Rapid Recap: Kansas State true freshmen impressing on defense

Growth of Kansas State cornerbacks

It was Kansas State assistant Van Malone that mentioned he had a few sleepless nights once Julius Brents and Ekow Boye-Doe left the room. For the first time in a few years, he was tasked with breaking in new cornerbacks.

In fact, there is zero career starts returning this season.

K-State defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman felt similar in January. He was realizing what was going to be missing without his two stars that are both now in the NFL. However, that uneasiness and anxiety has morphed into a bit of calmness and confidence.

That is because three players have really emerged and are playing good football at the moment, and that is a trio that includes Jacob Parrish, Will Lee and Keenan Garber.

For Parrish, he was special enough when he arrived in Manhattan that Kansas State chose not to redshirt him. However, he was doing it all without a real understanding of the defense or what they were wanting it to look like and what they wanted him doing. It’s slowing down for him.

Lee is a bit of a Julius Brents clone, and many coaches and players are beginning to mention that. After making it to campus a little late, he’s settling in and the talent is beginning to ooze. Garber has become more and more informed as well.

Two other players that could factor in are Justice James and Tyler Nelome.

Sensational freshmen

When asked for takeaways from the first few weeks of K-State training camp, Klanderman’s first thought was to compliment the true freshmen on that side of the ball. Defensively, it is the best group that they have recruited since he has arrived.

Though he didn’t pick out anyone from the group, some that have already been mentioned in the past have been defensive lineman Chiddi Obiazor, linebackers Austin Romaine and Asa Newsom, cornerback Kanijal Thomas and safeties Jack Fabris and Wesley Fair.

Thrilled with K-State safeties

While the depth at safety is still being ironed out, and a few of those freshmen or even Colby McCalister could be the answer, the Kansas State staff seems very content and confident about the first unit at the position.

In fact, Klanderman coaches that room and had nothing but compliments for the trio of VJ Payne, Kobe Savage and Marques Sigle. Those are the assumed starters, and it would be a shock if that isn’t the three on the field for the first K-State defensive snap.

The last time we saw Savage he was being helped off the field, and there are zero concerns about that setback lingering into this year. He is just so driven and so much of a football junkie determined to make it that it hasn’t hampered him one bit.

Payne started four games as a true freshman last year and was one of the first players that Klanderman pointed out when I asked him who was begin to soar in their development during training camp. And Sigle is someone that understands what they want to be as a defense and has separated himself from the pack.