Five things: What to watch on the Kansas State defensive ends

1.) The apparent first unit in the Kansas State practice that we saw were Brendan Mott and Cody Stufflebean . Both were named captain by their coaches and teammates as well. It sounds legitimate at this point. But will it stay that way? Plenty of young players are pushing – such as Ryan Davis , Jordan Allen , Tobi Osunsanmi , Chiddi Obiazor and Travis Bates .

2.) What does the rotation look like at defensive end in Manhattan? How do the pieces fit? A tall, tall order is in front of K-State assistant Buddy Wyatt and defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman . They have to determine who to play and in what situation. They have to determine who to play and how much. They have to determine who to play and where. All the depth is nice, but it does invite other items to navigate. How do they maximize the player’s ability so they are set up for success and also do what’s in the best interest of Kansas State? And to do that for 5-7 players. Easier said than done.

3.) Additionally, K-State needs someone to pop. There’s probably a pretty hard ceiling for what Stufflebean can do on a football field. Mott will benefit by being on the field with other guys that can rush the passer. But the Wildcats need someone to emerge and take that next step. One of the first-year contributors at defensive end for Kansas State needs to hit that next level sooner rather than later. A name that has been circulating the most in recent days is Ryan Davis.

4.) How many will be on the field at once? Yes, K-State runs a 3-3-5. But there’s been discussion about how to maximize the depth that they have built on the edge. And is a 7-man rotation even doable? That’s a lot of mouths to feed. Is there enough snaps available or do they have to shorten that number?

5.) Are wrinkles coming? Probably. As alluded to above, talk of some schematic changes has popped up from time to time in the offseason. I think Kansas State is making sure to not reveal too much. The base probably doesn’t change, but I think the Wildcats will be more willing to deploy sub-packages and different kind of fronts to confuse offenses a bit more and unleash and weaponize their pass rushers a bit more. Two guys that could kind of move around, it sounds like, are Bates and Obiazor.

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