Wearing No. 12 this season and marking 12 days left in the Collegian’s countdown to kickoff are senior Landry Weber and freshman Omar Daniels.
For Landry Weber, being a Wildcat was his destiny. As the son of former Kansas State quarterback Stan Weber — who now does color commentary for K-State football and men’s basketball — purple is in Landry’s blood.
His mother, Nancy, attended K-State, his brother, Stanton, played football for K-State and his sister, McKenzi, played volleyball at K-State. However, Landry’s history with athletics isn’t the only reason he is attending the school.
Weber is a three-time First-Team Academic All-Big 12 selection and has a 4.0 GPA. His father graduated magna cum laude and received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the university.
Weber played high school ball at Kansas football powerhouse Bishop Miege in Roeland Park, Kansas, winning two state championships as a Stag. He played alongside future Wildcat teammates Cameron Key and Taylor Poitier.
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In high school, Weber hauled in 57 catches for 1,160 yards and 20 touchdowns as a senior, earning him first-team all-state honors from the Topeka Capital-Journal and Wichita Eagle. He was also a member of the basketball team, where he won two more state titles.
Weber arrived in Manhattan in 2017 and redshirted his first season. In 2018, he was on the field as a special teams player and scooped a fumble on a kickoff against Kansas.
While he didn’t record any stats in 2020 despite seeing playing time, the 2019 season was huge for Weber. He played in every game and started in two as both a receiver and special teams player. For the season, Weber hauled in 117 yards on seven catches.
Weber turned down an offer from Washburn to walk on to K-State but has since made scholarship.
At 5 foot 10 inches and 186 pounds, Weber is a strong slot receiver with potential as a senior to catch some short-yardage balls and continue his success as a special teams player. Weber is majoring in accounting.
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The second player wearing No. 12 this season is freshman defensive back, Omar Daniels.
Daniels is a three-star pick out of Colquitt County High School in Moultrie, Georgia. ESPN has Daniels ranked as the 76th-best cornerback in his class.
Before the 2020 season, Daniels was named to the Sports Illustrated All-American preseason watchlist. Daniels won a spot on the all-region team as a junior and senior on teams that went 9-3 and 9-1, respectively.
Daniels isn’t just a football player, however. With his basketball experience, Daniels won a 3-point shooting contest against the other incoming freshman at K-State earlier this summer.
Family Over Everything…New K-State Wildcats. #EMAW #PoundTheStone #ReturnToGreatness pic.twitter.com/3N3dtdf1ht
— Mr. Joe L. Hall Jr. (@joehall310) June 4, 2021
Daniels was heavily recruited in high school, receiving offers from programs like Colorado, Ohio and Wake Forest. However, he decided on K-State before even coming to campus. Daniels didn’t get a taste of Manhattan until after he signed.
At 6 feet, 168 pounds, Daniels uses his height advantage to shield off receivers, which got him two interceptions at his now alma mater. Coaches will probably want to catch Daniels’ weight up to his height, but he’s not far away from having a great frame for an outside defender.
With some depth at defensive back for the Wildcats this year, it’s unlikely Daniels will see the field. However, Daniels could see time on special teams early in his career if he shows out in practice.
Daniels plans on majoring in business administration.
