Countdown to College Football Kickoff: Top NFL prospects at Kansas State
College football is scheduled to return Saturday, August 29. Each day until then, NFLDraftScout.com will be evaluating the rosters of the best teams in college football, including all 64 within the Power Five conferences.
Kansas State Wildcats
Head Coach: Chris Klieman (second season)
2019 Record: 8-5
2020 NFL Draft Picks: None
Overview:
If replacing the legendary Bill Snyder as head coach at Kansas State bothered Chris Klieman a year ago, it certainly didn’t show with the Wildcats jumping to 8-5 and a Liberty Bowl game berth after stumbling to 5-7 in the former’s final campaign.
Of course, when you walk into the room with seven previous national titles (including four as head coach) at North Dakota State, confidence should come easy.
Frankly, the Wildcats didn’t look much different in 2019 than previous versions under Snyder, relying on its quarterback Skyler Thompson to run for nearly as many touchdowns (11) as he threw (12) to help control the clock on offense with steady, physical defense and spectacular special teams play.
A couple of easy out-of-conference games last year allowed Klieman to make a strong first impression on passionate Kansas State fans with the Wildcats blowing out Nicholls State and Bowling Green State by a combined score of 101-14 before traveling to Mississippi State and surprising the Bulldogs 31-24.
The win inside of an SEC stadium was the first for Kansas State in 11 attempts.
The Wildcats were unable to keep up the momentum when conference play began a week later, however, losing back to back games against Oklahoma State and Baylor by double-digits before toppling TCU and setting up a showdown with then No. 5 Oklahoma.
The Sooners would wind up winning the Big XII and representing the conference in the playoffs but the Wildcats were too much for Oklahoma on October 26, stunning the powerhouse program 48-41 in front of a delirious home crowd.
The win was vintage Kansas State with Thompson rushing for four touchdowns while also efficiently moving the ball through the air, connecting on 18 of 28 passes for 213 yards. NFL draft-worthy kicker Blake Lynch nailed all six of his attempts and the defense turned in some big plays with breakout First Team All-Big XII defensive end Wyatt Hubert turning in a season-high four tackles, including 1.5 tackles for loss and a sack.
Freshman sensation Joshua Youngblood saved his NCAA-leading three touchdowns on kickoffs for other games, including pivotal scores in wins over Texas Tech and Iowa State, but scored on a four-yard rushing touchdown against the Sooners, as well. Youngblood was named the conference’s Special Teams Player of the Year – the first time a true freshman Wildcat has ever been honored as the Big XII’s best player for any unit.
For the first time since 1993, the Wildcats did not have a single player selected in the NFL draft. With their best players all returning, expect Klieman and crew to once again be among the Big XII’s best and for the NFL to not overlook Manhattan next spring.
Featured 2021 NFL Draft Prospect: Wyatt Hubert, DE, 6-3, 258, 4.80, rJR
A Kansas native ranked among the elite talents in the state and the 29 best strongside defensive end recruit in the country by some recruiting experts, Hubert signed with the Wildcats as a celebrated three-star recruit before redshirting the 2017 season.
It didn’t take long for Hubert to live up to expectations once on the field, however. Despite starting just seven games (appearing in all 12), Hubert proved one of the most impactful first-year players in college football in 2018, at least among those playing the line of scrimmage. He recorded 34 tackles overall, including 8.5 for loss and 4.5 sacks, leading all Big XII freshmen, with his .38 sack per game average ranking third nationally among first-year players.
USA Today named Hubert a Freshman All-American for his efforts.
Big XII coaches and media caught on to Hubert’s game the next season, awarding him First Team all-conference accolades when his disruption became too consistent to ignore any longer. Hubert tied for second in the conference with seven sacks and led the Wildcats with 12.5 tackles for loss, recording at least one in nine of 12 games played by the team. He was especially impactful in big games, starring in the upset of Oklahoma and helping close out a win over TCU a week earlier with a sack inside the final two minutes and applying a hit to on the Horned Frogs’ quarterback to force an inaccurate pass on their last gasp.
Hubert didn’t only jump to First Team recognition by the Big XII coaches; some of them voted for him for the conference’s Defensive Lineman and even Defensive Player of the Year.
NFL teams are always on the lookout for disruptive defensive linemen and with 11.5 sacks already to his credit, Hubert enters his junior season already among the 15 most productive pass rushers in the country. He does not possess the most traditional frame for the next level but his production, technique and tenacity speak for themselves, all but guaranteeing that Hubert will be among the most thoroughly evaluated prospects in the Big XII this year.
Strengths: Compact, powerful frame with what appear to be disproportionately long arms, helping Hubert fend off would-be blockers. Comes off the snap low and hard, timing of the snap nicely and flashing a legitimate explosive start to challenge the edge and gaps. Nuanced rusher, incorporating several subtle but effective hand techniques to get free efficiently with impressive core flexibility and agility to dip and corner.
May appear undersized by some standards for an NFL defensive line but has shown terrific versatility playing all over it at Kansas State, rushing off each edge out of the two and three point stances, as well as reducing inside to defensive tackle, where his advantage in quickness can be just unfair.
Equally quick out of either stance with the lateral agility and spatial awareness to excel on twists and stunts. Generates impressive power through his rush, brushing through the reach of would-be blockers. Stronger than he looks, often winning the leverage battle due to his excellent knee bend and long-arming would-be blockers for effective bull rushes as well as when setting the edge.
Relentless rusher who plays hard. Tackles with a thud, generating impressive knockdown power with a history of forcing fumbles.
Not asked to drop into coverage often here but shows balance and ease of movement when doing so.
Weaknesses: High-effort Rudy-type with less-than-ideal physical traits when projecting to the next level. Stubby, sawed-off frame with broad shoulders and hips. Too reliant on guessing the snap count to provide a consistent speed rush threat, leaning on counters and technique to trick opponents rather than beating them with athleticism or power. Average bulk and core strength to recover when he loses the leverage battle.
Frequently substituted and moved all over the defensive line to create advantageous matchups, perhaps inflating Hubert’s statistics.
NFL Player Comparison: – Trey Flowers, Detroit Lions – Like the 6-2, 265 pound Flowers, Hubert lacks the traditional frame for playing at the line of scrimmage but long arms help both keep blockers away from them and their agility and relentless nature help them rack up splashy plays in spurts. Prior to landing a massive deal with Detroit, Flowers was drafted in the fourth round by New England, getting picked 101 overall in 2015.
Current NFL Draft Projection: Third Round
The Top 10 NFL Prospects at Kansas State
1. Wyatt Hubert, DE, 6-3, 258, 4.80, rJR
2. Nick Lenners, TE, 6-5, 252, 4.80, SR
3. Josh Rivas, OG, 6-5, 323, 5.30, JR
4. Elijah Sullivan, OLB/S, 6-0, 210, 4.65, rSR
5. AJ Parker, CB, 5-11, 180, 4.50, SR
6. Malik Knowles, WR, 6-2, 186, 4.50, rSoph
7. Skylar Thompson, QB/S, 6-1, 212, 4.60, SR
8. Briley Moore, TE, 6-3, 250, 4.80, rSR – Graduate transfer from Northern Iowa
9. Blake Lynch, K, 5-05, 148, 4.90, SR
10. Drew Wiley, DT, 6-3, 300, 5.15, SR
*All 40-yard dash times are estimates
