Been yearning for inside info on K-State football? Well, here it is. Every two weeks here at The Foundation we’ll go “Off the Record,” with notes we feel more comfortable posting within the exclusivity of this premium message board as opposed to a front-page item that fans and other programs could easily access.
This info is only intended for premium members of K-StateOnline.com and not to be shared outside The Foundation.
For this week’s installment, we pulled a couple questions from the story we ran as an interview with a former player (link here). Due to the sensitive nature of a couple of these answers, we sensed it was wise to save them for this platform.
Matt Hall asked questions specifically about the backup quarterback battle as well as Sean Snyder’s level of involvement with the program – and each offered interesting responses:
Hall: People love talking about backup quarterbacks, so how about Alex Delton and Skylar Thompson?
Player: “I think each offer something unique. In my opinion, nothing against Alex Delton, but I think Skylar is the future. He can run, throw – they can run the whole package with him. Also, he has a great relationship with Collin (Klein). He was part of getting him here, then he went to Northern Iowa and his now back, and I know they have a great relationship. I really think Skylar could be the next great K-State quarterback. I feel like I just built Skylar up a lot, but Delton is still a great quarterback - he’s just a little bit more limited with his size and more tentative as a runner than maybe Snyder would like. Now, I haven’t seen him for a while, I’m sure he’s gotten more physical. You have to have a running quarterback in this offense that will continue to run up the middle and take hits. (He was asked if a position change is possible for Delton.) I think he could change positions. He has the speed, but I don’t see that happening. I mean, they only have three quarterbacks – and Delton is right there with the 2s running with Skylar right now at least. I don’t think he would change positions.”
Now, Bill Snyder said in Tuesday’s press conference that Delton was the No. 2 quarterback, and we don’t doubt he’d be the first to enter the game in relief of Ertz. The K-State head coach virtually always sides with experience in a close battle such as this. However, the quote above falls in line with other things we’ve heard from inside the program in recent weeks.
Two sources (separate from the one that spoke with Hall) made clear that reps are being split between Delton and Thompson with the No. 2 offense and is the reason why there’s an ‘OR’ distinction on the depth chart. We agree that Delton will be the first off the bench Saturday, but anything long term would likely lead to Thompson being inserted into the lineup. The feeling is that Thompson has no limitations that force K-State to take anything out of its offensive package, which isn’t necessarily what some hear is the case with Delton.
Those sources both noted that the interesting thing about the battle is how different the two quarterbacks are in style. There's a sharp contrast. Thompson gives Kansas State more of a threat through the air while Delton likely has more potential to be dangerous with his legs. What could give Thompson a 'leg up' in the battle eventually, and what could make him the future at the position, is his potential to be dangerous with both his legs and his arm.
The first of these two other sources was very optimistic about Thompson's chances of being the successor to Ertz, citing the way he "fits the system real well" and how it can "return to more of a passing offense if/when he gets the job." The second source pointed to other areas of his game, calling out his leadership and playmaking ability as what sets him apart.
We don’t intend to diminish the athletic ability of Alex Delton and the opportunity he has to be the starting quarterback in the future for K-State. We simply want to pass along what’s seen by many of those inside the program, stated – pardon the pun – off the record.
As for the second topic of this week’s Off the Record, we dive into Sean Snyder’s current involvement in running the program and the possibility of him ultimately replacing his father. Hall had an opportunity to directly ask the former Wildcat (who spent five full years in the program) to describe Snyder’s day-to-day involvement in the program.
Hall: How involved is Sean Snyder with the day-to-day running of the program? Is it more than other assistants on staff or just the same as everybody else?
Player: “Part of Sean’s job description is the head of football operations. In terms of involvement, he sees all sides of things. He’s in charge of a lot of logistical things, the day-to-day staff and running of the program. He’s very involved with everything that happens. He of course has his special teams responsibilities as well. Is he more involved than the other coaches on the staff? From a pure coaching perspective? Probably not. From a big picture perspective, he’s certainly more involved.”
To many close followers of the Wildcat program, the above may not come as a huge surprise. It’s interesting, however, to hear from a player that it’s openly noticeable the responsibility Sean has running the program on a day-to-day basis. We’ve gotten no indication from our sources that Bill Snyder is considering retirement any more seriously than he has in seasons past, but we’ve also got indication that if something were to happen many expect Sean would be the replacement. And while that may not be popular with some fans, the sources we have happen to think he’s an underrated yet obvious candidate, somebody those within the program would immediately respect as a head coach - in large part because of his last name. How would he be as a head coach? No one can be certain. But he’ll be in the mix when or if Bill ever walks away…
Finally this week, we offer a quick recruiting tidbit.
A familiar name could be back in K-State's crosshairs. Tancey Richardson, a junior college safety at Northeast Mississippi Community College, is back in the spotlight. He is adamant that despite not qualifying and making it to Manhattan for this season, that he is now committed to Kansas State as a 2018 pledge. Not only that, Richardson expects to make it to Manhattan and be enrolled at Kansas State in December, paving the way for him to be a full participant through winter conditioning and drills and then onward to spring football. If that plan works out and comes to fruition for the two sides, that would be a big coup for the Wildcats and add immediate depth in the defensive backfield.
