2023 College Football Catalog: Previewing the Kansas State Wildcats
Josh Frey
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Just like the NFL season is right around the corner, college campuses are preparing to welcome back their football squads for the fall season.
As the summer progresses we will be taking a look into how many of the FBS college football programs fared in 2022, what they did during the offseason, and how they can find success during the 2023 season. We put a bow on our Big Ten conference previews, and now, we are moving south to the Big 12. After discussing the national runner-ups, the TCU Horned Frogs, we now move on to the conference champions, the Kansas State Wildcats.
Overview
2022 Results
- W vs. South Dakota, 34-0
- W vs. Missouri, 40-12
- L vs. Tulane, 10-17
- W @ (6) Oklahoma, 41-34
- W vs. Texas Tech, 37-28
- W @ Iowa State, 10-9
- L @ (8) TCU, 28-38
- W vs. (9) Oklahoma State, 38-0
- L vs. Texas, 27-34
- W @ Baylor, 31-3
- W @ West Virginia, 48-31
- W vs. Kansas, 47-27
- W vs. (3) TCU, 31-28 (Big 12 Championship)
- L vs. (5) Alabama, 20-45 (Sugar Bowl)
Overall Record: 10-4 (7-2)
2022 All-Big 12 Members
- RB Deuce Vaughn (Second-Team)
- FB Ben Sinott (First-Team)
- WR Malik Knowles (Second-Team)
- OL Cooper Beebe (First-Team)
- DL Felix Anudike-Uzomah (First-Team)
- CB Kobe Savage (Second-Team)
- CB Julius Brents (First-Team)
- KR/PR Phillip Brooks (Second-Team)
- P Ty Zenter (Second-Team)
Recent Vikings Draft Picks
- LB Elijah Lee (2017 Draft; R7, P232)
Every Kwesi Adofo-Mensah Draft Pick
2023 Draft Selections
- R1, P31: EDGE Felix Anudike-Uzomah (Kansas City Chiefs)
- R2, P44: CB Julius Brents (Indianapolis Colts)
- R6, P181: CB Josh Hayes (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
- R6, P212: RB Deuce Vaughn (Dallas Cowboys)
2023 Schedule
- 9/2 vs. SEMO
- 9/9 vs. Troy
- 9/16 @ Missouri
- 9/23 vs. UCF
- 10/6 @ Oklahoma State
- 10/14 @ Texas Tech
- 10/21 vs. TCU
- 10/28 vs. Houston
- 11/4 @ Texas
- 11/11 vs. Baylor
- 11/18 @ Kansas
- 11/25 vs. Iowa State
Notable Additions
- QB Avery Johnson (four-star recruit)
- QB Jacob Knuth (transfer portal, Minnesota)
- RB Treshaun Ward (transfer portal, Florida State)
- WR Keagan Johnson (transfer portal, Iowa)
- DL Jevon Banks (transfer portal, Mississippi State)
- EDGE Jordan Allen (four-star recruit)
- CB Tyler Nelome (transfer portal, Southeast Missouri State)
- CB Marques Sigle (transfer portal, North Dakota State)
Recruit/transfer information can be found at 24/7 Sports
Notable Losses
- RB Deuce Vaughn (NFL Draft, Dallas Cowboys)
- WR Brenen Hawkins (transfer portal, Austin Peay)
- TE Konner Fox (transfer portal, Texas State)
- OT Jalen Klemm (transfer portal, Washington)
- EDGE Felix Anudike-Uzomah (NFL Draft, Kansas City Chiefs)
- EDGE Ozzie Hoffler (transfer portal, Georgia State)
- LB Krew Jackson (transfer portal, Arizona State)
- CB Julius Brents (NFL Draft, Indianapolis Colts)
- CB Omar Daniels (transfer portal, Georgia Tech)
- CB Josh Hayes (NFL Draft, Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
Keys to 2023
Out Goes Vaughn, In Comes Ward
Deuce Vaughn may be small, but he was mighty for the Kansas State offense in 2022. He piled up nearly 2000 yards from scrimmage last season, helping lead the Wildcats to a Big 12 championship. They won’t have him in their backfield in 2023 after he was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys this spring, but they will have Florida State transfer Treshaun Ward.
Ward has displayed some explosive playmaking ability in limited touches for Florida State over the past two seasons. He’s accrued a total 1143 rushing yards and 11 rushing TDs on 176 carries between the 2021 and 2022 seasons. Now, he joins the Wildcats hoping for a big year before potentially heading for the NFL himself. He will benefit from a superb offensive line that returns all five starters.
Reloading the Secondary
The Wildcats benefited from a secondary that roomed both Julius Brents and Josh Hayes in 2022, but like Vaughn, both players are now in the NFL. They do retain Kobe Savage for another year, but they will look to players like Keenan Garber, Jacob Parish, and Colby McCalister for snaps this season.
Fortunately, the defensive front should be as ferocious as ever, even with the loss of Felix Anudike-Uzomah. Daniel Green opted to return for his fifth season rather than pursue the NFL, and the linebacker will be massive for the program’s success once again in 2023.
Running it Back with Will Howard at QB
Will Howard finally got his chance to show what he can do as a starting quarterback in 2022, and he shined every step of the way for Kansas State. Over just seven games to conclude the season, the QB threw for 1633 yards and 15 TDs compared to just 4 INTs and showcased a beautiful deep ball.
In year two as the starter, he should be even more comfortable with the offense, and as long as he can hang with a couple of the tougher defenses on the schedule, there is no reason the Wildcats can’t compete for another conference title.
Prediction
- W vs. SEMO
- W vs. Troy
- W @ Missouri
- W vs. UCF
- W @ Oklahoma State
- L @ Texas Tech
- W vs. TCU
- W vs. Houston
- L @ Texas
- W vs. Baylor
- W @ Kansas
- W vs. Iowa State
Overall Record: 10-2 (7-2)
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.