Tag: Kansas State

Unpacking Future Packers: No. 88, Kansas State CB Jacob Parrish

The Unpacking Future Packers Countdown is a countdown of 100 prospects that could be selected by the Green Bay Packers in the 2025 NFL draft. Jaire Alexander may or may not be on Green Bay’s roster when the 2025 season kicks off. The former all-pro …

The Unpacking Future Packers Countdown is a countdown of 100 prospects that could be selected by the Green Bay Packers in the 2025 NFL draft.

Jaire Alexander may or may not be on Green Bay’s roster when the 2025 season kicks off. The former all-pro cornerback may not even be on the roster by the time the 2025 NFL Draft rolls around.

Alexander’s uncertain future in Green Bay paired with Eric Stokes set to be a free agent, it’s a safe bet that Brian Gutekunst will add talent to the cornerback room this offseason.

Gutekunst added three safeties to the roster a year ago during the 2024 NFL Draft. The year before he added three pass catchers on Day Two of the 2023 NFL Draft. 

Gutekunst may attack the cornerback room with the same ferocity during the 2025 NFL Draft. A cornerback that the Packers could target during the draft is Jacob Parrish. The Kansas State prospect checks in at No. 88 in the Unpacking Future Packers Countdown.

A Kansas native, Parrish recorded 44 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, four interceptions and 13 pass deflections during the 2023 campaign. 

This past season, Parrish recorded 50 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, one interception and eight pass deflections. 

“Parrish was kind of the vision of what Kansas State has been the last few seasons,” Drew Galloway, a Kansas State reporter for On3Sports said. “He was under-recruited and was almost going to be a walk-on before it turned into a scholarship offer. He came in with little to no fanfare and went to work, and never redshirted, and has just continued to rise and get better every season.”

Parrish played three positions at Olathe North High School and set the school record for receiving yards. Along with football, Parrish played basketball and was a standout track and field athlete.

Parrish is sticky in coverage. The Kansas State cornerback is explosive in his click and close. He doesn’t panic when the ball is in the air and as a former high school wide receiver he has plus ball skills. He has the long speed to stay attached vertically. 

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Parrish logged 202 snaps in the slot during his time at Kansas State. With his fluid athleticism, route recognition, toughness and short-area quickness, Parrish offers outside-inside versatility.

“He has great speed and uses it to his advantage in coverage and always finds himself around the ball,” Galloway said. “He has good ball skills and is fun to watch when the ball is in the air for someone his size.”

Despite not being the biggest cornerback, Parrish is willing to throw his weight around in run support. According to Pro Football Focus, Parrish was tagged with five missed tackles this past season. 

In the below video, Parrish is able to wrangle Cam Skattebo, the Arizona State running back, who forced 102 missed tackles this past season.

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“He’s good in run support,” Galloway said. “He learned from Julius Brents how to play against the run and is a really good tackler. He’s not afraid to put his face in the fan.” 

Fit with the Packers

The Packers are potentially looking at a mini remodel of their cornerback room this offseason. Assuming Alexander is gone, it would leave Keisean Nixon and Carrington Valentine as the two cornerbacks on the roster with meaningful snaps to their names. Throw in Javon Bullard, who figures to be the team’s starting nickel cornerback when the 2025 season opens up next fall.

Having Nixon and Valentine as the two starting cornerbacks won’t necessarily invoke a ton of fear in opposing quarterbacks next season. Gutekunst needs to add more talent to that room.

Parrish offers outside-inside versatility, he’s a tough-as-nails, pesty coverage cornerback.

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“I would draft Parrish because his best football is in front of him,” Galloway said. “He’s still super young and he still has a lot of room to grow. He has speed that can’t be taught and will be a good tester at the NFL Combine and will be good in the locker room.”

It would not be shocking to see the Packers add three cornerbacks to the roster during the 2025 NFL Draft. That number could shrink if Gutekunst adds a veteran to the mix via free agency.

Parrish may be a tad undersized (5-10, 183 pounds), but he plays above his weight class. If he’s still on the board when the Packers are on the clock to start Day 3, the Packers could add the former three-sport athlete to the cornerback room at 1265 Lombardi Avenue.