This info is only intended for premium members of K-StateOnline.com and not to be shared outside The Foundation.
For this week’s installment, we pulled a couple questions from the story we ran as an interview with a former player (link here). Due to the sensitive nature of a couple of these answers, we sensed it was wise to save them for this platform.
Matt Hall asked questions specifically about the backup quarterback battle as well as Sean Snyder’s level of involvement with the program – and each offered interesting responses:
Hall: People love talking about backup quarterbacks, so how about Alex Delton and Skylar Thompson?
Player: “I think each offer something unique. In my opinion, nothing against Alex Delton, but I think Skylar is the future. He can run, throw – they can run the whole package with him. Also, he has a great relationship with Collin (Klein). He was part of getting him here, then he went to Northern Iowa and his now back, and I know they have a great relationship. I really think Skylar could be the next great K-State quarterback. I feel like I just built Skylar up a lot, but Delton is still a great quarterback - he’s just a little bit more limited with his size and more tentative as a runner than maybe Snyder would like. Now, I haven’t seen him for a while, I’m sure he’s gotten more physical. You have to have a running quarterback in this offense that will continue to run up the middle and take hits. (He was asked if a position change is possible for Delton.) I think he could change positions. He has the speed, but I don’t see that happening. I mean, they only have three quarterbacks – and Delton is right there with the 2s running with Skylar right now at least. I don’t think he would change positions.”
Now, Bill Snyder said in Tuesday’s press conference that Delton was the No. 2 quarterback, and we don’t doubt he’d be the first to enter the game in relief of Ertz. The K-State head coach virtually always sides with experience in a close battle such as this. However, the quote above falls in line with other things we’ve heard from inside the program in recent weeks.
Two sources (separate from the one that spoke with Hall) made clear that reps are being split between Delton and Thompson with the No. 2 offense and is the reason why there’s an ‘OR’ distinction on the depth chart. We agree that Delton will be the first off the bench Saturday, but anything long term would likely lead to Thompson being inserted into the lineup. The feeling is that Thompson has no limitations that force K-State to take anything out of its offensive package, which isn’t necessarily what some hear is the case with Delton.
Those sources both noted that the interesting thing about the battle is how different the two quarterbacks are in style. There's a sharp contrast. Thompson gives Kansas State more of a threat through the air while Delton likely has more potential to be dangerous with his legs. What could give Thompson a 'leg up' in the battle eventually, and what could make him the future at the position, is his potential to be dangerous with both his legs and his arm.
The first of these two other sources was very optimistic about Thompson's chances of being the successor to Ertz, citing the way he "fits the system real well" and how it can "return to more of a passing offense if/when he gets the job." The second source pointed to other areas of his game, calling out his leadership and playmaking ability as what sets him apart.
We don’t intend to diminish the athletic ability of Alex Delton and the opportunity he has to be the starting quarterback in the future for K-State. We simply want to pass along what’s seen by many of those inside the program, stated – pardon the pun – off the record.
As for the second topic of this week’s Off the Record, we dive into Sean Snyder’s current involvement in running the program and the possibility of him ultimately replacing his father. Hall had an opportunity to directly ask the former Wildcat (who spent five full years in the program) to describe Snyder’s day-to-day involvement in the program.
Hall: How involved is Sean Snyder with the day-to-day running of the program? Is it more than other assistants on staff or just the same as everybody else?
Player: “Part of Sean’s job description is the head of football operations. In terms of involvement, he sees all sides of things. He’s in charge of a lot of logistical things, the day-to-day staff and running of the program. He’s very involved with everything that happens. He of course has his special teams responsibilities as well. Is he more involved than the other coaches on the staff? From a pure coaching perspective? Probably not. From a big picture perspective, he’s certainly more involved.”
To many close followers of the Wildcat program, the above may not come as a huge surprise. It’s interesting, however, to hear from a player that it’s openly noticeable the responsibility Sean has running the program on a day-to-day basis. We’ve gotten no indication from our sources that Bill Snyder is considering retirement any more seriously than he has in seasons past, but we’ve also got indication that if something were to happen many expect Sean would be the replacement. And while that may not be popular with some fans, the sources we have happen to think he’s an underrated yet obvious candidate, somebody those within the program would immediately respect as a head coach - in large part because of his last name. How would he be as a head coach? No one can be certain. But he’ll be in the mix when or if Bill ever walks away…
Finally this week, we offer a quick recruiting tidbit.
A familiar name could be back in K-State's crosshairs. Tancey Richardson, a junior college safety at Northeast Mississippi Community College, is back in the spotlight. He is adamant that despite not qualifying and making it to Manhattan for this season, that he is now committed to Kansas State as a 2018 pledge. Not only that, Richardson expects to make it to Manhattan and be enrolled at Kansas State in December, paving the way for him to be a full participant through winter conditioning and drills and then onward to spring football. If that plan works out and comes to fruition for the two sides, that would be a big coup for the Wildcats and add immediate depth in the defensive backfield.
