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Kansas State has big voids to fill as spring football drills begin
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Spring football practice got under way Wednesday in Manhattan for Kansas State University’s football team.
The Wildcats are coming off a 7-6 season, culminated by a bowl berth against Syracuse in the inaugural New Era Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, N.Y.
Kansas State head coach Bill Snyder, who is entering his 20th season with the Wildcats, and his coaching staff will conduct 14 spring practices, leading up to the annual Purple/White spring game on Saturday, April 30. Kickoff is set for 1:10 p.m. at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.
The Wildcats have a huge void to fill at running back as bruising Daniel Thomas has used up his eligibility. Thomas, one of the top running backs in the nation, totaled 1,495 yards and 16 touchdowns last season.
Despite playing at Kansas State for only two years, Thomas, a junior college transfer, moved into second place on the career rushing charts.
William Powell, a former walk-on and backup running back to Thomas, also used up his eligibility. Powell led the nation with kickoff return average of 34.6 yards before he suffered a leg injury in a win over Texas, knocking him out for the remainder of the season.
Bryce Brown, a Wichita product, who transferred to Kansas State from Tennessee, could emerge as Thomas’ successor. Others in the mix could be redshirt freshman DeMarcus Robinson and sophomore John Hubert.
Quarterback also figures to be a focal point with the graduation of the inconsistent Carson Coffman. Collin Klein, Sammuel Lamur and junior college transfer Justin Tuggle (Blinn) figure to battle for the starting job entering fall drills.
An eyesore for the Wildcats in previous seasons has been their defense. They ranked 106th among the 120 Football Subdivision teams in total defense in 2010.
Arthur Brown, the older brother of Bryce Brown, could help shore up the defense after transferring from Miami. Yet more playmakers need to emerge on a KSU defense that allowed an average of 445.7 yards of total offense per game last season, including 231.4 rushing.
The Wildcats closed the 2010 season with a 36-34 loss to Syracuse at the Pinstripe Bowl.