Will Howard didn’t come to USC, but he’ll forever be a Trojan hero

Will Howard prevented Notre Dame from winning the national championship. He helped USC after all.

13 months ago, it appeared highly likely that then-Kansas State quarterback Will Howard would transfer to USC. On3’s Pete Nakos even went as far as to log a USC prediction for Howard. With Caleb Williams off to the NFL, it appeared as though Lincoln Riley had found his quarterback for the 2024 season.

As we all know, however, plans can change in a heartbeat in college football. Williams opted out of the Holiday Bowl against Louisville, and backup Miller Moss lit up the Cardinals, throwing for 372 yards and six touchdowns. With Moss seemingly entrenching himself as the Trojans’ starter for 2024, Howard headed to Ohio State instead.

The move had a massive ripple effect, leaving fans wondering what might have been had things played out differently. While the Trojans struggled with Moss eventually losing the starting job towards the end of the season, Howard led the Buckeyes to the national championship.

But even though Howard never took a snap for the Trojans, he will always be a hero to USC fans. Because en route to the national title, he slayed three of the Trojans’ biggest foes.

Against Oregon in the Rose Bowl, Howard threw for 319 yards and three touchdowns in a 41-21 blowout win. The performance ensured that the Ducks’ remarkable run of having never won a national championship continued, much to the delight of USC fans.

In the Cotton Bowl, Howard threw for 289 yards and a touchdown, as the Buckeyes held off the Longhorns 28-14. Although it was not Howard’s best performance, it was enough to ensure that Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian—who had an ugly breakup with USC in 2015—did not win a title before the Trojans did.

Finally, in the national championship game, Howard and the Buckeyes went up against the Trojans’ greatest foe: Notre Dame. Behind Howard completing 17 of 21 passes for 231 yards and two touchdowns, Ohio State rolled to a 34-23 win, preventing the Irish from winning their first national championship since 1988.

Will Howard may have never even played a snap for USC. But he prevented three of their biggest foes from winning a national title. And for that, he will always be a Trojan hero.

WATCH: K-State standout makes leaping catch at Chiefs training camp

Kansas State legend Phillip Brooks made an outstanding catch at #Chiefs training camp practice on Tuesday

The sun wasn’t shining in St. Joseph this morning when the Kansas City Chiefs took the field for a training camp practice at Missouri Western State University ahead of their preseason matchup against the Detroit Lions.

The Chiefs’ new-look offense is loaded with talent, and several players stood out at Tuesday’s workouts.

Among the top performers was rookie receiver Phillip Brooks, a local star from Kansas State University who did not play in the first preseason match against the Jaguars and has not yet made his first appearance with the team.

Check out this video of Brooks hauling in this pass at top speed to make this full-send backward diving catch that was nearly intercepted by cornerback Joshua Williams:

These are the types of inspired plays Kansas City needs to make when they face real competition again, and since Brooks did not play in the Chiefs’, there is a chance fans can see him make a reception like this against the Lions this weekend.

Hall of Fame quarterback votes Tennessee football preseason No. 3

Former Kansas State quarterback Michael Bishop votes Tennessee football preseason No. 3.

The 2024 college football season will kick off on Aug. 24 with Week 0. Tennessee will open play on Aug. 31 versus Chattanooga at Neyland Stadium (12:45 p.m. EDT).

Ahead of the upcoming campaign kicking off, the 2024 preseason FWAA-NFF Super 16 Poll was released on Monday. Former Kansas State quarterback and College Football Hall of Fame inductee, Michael Bishop voted Tennessee No. 3. His entire ballot is listed below.

Bishop played at Kansas State from 1997-98 and went 22-3 with the Wildcats. He won the Davey O’Brien Award in 1998.

The entire preseason FWAA-NFF Super 16 Poll can be viewed here.

PHOTOS: Tennessee starting quarterbacks through the years

Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire

Former Notre Dame Commit Leaves Coach Prime, Finds New Home

Former Notre Dame commitment officially finds a new home…

Notre Dame fans might be familiar with the name [autotag]Dylan Edwards[/autotag].

