Just as spring begins to roll around, it’s also time for the K-State football team to take the field for practices and prepare for spring game on April 23. Here is what I think of the offense since we are now in the spring portion of the season.
Quarterback
This was a major issue, as everyone knows, last season. I don’t think senior Joe Hubener is the answer, and I don’t know of anyone else who thinks he is either. Head coach Bill Snyder addressed the issue on Tuesday at the media conference. He said it’s been very competitive for the first few practices. Even more importantly, he said there are other positions he is more worried about than the quarterback spot. It makes me feel confident that he knows where he wants to go next season and isn’t too worried about it.
Running back
I think the running back position is as big of a position for the Wildcats this upcoming fall as any other position. K-State got help from sophomore Justin Silmon last season. He and senior Charles Jones will be looked upon as the two guys with the most repetitions next year. Another contender for the running back spot is sophomore Dalvin Warmack, who saw some time in K-State’s AutoZone Liberty Bowl loss to Arkansas. All three guys could be very good players this next year if they keep working. It will be interesting to see who ends up being the starter and beating out the other backs this spring and summer.
Wide receiver
K-State is returning two of its best three receivers next season, sophomore Dominique Heath and senior Deante Burton. These two will need to have explosive seasons for the Wildcats to be looked at as a team with a deep receiving core. If this can happen, it will help the running backs take off some pressure from the defense. The biggest thing with these guys is that they need someone who can throw them the ball, because last year that didn’t happen.
Offensive line
This is going to be a big spot for K-State this fall, especially after losing potential first-round draft pick Cody Whitehair, who will be playing Sundays this upcoming year. They have a lot of experience coming back this next year and will need to perform well if the Wildcats expect to have a good year. This is going to be huge for K-State. They will need someone who can protect what will most likely be a running quarterback. There are big shoes to fill, but I believe the young players on this team can fill those shoes very well.
