Kansas

Kansas State football garners more team than individual respect in Big 12 preseason polls

Published

2 years ago

July 11, 2024

Kansas State football garners more team than individual respect in Big 12 preseason polls

For all the respect Kansas State football received in Big 12 preseason polls going into Tuesday’s media day in Las Vegas, the Wildcats did not get much love individually.

It is hard to fathom, even in an expanded 16-team league, that the Wildcats were picked second behind Utah and yet did not have a single player named to the media’s preseason all-conference team.

That fact was not lost on K-State coach Chris Klieman, though he made it clear during his news conference that he wasn’t losing any sleep over it.

“I don’t pay a lot of attention to it, to be honest with you,” he said. “Everybody sees it, but it’s not something we talk about an awful lot.”

The way free safety Marques Sigle looks at it, the team-wide snub only fuels their fire. There is just one way to change people’s perception.

“It’s motivation,” Sigle told K-State Online. “We’re underdogs, they’re overlooking us, so we’re going to show them when the time comes, when it’s time to put the pads on, on Saturday.”

Kansas State football coaches had a busy summer preparing for five Big 12 opponents

DJ Giddens and Dylan Ewards give Kansas State football running game a potent one-two punch

The Wildcats have several candidates to merit all-conference consideration, Sigle among them. Last year K-State had a pair of first-team selections in offensive lineman Cooper Beebe and tight end Ben Sinnott, plus quarterback Will Howard, defensive end Khalid Duke and safety Kobe Savage on the second unit.

All of them have moved on, leaving only second-team linebacker Austin Moore. That opens the door for some new players to step forward.

The lack of individual recognition tells Klieman that his program as a whole is on solid footing.

“I hope it shows people the overall depth and value of our roster and how important our role players are and how important our players are as far as if you’re a successful team, individual honors at the end of the season are going to come,” he said. “I’m sure that our players, if you asked them, they probably saw both polls, and I don’t know if they’re excited, disappointed, but I know they were aware that there was nobody from K-State on one of those teams.”

Kansas State football keeps it in the family with commitment from Louisburg linebacker

Moore, now a third-year starter, certainly could break through, as could junior cornerback Jacob Parrish on defense. On the offense, junior running back DJ Giddens rushed for 1,226 yards but blends in at a position that is loaded, while offensive lineman Hadley Panzer will be a third-year starter.

The most intriguing prospect is sophomore quarterback Avery Johnson who only has two career start and one of them at receiver. But like Giddens, he plays a position loaded with proven veterans.

“You’ve still got to perform,” Klieman said, “and we’ve got a lot of work to do before we get to the end of August.”

Who knows how things will look by the time December rolls around.

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.

Source link

Click to comment

Kansas

Former Kansas high school wrestling coach charged with producing child pornography

Published

12 hours ago

March 5, 2026

Press Room

Former Kansas high school wrestling coach charged with producing child pornography

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) – A former Kansas wrestling coach was charged with creating child sexual abuse materials by secretly recording minors showering during an athletic competition.

According to court documents, 37-year-old Ryan Brungardt of Salina is charged with two counts of production of child pornography and one count of attempted production of child pornography.

Brungardt is a former employee at Lakewood Middle School and former wrestling coach for Salina Central High School.

Brungardt is accused of using a cellphone to record three minors while they showered in a locker room during the Tournament of Champions, a wrestling tournament was held at Newton High in January 2024.

Brungardt made his initial court appearance for the criminal complaint on Wednesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Brooks G. Severson.

A detention hearing is scheduled for Monday

Investigators are in the process of reviewing additional seized cellphone videos in this case that are suspected to have been recorded at wrestling meets in Newton, Hays, Garden City and Salina during the 2023-2024 wrestling season.

Anyone who believes they witnessed crimes or any suspicious activity at these events is asked to contact the Kansas Bureau of Investigation at (785) 600-8790 or report at www.kbi.ks.gov/sar.

Source link