Edwards was a Notre Dame commitment in the 2023 recruiting class as late as early-December of 2022, but after an offer from Deion Sanders, he flipped his commitment and eventually enrolled at Colorado.

This came after Edwards had originally committed to Kansas State, only to flip to Notre Dame.

Despite scoring four touchdowns in Colorado’s shocking Week One victory at TCU last year, Edwards only scored one the remainder of the season.  He recently announced he was entering the transfer portal and we now officially know his new home.

Which is an old one of his, sort of.

It won’t be Notre Dame for the one-time commitment but with where Notre Dame’s backfield is currently at you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone in South Bend too worried about missing out.

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Commanders select Kansas State TE Ben Sinnott at No. 53 overall

The Commanders find their tight end of the future.

With the 53rd overall selection in the 2024 NFL draft, the Washington Commanders selected Kansas State tight end Ben Sinnott.

Sinnott, a 6-foot-4, 250-pound native of Waterloo, Iowa, began his career as a walk-on and was also a standout hockey player.

Sinnott didn’t play as a freshman and appeared in 12 games in 2021. He took over as K-State’s starting tight end in 2022 and quickly developed into an All-Big-12 Conference performer. Sinnott was even better in 2023, catching 49 passes for 676 yards, averaging 13.8 yards per reception with six touchdowns.

Here is NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein’s scouting report on Sinnott:

Athletic F tight end with an ability to add value in the passing game and handle some blocking duties in space. The former walk-on has added 40 pounds to his frame without losing his speed or agility. He’s an adequate route runner with the quickness to compete against man coverage on all three levels and get additional yards after the catch. He lacks NFL physicality to hold up on blocking duties near the line, and he needs to prove he can play with quicker, stronger hands as a pass catcher. Sinnott is a Day 3 talent but his NFL journey could be determined by whether he can get just a little bit better in all phases.

Unpacking Future Packers: No. 58, Kansas State OL Cooper Beebe

Up next in the Unpacking Future Packers draft preview series is Kansas State OL Cooper Beebe.

The Unpacking Future Packers Countdown is a countdown of 100 prospects that could be selected by the Green Bay Packers in the 2024 NFL draft.

If the Green Bay Packers were to play a game tomorrow, they’d roll out Elgton Jenkins at left guard, Josh Myers at center and Sean Rhyan at right guard. A solid interior offensive line. It’s the depth behind those three that leaves a lot to be desired.

With the Packers being owners of 11 picks in the 2024 NFL Draft, it’s a safe bet that Brian Gutekunst will add an interior offensive lineman or two to fortify the offensive line.

A player that Gutekunst could target in the upcoming draft is Cooper Beebe. The Kansas State offensive lineman checks in at No. 58 in the Unpacking Future Packers Countdown.

Beebe finished his career at Kansas State with 48 starts under his belt. He started 28 games at left guard, 13 at left tackle and seven at right tackle.

“Cooper Beebe meant everything to Kansas State in his five years,” Drew Galloway, the Kansas State reporter for On3.com, said. “He was someone that didn’t have a lot of hype as a high school recruit and was originally going to play defensive tackle until Chris Klieman and his staff were hired. As soon as he stepped on campus though he was someone mentioned in every press conference as a young player with a lot of promise. He ended up being a multiple-time Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year winner and a consensus all-American.”

Aside from center, Beebe took snaps at every position across the offensive line during his time as a Wildcat. With shorter arms he’s probably strictly a guard at the next level, however, his starting experience at both tackle positions, leads one to believe that he could kick outside in a pinch. That four-position versatility makes him an attractive target. 

“He may be one of the most versatile offensive linemen in the NFL Draft this year,” Galloway said. “He’s played every position besides center for Kansas State and has started at four of the five offensive line spots.”

Beebe gets after it as a run blocker. He’s a power-packed offensive lineman that overwhelms defenders at the point of contact. The versatile offensive lineman has good short-area quickness and locks in on his targets like a Predator when he’s out in space. He plays under the pads of defenders to drive them downfield and create movement in the run game. 

