Observations from Kansas State football's first official 2023 depth chart
It appears Kansas State football will be without two projected starters for Saturday's season opener but had some good news on a third.
The Wildcats released their first official depth chart on Monday and right offensive tackle Christian Duffie and nose tackle Uso Seumalo were nowhere to be seen. However, super-senior middle linebacker Daniel Green should be good to go.
K-State's first official depth chart. Of note: Carver Willis at RT, Daniel Green at MLB and Damian Ilalio or Jevon Banks at NT in place of Uso Seumalo. pic.twitter.com/6jpJOxqpwH
— Arne Green (@arnegreen) August 28, 2023
The news on Duffie, a third-year starter, came as no surprise after he missed all of training camp with an ankle or foot injury. Coach Chris Klieman said that he could miss a few games, leaving junior Carver Willis to start in his place.
As for Seumalo, who created quite a buzz early on, he suffered an injury toward the end of camp. Klieman said last week that if he was unable to go against SEMO, he should be ready the following week to face Troy.
Starting in Semualo's place this Saturday will either be sophomore Damian Ilalio or junior Mississippi State transfer Jevon Banks.
As for Green, he also missed the end of camp, but was expected to be ready.
Here are three takeaways on a depth chart that revealed few if any surprises among the front-line players, but still was notable, particularly when it came to the backups.
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Three positions still up for grabs
Battles for three starting spots — well actually two, since tight end Ben Sinnott is listed at fullback — are going down to the wire with the winner yet to be determined. As expected, the running back position comes down to either Florida State transfer Treshaun Ward or sophomore DJ Giddens, who backed up Deuce Vaughn last year, while Taylor Poitier and Hadley Panzer are duking it out at right guard.
Offensive coordinator Collin Klein said Ward and Giddens both will get plenty of opportunities, with each week's game plan likely to dictate how the workload is distributed. Ward has impressed the coaches with his quickness, while the 210-pound Giddens is more of a power runner.
Portier, who has missed the better part of two seasons with knee injuries, won the job at right guard last year, only to go down in the season opener. Panzer stepped in and started the rest of the season.
As for tight end, junior Will Swanson and redshirt freshman Garrett Oakley are the contenders in name only. Sinnott, a breakout star last year, is the clear starter, though he was named to the All-Big 12 first team last year as a fullback.
Seven other positions have the or designation, indicating little or no separation between backups.
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Starting lineup features plenty of new blood
K-State's starting lineup will feature three new starters on offense, six on defense, and both principles in the kicking game.
The SEMO game will mark the first Wildcat start for either Giddens or Ward at running back, along with Iowa transfer Keagan Johnson and returning sophomore RJ Garcia at wide receiver. Johnson started nine games as a true freshman two years ago at Iowa.
On defense, there will be a first-time starter at nose tackle, regardless of whether it is Seumalo, Ilalio or Banks. Other new starters are sophomore Desmond Purnell at Sam linebacker, Jacob Parrish and Will Lee at cornerback, and VJ Payne and Marques Sigle at safety.
Payne started four games last year following injuries to Kobe Savage and Cincere Mason, and Purnell got one start in place of Khalid Duke, who has moved from linebacker to defensive end.
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A dozen freshmen already in the mix
Klieman said last week he could see the Wildcats deploying eight to 10 true freshmen this season. Sure enough, six of them — not to mention another half-dozen redshirt freshmen — found their way to the opening depth chart.
The biggest name among the true freshmen is former Maize High School standout Avery Johnson, who is still in the running along with sophomore Jake Rubley, to be Will Howard's backup at quarterback. But unless he wins the No. 2 job outright, Rubley most likely will get the nod, since he already has used his redshirt year.
Perhaps the biggest surprise was Jayce Brown, whose name did not come up much during spring or preseason camps but is battling sophomore Shane Porter for the No. 2 slot receiver spot behind Phillip Brooks.
Two true freshmen could see action at linebacker, with Austin Romain at Mike and Asa Newsome at the Will, while Jack Fabris is listed second at Jack safety behind Payne. Simon McClannan is the No. 2 option at punter and on kickoffs.
As for redshirt freshmen looking to make their way into the lineup, Oakley and Brayden Loftin are listed at tight end, while Drake Bequeaith is currently No. 2 behind Willis at right tackle. On defense, Tobi Osunsanmi is Purnell's understudy at Sam linebacker and converted cornerback Colby McCalister as a backup at free safety.
Leyton Simmerling is Chris Tennant's backup kicker for field goals.
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 official depth chart for 2023 season opener
