Discipline. Commitment. Toughness. Be Selfless.
Chris Klieman was talking about his football team when he explained the importance of those values at his last press conference of the spring. But on the road back to normal, they could just as easily apply to the fans in the stands at Bill Snyder Family Stadium on Saturday morning.
A socially distanced and masked-up crowd were in attendance at an open practice to conclude two weeks of spring football in Manhattan.
"We had a tremendous offseason with regards to the little things," Klieman said. "Those four core values we spoke about every day with our team at practice, in position meetings, in leadership meetings, and the guys really did a great job of taking ownership and holding each other accountable."
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COVID-19 was still a topic on Tuesday afternoon when Klieman looked back on the spring, but the pandemic wasn't the singular focus it was during the 2020 college football season.
The head coach of the Wildcats explained that most of the coaching staff has been vaccinated and he has encouraged all of his players to get the vaccine.
The focus, finally, was just on playing football.
Here are a few notes and observations from Saturday's spring practice and Klieman's press conference on Tuesday.
• It's hard to imagine many fans were at the stadium on Saturday to evaluate things like footwork and technique on the offensive line, but it's where Klieman began his remarks.
That's because the O-line, more than any other position group on the Wildcats, has a chance to go from preseason question mark in 2020 to preseason strength in 2021.
"I think our offensive line has just come leaps and bounds from where we were last year at this time when we had all the new guys and didn't have spring ball," Klieman said. "That's just one area where I'm really excited about the growth."
Skylar Thompson's return for a sixth year at quarterback grabbed the headlines this offseason, but getting Noah Johnson back for another year at center is just as big for the Wildcats.
He will an anchor a unit where Klieman expects improvement from players who introduced themselves to the Big 12 last season.
"Cooper Beebe had a phenomenal spring, continues to develop and get better, and will be a guy that we can count on. Cooper plays so many different spots," Klieman said. "Christian Duffie really came into his own. We've kept him on the right side and had him play right tackle and improved his body, improved his technique and we're really pleased with him."
Beebe and Duffie had played in a combined five games without a start between them before the 2020 season. Now, they bring 21 games of experience to the trenches in Manhattan.
• Sticking with the theme of experience, the quarterback room will see K-State bring back a 30-game starter in Skylar Thompson and a seven-game starter in Will Howard, while introducing the highest-rated recruit since 2007 in Jake Rubley.
Thompson was limited to throwing in 7-on-7 drills this spring while recovering from the injury that cost him his senior season. Howard has been under center with the starters throughout spring practice.
"He got thrust into a role that I don't think any of us expected him to be in for eight games last fall and did a really, really nice job," Klieman said. "Had some growing pains, but you see his body, you see the way he throws a football, see how much stronger he is, the good weight that he put on. Excited about the progress that he made."
Howard, sophomore Jaren Lewis and Rubley saw the majority of snaps in live action on Saturday morning. None of the quarterbacks found the end zone at the end-of-practice scrimmage, though Lewis had some nice throws downfield and while on the run.
"One of the most improved guys on our football team, as far as just the game is slowing down for Jaren," Klieman said. "Excited about Jake Rubley, a young kid that just came in and is learning our system but is a really, really smart kid that has a lot of talent. Max Marsh, another quarterback that came in last year that led our scout team did a great job. He's improving. So, that room we're really excited about because we have depth, and we have different classes. We have somebody that's a six-year super senior to a freshman."
• The Wildcats are betting on transfers to improve every level of the defense in 2021, and fans got their first look at some of those reinforcements on Saturday.
Two of the biggest names were brought in to bolster a pass defense that finished 2020 at the bottom of the Big 12. Julius Brents impressed on Saturday after spending the first two seasons of his college career at Iowa.
"Well, he's 6'3' probably 205 pounds and is a really physical corner. Really smart. Understands the game really well. He will have an immediate impact in our secondary," Klieman said. "Julius is just one of those guys that has that a charismatic personality, that 'it' factor."
Russ Yeast, an 11-game starter at Louisville in 2020, was the other Power 5 transfer brought in to strengthen the secondary. Klieman called him the "quarterback of the defense," and said he is a player the coaching staff believes could be an impact starter at K-State this season.
"He just needs to continue to learn our system, and as he continues to learn our system, he'll feel more and more comfortable communicating," Klieman said. "But I was really excited about Russ in the secondary and how he can help us at the safety spot."
It makes sense then that the defensive highlight of the day came from…freshman defensive end Nate Matlack.
The Olathe native didn't see any time during the 2020 season, but he was on the field on Saturday when he dropped into coverage and picked off Howard in the scrimmage.
The Wildcats aren't counting on just one player to replace an NFL-bound talent like Wyatt Hubert at defensive end. Klieman said he is looking for a committee of players like Matlack to step up and show out when given the opportunity.
So far, so good.
"Nate had a tremendous spring that has really changed his body. It gives a guy like Nate and Khalid (Duke) opportunities to drop, an opportunity to rush and more of an edge to be able to take," Klieman said. "It just gives us more versatility."
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