08-22-2016, 11:33 AM
(08-22-2016, 08:30 AM)OutsiderFan link Wrote:At the risk of this thread becoming dominated by Stanford fans talking about Stanford, how about DC Cat telling us who KSU's best players are at every level on defense and position group on offense? IOW..
DL, LB, DB, OL, WR/TE, RB, QB
I've come to realize the pre-season magazines usually miss quite a bit, often overlooking some and incorrectly identifying others as key cogs when they really aren't.
DL: Will Geary (Jr. DT 6'0" 297 lbs)Â - A former walk-on who burst onto the scene as a redshirt freshman and was a 12-game starter as a sophomore (2015). Ranked eighth on the team with 45 tackles, fourth in tackles for loss (6.5) and fifth in sacks (3.5). His tackle total is the most by a K-State interior defensive lineman since 2005.
2016 Preseason All-Big 12
2016 Outland Trophy watch list
2015 First Team All-Big 12 (AP)
2015 Honorable Mention All-Big 12 (Coaches)
Honorable Mention:Jordan Willis (Sr. DE 6'5" 258) - Started all 13 games in 2015, recording 36 tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, three pass breakups, four forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. He also blocked a field goal at Oklahoma State. -- 2016 Preseason All-Big 12 -- 2016 Hendricks Award Watch List
LB: Elijah Lee ( Jr. LB 6'3" 228 lbs) - Started all 13 games, leading the team with 80 tackles and tacked on three interceptions.
2016 Preseason All-Big 12
2016 Bednarik Award watch list
2016 Bronko Nagurski Trophy watch list
2016 Butkus Award watch list
2015 Second Team All-Big 12 (Coaches)
2015 Second Team Academic All-Big 12
2015 Honorable Mention Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year
DB: Dante Barnett (Sr. S 6'1" 193) - A dynamic player who is tied for first among active Big 12 players with 29 career starts. Saw a 27-game starting streak end due to an injury in the 2015 season opener. Earned a medical hardship and will be a senior again in the 2016 season. Enters his final campaign as the teams top returning tackler with 181 career stops, while he is also tops with seven career interceptions.
2016 Preseason All-Big 12
2015-16 Bronko Nagurski Award Watch List
2015-16 Bednarik Award Watch List
2015-16 Wuerffel Trophy Watch List
2016 AFCA Good Works Team Nominee
2015 Walter Camp Award Watch List
2015 Jim Thorpe Award Watch List
2014 Second Team All-Big 12
2013 Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl Defensive MVP
Honorable Mention: Duke Shelley (So. DB 5'9" 175) - A dynamic, young defensive back who was expected to redshirt the 2015 season until pressed into starting duties due to injuries. -- 2016 Bronko Nagurski Trophy watch list
OL: Dalton Risner (So. C 6'5" 300 lbs) - A hard-nosed player who started every game at center as a redshirt freshman.
2016 Rimington Trophy watch list
2015 First Team Freshman All-American (Campus Insiders)
2015 Second Team Freshman All-American (Athlon, Scout)
2015 Second Team Academic All-Big 12
WR/TE: Byron Pringle (So. WR 6'2" 205) - Played one season at Butler Community College. Rated the 44th best community-college prospect including the No. 9 wide receiver by ESPN. Also regarded as one of the top 100 community-college prospects in the Class of 2016 by Rivals.com and Scout.com.
Preseason All-Big 12 honors from Phil Steele
FB: Winston Dimel (So. FB 6'1" 235lbs) - A 13-game starter at fullback is also the OCs son. Recorded six rushing touchdowns to rank third in school history among freshmen, while he also finished his initial campaign ranked fifth in school history in receiving yards (261) and scoring (48) among freshmen.
2016 Preseason All-Big 12
2015 First Team All-Big 12 (Coaches)
2015 First Team Academic All-Big 12
RB: Charles Jones (Sr. RB 5'10" 208 lbs) - Has been the primary running back each of the last two seasons. Eclipsed the career 1,000-yard mark in 2015 as he currently ranks 21st in school history. - This is a tough one, because we have three other good backs. Will be interesting to see who gets the most touches in the Stanford matchup.
2016 Doak Walker Award watch list
QB: Jesse Ertz (Jr. QB 6'3" 212 lbs) - One of the top prep quarterbacks coming out of high school in 2013 who earned the starting nod for the 2015 season opener but suffered a season-ending injury on the first play from scrimmage.
Honorable Mention: Alex Delton (RS Fr. QB 6'0" 201 lbs) - A highly-regarded quarterback who played as a true freshman but saw his season end after just two games. Earned a medical hardship and will be classified a redshirt freshman in 2016. Coming out of high school he was rated the 23rd best dual-threat quarterback nationally by Rivals.com and 33rd by ESPN, while he was rated the fifth-best player in the state of Kansas by Rivals.com and the top quarterback in the state by ESPN.