“His greatest strength is being a mauler,” Galloway said. “He’s a physical dude and a people mover. He’s everything you want in a guard and is so solid in every facet of the game. He’s great at pulling and gets out in space well at his size.”

The 48-game starter has active, physical hand and stays patient in pass protection. He has quick feet to beat pass rushers to the spot. Beebe has a strong core and can anchor down against bull rushers. Over the past three seasons, Beebe has given up two sacks and 28 pressures. 

“Beebe is also a really good pass blocker,” Galloway said. “He was trusted as a sophomore to play left tackle and start every game there. He has good feet and a really good base. He only allowed 1 sack in his first three seasons according to PFF.” 

Fit with the Packers

The Packers need to add right guard competition. If they were to draft Beebe on Day 2 of the draft, it would be a safe bet that he’d beat out Rhyan for the starting right guard spot. He’s a plug-and-play caliber player who could help take Green Bay’s offensive line from good to great. 

“I would draft Cooper Beebe because there aren’t many people who work harder than he does,” Galloway said. “He’s put on a lot of muscle even from the end of the season to now. He’s also a great leader and does a good job of leading by example. Beebe is also someone that I think is going to have a great NFL career and could play 8-10 years and be a multiple-time Pro Bowl kind of player.”

Beebe checks the boxes with his versatility, experience, football IQ and toughness. Even if he doesn’t earn a starting role as a rookie, he’d provide quality depth at guard and tackle. The more likely scenario is that the Kansas State product would take over at right guard and help improve Green Bay’s rushing attack.

Vols defeat Kansas State, extend win streak to 11 games

Tennessee baseball defeats Kansas State and extends win streak to 11 games.

No. 8 Tennessee (12-1) defeated Kansas State (7-4), 15-5, Tuesday at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.

Tuesday’s win is Tennessee’s 11th consecutive.

The Vols recorded 17 hits, including four doubles and six home runs, against Kansas State.

Dean Curley went 3-for-5, recording three home runs and nine RBIs. Blake Burke went 2-for-5, recording two doubles and one RBI.

Billy Amick, Christian Moore and Dylan Dreiling also hit home runs for the Vols.

Cannon Peebles and Hunter Ensley each hit doubles in the contest for Tennessee.

Nate Snead (3-0) pitched four innings of relief to earn a victory. He allowed two runs (one earned), four hits and three walks. Snead recorded one strikeout.

How to watch Tennessee-Kansas State baseball game

How to watch the Tennessee-Kansas State baseball game on Tuesday.

No. 8 Tennessee (11-1) will host Kansas State (7-3) on Tuesday at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.

Rankings reflect the USA TODAY Sports baseball coaches poll. Kansas State is receiving seven votes in the latest USA TODAY Sports Poll.

First pitch between the Vols and Wildcats is slated for 6 p.m. EST and can be watched on SEC Network+. Myan Patel will be on the call.

Tuesday’s contest will be the first between Tennessee and Kansas State.

Tennessee enters the matchup with a 10-game win streak, outscoring opponents, 117-30, while recording five run-rule victories.

Junior first baseman Blake Burke also enters the Kansas State game with 34 career home runs. He is six home runs away from tying Tennessee’s career record (Luc Lipcius, 40).

Blake Burke. Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire

How to watch, key players for No. 23 Oklahoma Women’s Basketball vs. Oklahoma State Cowgirls

The ranked women’s team are back in action also in Bedlam and this is how you can watch the game.

The Oklahoma Sooners were able to bounce back after a tough loss to West Virginia with a good win on the road at Cincinnati. Now, they are also playing their final Bedlam game as conference foes but this time in Norman.

The Sooners won the first meeting in Stillwater 81-74. The Cowgirls come into this game losing three of their last five games but they did get a good win at home over the [autotag]UCF Knights[/autotag] in their last game.

Oklahoma continues to have a hold on the conference as they have a one-game lead over Texas and [autotag]Kansas State.[/autotag] They currently lose the tie-breaker to Kansas State but win the tie-breaker over Texas who they will play again coming up.

But let’s take a look at how you can watch the game and some key players for both teams.