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In a perfect world with no transfer portal or early NFL Draft entries, Kansas State football coach Chris Klieman would have a full complement of players at his disposal when the Wildcats take on Rutgers in the Rate Bowl.
Instead, Klieman is just thankful that a vast majority of his frontline players will still be available for Thursday’s 4:30 p.m. CT matchup against the Scarlet Knights at Chase Field in Phoenix.
“I think that’s the biggest thing is the players you’re able to retain and keep here,” said Klieman, who lost 15 players but only two starters to the portal since the regular season. “And credit to those kids, credit to their teammates.
“I told them after Iowa State (a 29-21 loss on Nov. 30) that we have a really good bunch of talented players, and if you stay, I think we can do collectively some special things. The core of our best players returned.”
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Kansas State linebacker Desmond Purnell celebrates a defensive stop against Kansas on Oct. 26 at Bill Snyder Family Stadium in Manhattan.
More importantly, said junior nose tackle Damian Ilalio, those players who stuck around are fully invested.
“This game is the most important game of our lives because it’s the next one,” Ilalio said. We hammer that in to all the younger players. Even the older guys that are returning (next year) and even older guys that are leaving, it’s really important to cap their careers off with a win and send them out as winners.”
For super-senior offensive lineman Taylor Poitier, who started all 12 regular-season games at right guard, ending on a high note is a high priority.
“All the guys that I came in with, all the sixth-year guys, it’s just one last opportunity…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/kansas-state-football-coaches-players-090136143.html
Author : The Topeka Capital-Journal
Publish date : 2024-12-25 09:01:00
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