2004 Statistics

OT Jeromey Clary

Quarterback
Under head coach Bill Snyder, Kansas State has fallen in love with dual-threat quarterbacks, and the Wildcats have three to work with. Dylan Meier and Allen Webb split time at QB in '04, with Meier having the better arm, and Webb being one of the best running QBs in the country. The main starter won't be determined until fall camp, because Meier sat out spring drills with the same nagging injury from '04 (throwing shoulder). Meier and Allen both have exceptional size and speed, though Meier has shone the brightest. RS frosh Allan Evridge, another highly anticipated regional hot-shot, will challenge both. Look for Meier to hold off both Webb and Evridge and be the starter going into the year, with Webb getting mostly rushing reps (higher INT %) - a rather obvious "tell" for foes. The athletic ability alone here makes this a very solid group, one that is consistently dangerous throughout the three-deep.

Running Back
Sproles will be missed, and quick-footed, soft-handed replacements are few and far between, but they exist. Senior Carlos Alsup (state prep champ - 10.3 seconds in the 100 meter) hasn't played since Week 2 of the 2003 season, as injuries (two knee problems) have kept him off the field, but the big, physical back is healthy and ready to become the starter. But, without much experience, Alsup won't necessarily start. Thomas Clayton, an FSU-transfer, is the Wildcat's returning leading rushing at RB, and his size, power and speed give him a great shot at the starting job. Those two will get the bulk of the carries, while shifty Donnie Anders and Parrish Fisher, who moves well and can power for yards inside, battle for carries. Victor Mann returns to starter at fullback, and the wide body will open up holes more than touch the ball. This is a group with much to prove, and a revamped front line will only add to the work already cut out here. But this is a sneaky unit that will surprise.

Receiver
This is the most stable area of the K-State offense. Three starters are back, giving whoever plays quarterback some comfort. Jermaine Moreira and Davin Dennis are the possession receivers. Moreira isn't big, but he's reliable, and makes big plays happen. In addition to good hands, Dennis brings speed and offers a bigger target than Moreira. The Wildcats will go deep to junior Yamon Figurs. Figurs has tremendous speed for deep routes, but can also catch the tough ball underneath. There are emerging backups ready for action (Jesse Martinez, Toney Coleman), but little behind them, so health could become a factor quickly if a few go down. Passing offense was pretty bad last campaign, so this unit has as much to prove as any.

Tight End
Despite the lack of experience, the Wildcats are in good shape here. Rashaad Norwood has the potential to become one of the Big 12's best. He has great hands and speed, but also has the size and strength to be a good blocker. Brett Alstatt should be a good one, and for years to come. He has shown solid versatility as a blocker and receiver, has good speed, and he's one of the program's best athletes (state champion high jumper and state runner-up in the hurdles in high school). T.J. Finan is a walk-on who has great size and is a good athlete who will complete three-TE sets well. Norwood will be the bigger impact player in 2005, but Alstatt and Finan's presences makes this a group opponents cannot ignore.

Offensive Line
The graduated linemen were a HUGE part of Sproles' dominance. That's why 2005 could be a long year, for the Wildcats try to break in four new starters here. The lone line holdover is senior right tackle Jeromey Clary (named team's Outstanding Lineman). Big and strong, the Wildcats will run outside well with his leadership. The other four starters took snaps in practice, but didn't see many on Saturdays. Greg Wafford has become quite a bit stronger since arriving, which says much about the already-powerful (TX) state 4A shot-put champ. The Wildcats are set to hand the center duties to freshman Ryan Schmidt, who had a tremendous redshirt year and is the brightest young star in the group. John Hafferty was so impressive in '04 that he was the only true freshman in the program to see playing time. He's still getting better, and will start at left guard. Gerard Spexarth is slated to start at left tackle, but he is still too slow to be fully effective. Matt Boss is a huge talent who we feel would make the transition outside to make the new QB's blindside better protected. There's no question the Wildcats have talent here, but there are five players just two years removed from high school who are expected to play significant roles. Eventually, this group could be special, but it won't be initially, and any/constant reshuffling will keep it from gelling.

