Checking out the comp: Kansas State
Missouri finished spring football last week and until the transfer portal opens May 1-15 things may enter a bit of a quiet period around the program. So, while we give the Tigers a break for a little while there's nothing stopping us from checking out what their 2023 Power 5 opponents' rosters are looking like.
The Tigers' first Power 5 opponent will be a home game versus the reigning Big 12 champion Kansas State Wildcats in week three on Sept. 16.
Kansas State started spring practice last week but it will be holding its first open practice on March 28 with plans of wrapping up spring ball the week of April 3. So, the Wildcats are still piecing together their depth chart and finding out what they have.
Nonetheless, we'll take a peek into what the Wildcats have going on.
Last season's record: 10-4
Key departures: QB, Adrian Martinez, RB Deuce Vaughn, WR Malik Knowles, WR Kade Warner, DB Julius Brents, DB Ekow Boye-Doe, DE Felix Anudike-Uzomah, NT Eli Huggins
Key additions: RB Treshaun Ward, WR Keagan Johnson, DL Jevon Banks, DB Marques Sigle, DB Will Lee
Key departures
A huge reason why the Wildcats ended up in the Sugar Bowl was because of the all-conference talent they had at their discretion. Kansas State had nine all-Big 12 selections including the Big 12 defensive lineman and defensive player of the year Felix Anudike-Uzomah.
For Missouri, it won't have to worry about Anudike-Uzomah, who had 46 tackles, 11 tackles for loss 8.5 sacks and two forced fumbles last season.
That'll be a huge plus considering Anudike-Uzomah is widely expected to be a day one or day two pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. The former Lee's Summit prospect was one of the better run defenders in the conference who could also set the edge and he had some pretty good bend in pass-rushing situations to get to the quarterback.
The loss of quarterback Adrian Martinez isn't as bad because Will Howard, who took over in the second half of the season when Martinez was unavailable, is still there so the Wildcats are not taking a huge hit at that position like they are at running back with the loss of Deuce Vaughn.
The 5-foot-6 dynamo rushed for 1,558 yards and nine touchdowns on 293 attempts (5.3 yards per carry). He also had 42 receptions for 378 yards and three touchdowns.
He is what made Kansas State's offense click which was evident when Missouri went to Manhattan last year and he rushed the ball 24 times for 145 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Wide receiver Malik Knowles decided to forego his last season of eligibility and is headed for the NFL Draft which is big considering he wasn't only the Wildcats' No. 1 wide receiver, but he's one of the better kick returners in the nation and has been for the last couple of seasons.
He had 48 receptions for 725 yards and two touchdowns. He also had eight carries for 164 yards and three touchdowns. On top of losing Knowles, the Wildcats also lost Kade Warner, whose five receiving touchdowns paced the team while his 456 receiving yards were the third-most on the team.
Also, the Wildcats had to hire their fourth wide receiver coach in five seasons with the departure of Thad Ward.
Defensive back Julius Brents was one of four Wildcats to be named to the All-Big 12 first team and he's another guy like Anudike-Uzomah who can probably expect his name to be called on day one or day two of the draft.
At 6-foot-4 and 205 pounds, Brents had great length and size for a corner and was also a willing tackler who had good ball skills.
Brents finished the season with 45 tackles, four interceptions, four pass deflections, 3.5 tackles for loss and a forced fumble.
Along with Brents, the Wildcats lost another defensive back in Ekow Boye-Doe, who started in 35 of the 42 games he played and racked up 26 tackles, five pass deflections, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery last season.
The loss of Brents and Boye-Doe leaves a couple of holes for a Wildcats secondary that ranked 64th in the FBS in pass yards allowed with 224.4 yards per game a season ago.
Another massive hole in the Wildcats' defensive line will be at nose tackle right next to Anudike-Uzomah with the loss of 6-foot-5 and 297-pounder Eli Huggins. The All-Big 12 honorable mention selection recorded 32 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and a sack and was one of the Wildcats' better run defenders last season.
The loss of Anudike-Uzomah, Boye-Doe, Brents and Huggins will be huge losses for a team that was ranked 68th in run defense allowing 150.8 yards per game and a total defense that ranked 64th in total defense at 375.1 yards per game.
Key additions
In the transfer portal, the Wildcats were able to snag former Florida State running back Treshaun Ward, former Iowa wide receiver Keagan Johnson, former Mississippi State defensive lineman Jevon Banks, former North Dakota State defensive back Marques Sigle, and former Iowa Western C.C. defensive back Will Lee.
Ward will try and form a 1-2 punch with DJ Giddens as they move forward without one of the best running backs in school history. Ward, a former walk-on with the Seminoles, rushed for 628 yards and seven touchdowns last season. He is ranked as a three-star transfer and the No. 208 available overall transfer by Rivals.com.
Johnson had a solid 2021 freshman campaign when he had 18 receptions for 352 yards and two touchdowns, but he couldn't follow that up in 2022 due to a soft tissue injury.
He will try and help make up for the loss of production from the departures of Knowles and Warner. Johnson is ranked as a three-star transfer and the No. 236 overall transfer.
Banks is coming off of the best season of his career with the Bulldogs after he registered 17 tackles and 0.5 sacks.
In Joe Klanderman's 3-4 system, he's likely to slide inside despite being listed as a defensive end and with his size at 6-foot-2 and 300 pounds, it's probably going to be a better fit as the Wildcats could use someone to replace Huggins. He is ranked as a three-star transfer and the No. 470 overall transfer.
Sigle comes over from FCS powerhouse North Dakota State where Kansas State head coach Chris Klieman was the head coach from 2014-18.
Last season, the 5-foot-11 and 192-pound Sigle recorded 27 tackles, three pass deflections and a pair of interceptions. He could possibly crack the rotation in the future and provide depth for a secondary losing couple of valuable starters. He is ranked as a three-star transfer and the No. 499 overall transfer.
The 6-foot-3 and 190-pound Lee is another big corner that Klanderman could use to replace Brents in the lineup if he can break into the rotation. Lee racked up 24 tackles and seven pass deflections last season.
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