Five questions facing Kansas State football's offense heading into Big 12 media days

When Collin Klein took the reins of Kansas State's offense last year — well actually starting with the 2021 Texas Bowl — he wasted no time making it his own.

When, for example, was the last time anyone saw K-State line up in a no-huddle offense, race to the line of scrimmage and aggressively push the tempo on a regular basis, not just when the Wildcats were playing from behind?

Not that Klein completely overhauled the offense, traditionally built on balance, ball control and ball security. With All-America do-it-all running back Deuce Vaughn in the backfield, it would be foolish to abandon their bread and butter.

But while the Wildcats ranked second in the Big 12 and 15th nationally in rushing, and second in the league in time of possession, they did so with a certain flair not seen in the previous three seasons under head coach Chris Klieman.

Related: Kansas State football running back Deuce Vaughn excited to reunite with his father in Dallas

Now that Vaughn is gone to the NFL, along with two of the three starting wide receivers, K-State's offense is bound to look different in 2023. The good news is that the Wildcats return their entire offensive line, led by All-American Cooper Beebe, and have an emerging star in tight end Ben Sinnott, with Will Howard back as the established starter at quarterback.

Still, there are some questions that persist ahead of the Big 12 media days Wednesday and Thursday in Arlington, Texas. Here are five storylines to follow on offense when K-State's contingent shows up Thursday:

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What new tricks does Collin Klein have up his sleeve in year two?

With Vaughn no longer the focal point of the offense and the strong-armed Howard at quarterback, the Wildcats likely will spread it around more and attack downfield with the vertical passing game. While starters Malik Knowles and Kade Warner are gone, Howard has a proven target in super-senior slot receiver Phillip Brooks, and the 6-foot-4, 245-pound Sinnott is a tight end with wideout skills.

Howard is not as mobile as predecessors Martinez and Skylar Thompson, but at 6-5, 242 pounds he has the size and strength to stand in the pocket. And let's not forget that he is being protected by a veteran line that returns intact with super-seniors KT Leveston and Christian Duffie at the tackles and Hayden Gillum at center, while Beebe is a senior and right guard Hadley Panzer a junior.

Related: How Kansas State football quarterback Will Howard bet on himself, and came out a winner

Is Will Howard ready to take his game to the next level?

Howard, ineffective in place of an injured Thompson as a true freshman and sophomore, was a completely different player last year when Martinez went down. He came on early in a regular-season loss at TCU, completing 13 of 20 passes for 225 yards and two touchdowns, and never looked back.

Howard went on to lead the Wildcats to victory in five of his six starts, including the Big 12 championship game rematch with TCU, with the lone loss to Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. Even though the Wildcats ranked sixth in the league in scoring for the season, they were No. 1 in the conference and 12th nationally with an average of 36 points over the last seven games.

In seven appearances, Howard completed 59.8% of his passes for 1,633 yards, 15 touchdowns and four interceptions.

Related: Five Kansas State football players receive preseason All-Big 12 recognition

How will the Wildcats fill Deuce Vaughn's shoes at running back?

Klein has indicated that he anticipates spreading the wealth in the backfield now that Vaughn is off to the NFL. If an alpha dog were to emerge, the top two candidates are Florida State graduate transfer Treshaun Ward and sophomore DJ Giddens, Vaughn's backup last year.

The shifty, 5-10, 194-pound Ward led a crowded Seminole backfield last year with 649 yards in 10 games, six of them starts. The media last week voted him Big 12 preseason newcomer of the year.

Giddens, more of a power runner at 6-1, 210 pounds, rushed for 518 yards and six touchdowns in relief of Vaughn while averaging 5.8 yards a carry. Others backs who could see playing time include sophomore Anthony Frias, senior Jordan Schippers, sophomore La'James White and true freshman Joe Jackson.

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How important is developing depth on the offensive line?

K-State could have five seniors starting on the offensive line, which means a major overhaul is in store for 2024. Leveston, Duffie and Gillum are gone for sure, and Beebe is a projected first-round draft pick.

Panzer most likely will be back, but don't forget that it was senior Taylor Poitier who started the season opener at right guard before suffering a second straight season-ending knee injury.

Klieman, Klein and offensive line coach Conor Riley made building depth a top priority in the spring, and there are plenty of candidates hoping to work their way into the rotation this year, including junior Carver Willis, sophomores Andrew Leingang and Sam Hecht, and redshirt freshmen Michael Capria, Drake Bequeaith and John Pastore.

Related: New Kansas State football receiver Keagan Johnson turning heads during spring drills

Who will provide depth at wide receiver?

With Knowles and Warner both gone, Brooks is the lone returning starter, though sophomore Iowa transfer Keagan Johnson turned plenty of heads in the spring. Injuries limited him to two games last year with the Hawkeyes, but he started nine games and had 18 catches for 352 yards and two touchdowns as a true freshman in 2021.

Sophomore RJ Garcia is most likely to fill the third receiver spot after catching seven passes for 70 yards last year, including his first career touchdown in the Big 12 championship game. But Mississippi transfer Jadon Jackson who had two catches in four games last year, also could contend for playing time along with super-senior special teams ace Seth Porter.

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: Five questions for Kansas State football offense at Big 12 media days