OFFENSIVE BREAKDOWN
Replacing four reliable starters on the offensive line with unproven youngsters is a scary proposition, especially without Sproles upon which to bank. It's the skill position players that get the most attention and credit, but offenses are made or broken by their linemen, which is why the Wildcats are in for a campaign based on development, not necessarily "winning at any cost". This offense isn't made for such quick impact, yet. The quarterbacks - whether it's Meier or Webb - are capable of elevating the O to play above its shortcomings, and the receiving corps is solid, but with just one lineman on the two-deep with any real playing time, the Wildcats will struggle as the blocking unit gets its assignments straight. The biggest surprise will be the RBs and how well they keep the running game alive. Unknown to out-of-staters (besides Clayton), the backs may not be Sproles, but as a group, they are capable of making his name an afterthought as they (collectively) rack up yards. Numerical rankings may not be what they once were, but impact on this side of the ball will be more if they can just make the passing game more consistent, and therefore make the team flow (into a winning effort).

Defensive Line
This unit underachieved in 2004, so their work is cut out here (allowed 4.1 per carry). Two full-time starters are back, and several others do have experience. At right (rush) end is Scott Edmonds. He has a tremendous first step off the line to show why he both forced three and recovered three fumbles. Tearrius George is looking for a full-time job, after starting four games in '04, and he'll find one. At left end, George has the physical tools and keen awareness to be a dominant player. Derek Marso holds the middle well, but Quintin Echols hasn't totally found his groove yet. The biggest of the projected starters, Echols makes it so both he and Marso cannot be double-teamed. Jonathan Lewis, along with Steve Burch and Willie Williams (JUCOs), are stellar incoming recruits who will "quickly" improve the front-four. Overall this is a good group that just needs to grow into their roles to make their efforts matter more.

Linebacker
Perhaps the strongest area of the defense, three players who started at least five games in '04 return. Strongside backer Brandon Archer (two INTs for scores) is a play-maker, for sure, and one of the best linebackers in the conference. The best of the bunch, though, is Ted Sims, who was hampered all year in '04 by injuries. Sims was one of the team's best up-and-coming linebackers (groin injury), and he's the definitive centerpiece of hustle and viciousness in this corps. Marvin Simmons will back up Sims and is sure to get a lot of playing time after starting. Knowing when to bend and not break is instilled here - their thinking-caps are always on. These svelte LBs should be able to hold the middle and underneath well enough (alone) so that the safeties can help out the new corners as needed.

Defensive Back
Jesse Tetuan enters his third year as a starter, and the free safety possess a good mix of ability to cover receivers down field as well as stuff running backs at the line of scrimmage. Beyond Tetuan, there's little depth, but tons of talent. Maurice Mack and Surrell Davis didn't play much, but they'll battle for the starting strong safety spot. Both are great athletes. Maurice Porter is slated to start at one corner spot. He's very physical, and has good height to make life tough on opposing receivers. As stated, the Wildcats will get a make-over on the corners. Senior Maurice Garvin takes the mantle with vigor, ready to hold his side down well. Byron Garvin, who has played in nickel and dime sets, will take over the other corner spot. Despite the lack of experience, the Wildcats have decent depth. Marcus Watts - the special teams MVP a year ago - will compete for time at safety, and a host of JUCO recruits and honed redshirts await assignment. Forget the experience factor; this group is talented.

DEFENSIVE BREAKDOWN
Last year was quite a disappointment, especially considering the consistency that the Wildcats had displayed in ranking among the top six defenses every year from 1998 to 2003. A year ago, they dropped all the way to 43rd and 84th in yards and points allowed, respectively. Though, with six starters back and the plethora of talent in their developing recruits, a rebound is not only possible, but likely. Don't expect the Wildcats to be a top-10 defense, but they'll be considerably better, especially in the middle (from front to back). The opposing WRs will see two-deep coverage and zone schemes meant to buffer the newer CBs, but the CBs will step up in due time, and this will be an underdog D that can sneak up on unsuspecting foes, and they will be all that by midseason.