Kansas State football WR Sterling Lockett is ready to add to the family legacy

MANHATTAN — For his first two seasons in Manhattan, Sterling Lockett was nearly invisible.

That is, as invisible as you can be when you're a Kansas State football player with the last name Lockett.

The fact that Sterling Lockett belongs to a family that includes K-State's top two all-time receivers and three of the top six, certainly makes hiding from expectations a challenge. And yet, through a redshirt year in 2022 and then last season as a freshman, he essentially remained out of sight and out of mind.

Well, that may be about to change. Lockett, now two years removed from a standout at Blue Valley High School, suddenly has taken a leap forward to where he not only may contribute as a kick returner in 2024, but also as part of the wide receiver rotation .

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"Sterling has just brought a level of consistency," K-State receivers coach Matthew Middleton said. "He has changed in the sense of he has become confident in what we do schematically. He has become confident in who he is as a player, so he knows how to use his skill set to find ways to get open and win, even at the point of attack when it comes to blocking."

In other words, he gets it, and it is starting to show.

"I see a confident guy playing fast," said associate head coach and co-offensive coordinator Matt Wells. "When you're confident and you're prepared, you play fast."

That is quite a leap forward for Lockett, now a third-year sophomore, who appeared in just two games last year as a backup receiver against Baylor and punt returner in the Pop-Tarts Bowl victory over North Carolina State.

Living up to the family name already was a tall order. For those who haven't followed K-State football for the past 30 years, Sterling's father Kevin started the family run of Wildcat receivers in 1993, followed by uncle Aaron Lockett from 1998-2001, and most recently All-American Tyler Lockett from 2011-14.

Kevin Lockett, a third team All-American as a senior in 1996 left K-State as the school's career leader with 217 receptions for 3,032 yards. That record stood until son Tyler, a first team All-American in 2014, amassed 249 catches for 3,710. Tyler Lockett still plays in the NFL for the Seattle Seahawks.

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Sterling's uncle, Aaron Lockett was no slouch either, ranking sixth in career receptions with 137 and fifth in yardage with 2,400. He also was a second-team All-American in 2000 as a kick returner.

While success has not come as quickly for Sterling Lockett, he is starting to catch up.

"He knows his assignments better, he knows his alignments better, he knows his techniques and the route running better, and he's confident," Wells said. "That doesn't mean it's without a mistake or a drop because we're all human and those things happen.

"But man, he's playing fast and so that's why people are talking about him right now, and he's played well, and he's earned the right to play."

Middleton agreed.

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"I think Sterling has just developed really good study habits, honing in on the details of his craft and his work, and then understanding who he is as a receiver so that he can go out and have success day in and day out, which has bright him consistency," Middleton said. "And I think for him it's just full out confidence."

Middleton didn't coach the other Locketts, but he has been impressed both with how unaffected Sterling is by their accomplishments.

"It's really unique, but he handles it well," Middleton said. "And so, for me it's fun coaching him because he's a great young man. He's a phenomenal young man off the field, phenomenal in the meeting room, because he asks questions.

"He wants to learn, he wants to grow, and so it's fun coaching a Lockett."

Arne Green is based in Salina and covers Kansas State University sports for the Gannett network. He can be reached at agreen@gannett.com or on Twitter at @arnegreen.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas State football WR Sterling Lockett is ready to add to the family legacy