4. Kansas State College Football Preview 2021: Defense
– The defense wasn’t the worst in the Big 12, but it wasn’t a positive. It was dead last against the pass even with a good pass rush to help the cause, and the run D wasn’t anything special. Not helping things going into 2021 is the loss of all-star pass rusher Wyatt Hubert up front, but …
2020 seems like an aberration. The Wildcats have parts that just have to all mesh together better. It stars with finding someone to pick up the slack for Hubert on the outside and Drew Wiley in the middle.
Getting back Bronson Massie for another senior year helps for the outside, and the return of Eli Huggins and addition of transfer Tommy Horne from Charlotte should lock up the inside.
– Linebacker could be an even bigger problem than the lost pass rush production if the right rotation doesn’t emerge right away. Three key guys are gone, but Cody Fletcher was third on the team with 44 stops and the talented 6-2, 233-pound Daniel Green is experienced enough to be okay. After those two, the coaching staff will throw options at the 3-3-5 alignment wall and see what sticks.
– Let’s just say the secondary will be interesting. The group struggled, and there’s no one who’s irreplaceable, but for good and for bad, several parts are gone. However, leading tackler Jahron McPherson returns to one of the safety gigs in what should be a deep group as the season goes on.
The corners might turn from a struggle to a big positive with a little bit of luck. Iowa transfer Julius Brents is a 6-3, 203-pound mauler who might take over one side, but Ekow Boye-Doe and Justin Gardner made a lot of plays last year.
– What You Need To Know: Offense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– Kansas State Schedule Analysis