MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — When Skylar Thompson was hurt last season, and Kansas State was forced to strip the redshirt from freshman Will Howard and throw him into the fire, it may have been the moment that set the Wildcats up for big things this season.
Thompson is back for his sixth year in the program, thanks to the extra year of eligibility granted to players amid the pandemic, and he’s healthy again after season-ending shoulder surgery.
And his understudy, Howard, returns with his freshman eligibility still intact but seven Big 12 starts now on his resume.
Good luck finding another Power Five program with more experience at the game’s most important position.
“I definitely think we’ve moved through install a little bit quicker than the past couple of years because of that,” said Thompson, who has accounted for more than 6,000 yards of total offense and more than 50 touchdowns in his career.
“In a way,” he said, “it was still a little challenging because it’s a lot being thrown at us all at once. Our defense is installing so much, so the looks are changing. But we’re to the point now where everything’s installed and it’s time to go play football.”
It’s also time for Kansas State to get back on track.
The Wildcats stalled in their second season under Chris Klieman, finishing 4-6. After an early win over Oklahoma, they lost their last five games, including an embarrassing 45-0 loss to Iowa State and a loss to Texas in which they allowed 69 points.
“Whenever you go through tough things as a person, as a group, as a team — as a society — you should hope that you come out stronger on the other side,” assistant head coach Van Malone said. “When you look at what we’ve done since January in terms of leadership, we as a staff can be no more excited because our guys have really grown.”
They’ve also been bolstered by some important arrivals.
While the Wildcats return most of their skill players from last season, including the talented Deuce Vaughn in the backfield, they also welcomed the arrival of Illinois transfer Daniel Imatorbhebhe at tight end.
On defense, the Wildcats pounded the transfer portal for immediate help: Julius Brents arrived from Iowa to play cornerback, Russ Yeast came from Louisville at safety, Utah State transfer Eric Munoz could see action at linebacker and Charlotte transfer Timmy Horne has already cracked the rotation at defensive tackle.
“We think we’re much better than we’ve been here, at least in the last wo years,” Klieman said. “People understand the offense, understand the defense better. The fact that we’ve had everybody here for the winter, summer and start of fall, we’re in much better shape in that respect, but we’ll se if we can put all these things together.”
QUARTERBACK COMMITTEE
Thompson is the clear-cut starter at quarterback, but Klieman hasn’t written off using Howard at times this season. He threw for 1,178 yards with eight touchdowns and 10 picks after being pressed into duty last season.
