. Change is probably a good thing, though.
Now that Buddy Rich finally entered the transfer portal, should we expect many other K-State basketball players to follow? Or will he be the only outgoing transfer? - Jeff M. via e-mail.
I’m not totally sure why it took Macaleab Rich nearly two weeks to announce his transfer plans.
The athletic wing was a lock to leave K-State, and anyone who was paying attention had known that for months. I assumed he would sprint to the portal.
So what took him so long? I have a theory. When a player enters the transfer portal likely corresponds with the timing of his or her monthly NIL check. Many of those come at the beginning or end of each month. Some players have been waiting on those to come in before they explore other opportunities.
Why rush into the portal if you can get one more paycheck by waiting a week? It’s just good business.
But I digress ...
There will be other K-State basketball transfers. Ugonna Onyenso is the next most likely transfer candidate on the roster, followed by Baye Fall. The Wildcats need to reload in the frontcourt, and it would shock me if they are in Jerome Tang’s future plans.
It might be quiet otherwise, but there are a few other players I’m keeping a curious eye on until the transfer window closes.
Let’s talk women’s basketball. Who is returning and who is not? What are our incoming recruits and portal needs? - @BusMedicMike via X.
Let’s start with the obvious. Departing seniors Temira Poindexter, Jaelyn Glenn, Serena Sundell, Ayoka Lee and Kennedy Taylor are out of college eligibility.
Two K-State players have already announced their intentions to leave Manhattan as outgoing transfers. They are Eliza Maupin and Brylee Glenn. Two more players, Zyanna Walker and Finley Ohnstad, reportedly entered the portal on Friday morning.
That means the Wildcats are losing at least nine players from this year’s Sweet 16 team.
Taryn Sides has announced that she plans to return.
But the best news is on the recruiting front. Jeff Mittie is bringing in a star-studded class of newcomers that includes Brandie Harrod, Aniya Foy, Gina Garcia Safont and five-star prospect Jordan Speiser. On paper, this is the best recruiting class in school history.
If K-State can add some veteran talent via the transfer portal it should be a good team again next season.
Listen, we all want booze and beer served inside the football stadium. But how in the heck have we missed having Call Hall Ice Cream served inside the Bill? Would that not close some revenue gaps? Seems like an easy decision to me -@the_funky_andy via X.
If my two trips to BYU in the past athletic year taught me anything it’s that fans will line up for sweet treats.
There is no beer to compete with in Provo, Utah. But you wouldn’t believe how long the lines can get there for things like ice cream and donuts.
There really is no reason why Call Hall can’t set up an ice cream stand somewhere inside Bill Snyder Family Stadium. The Wildcats could invite them and Varsity Donuts in next season. Game day sales would go through the roof!
This story was originally published April 4, 2025 at 10:02 AM with the headline "K-State Wildcats Q&A: Some thoughts on spring football, basketball transfers and more."