Winners and Losers: Chris Klieman and Kansas State continue to garner respect
We wrap up the week was in the world of Kansas State sports and college athletics.
WINNERS
1) KLIEMAN: Although they didn’t hop on every ESPN show imaginable as Lance Leipold did, K-State contrived their own buzz at the NFL Draft over the weekend with actual results. They had four players taken, one in the first round and another one of Chris Klieman’s former players (Cody Mauch) and recruits at North Dakota State was chosen and credited the Kansas State head coach with part of his rise up draft board. And the viral moment between K-State running back and Deuce Vaughn captured audiences across the country.
2) HOMETOWN CATS: Not only was Vaughn picked by his hometown team (Dallas Cowboys), so were the other three Kansas State players. Josh Hayes was chosen by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the sixth round, the Indianapolis Colts selected K-State cornerback Julius Brents in the second round and the Kansas City Chiefs made waves by making the call for Kansas City native Felix Anudike-Uzomah in the first round.
3.) SAN DIEGO STATE: The Aztecs struck when the iron was hot. Might they be a future Big 12 opponent for Kansas State? The possibility exists after an NCAA Tournament run that came at the right time. The San Diego State athletic director went on the record recently stating that he is pretty confident that they will soon be members of the Pac-12 or Big 12.
4.) BAT CATS: Pete Hughes has Kansas State rolling at the moment. They are tied for second place in the Big 12 with Oklahoma State after a massive series win over No. 14 Texas Tech. The Wildcats have also skyrocketed up the RPI rankings in the last couple weeks and are squarely in the conversation to make the NCAA Tournament.
5) FROGS: There is no secret as to why TCU had an undefeated regular season and advanced to the national championship last year. They paved the way for the Big 12 with eight NFL Draft selections.
LOSERS
1) LONGHORNS: Since the season ended and Rodney Terry was hired as the permanent head coach for Texas, they have lost Arterio Morris to the transfer portal, could lose Dillon Mitchell and have had both of their high school commits choose to depart the class, one being five-star do-it-all wing Ron Holland. Aside from landing Max Abmas over K-State, little has went their way.
2) PAC-12: Not only are they still without a television after the soft deadline that was placed by the president of the University of Arizona, they had the fewest NFL Draft picks over the weekend of any Power Five league.
3) NATE OATS: Having to rescind the scholarship of Wichita State transfer Jaykwon Walton (Kansas State looked at him a year ago when he chose the Shockers) because of another gun-related incident near campus in Tuscaloosa is not a great look for Nate Oats and Alabama.
4) TRANSFER PORTAL EXITS: Just like in basketball, very few K-State players are eager to jump into the transfer portal. That’s not a bad thing for Kansas State at all, and they are one of the few programs that the transfer portal has struggled to defeat. The window closes on April 30 (today) and Jalen Klemm is the lone player to enter in the Spring.
5.) ALABAMA: Not often can one question a team coached by Nick Saban, and I’m sure they’ll still be a national title contender, but I have doubts about the Alabama quarterback position after they felt compelled to add Tyler Buchner from Notre Dame as a last minute transfer.
