How will Kansas State’s football depth chart look for Week 1? Here’s our projection

At about this time next week, Kansas State will unveil its first public depth chart of the 2022 football season.

A week after that, the Wildcats will play their first game against South Dakota on Sept. 3 inside Bill Snyder Family Stadium.

Chris Klieman and his coaching staff will make many personnel decisions between then and now. Starting spots and key backup roles are still up for grabs at several different positions. Nevertheless, things are beginning to come into focus as preseason camp winds down.

With that in mind, here is an educated guess at the K-State players who will end up on the initial two deep:

Kansas State depth chart projection

OFFENSE

Quarterback: Adrian Martinez, Will Howard.

There isn’t much mystery at the team’s most important position. Martinez has excelled this summer, and it’s clear that he will guide the offense this season after transferring from Nebraska. Howard is the clear No. 2. He still has a redshirt available, so coaches will likely try to limit his usage to four games if Martinez stays healthy. That could open the door for Jaren Lewis or Jake Rubley to see action at the end of games that have already been decided.

Running Back: Deuce Vaughn, DJ Giddens.

Vaughn will be the face of K-State’s offense as a junior. New coordinator Collin Klein will try to get him the ball as often as possible. But he can’t be on the field for every play. Giddens seems like the best option behind him. The redshirt freshman from Junction City has impressed during preseason camp. Anthony Frias and Jordan Schippers should see some carries, too.

Fullback: Jax Dineen, Christian Moore.

Dineen is one of the more entertaining blockers to watch in the Big 12, but K-State isn’t afraid to give him the ball when the situation is right.

Tight End: Sammy Wheeler, Konner Fox.

Former K-State coach Bill Snyder recruited Wheeler to campus as a quarterback, but he could end his career as a productive tight end under Chris Klieman. Wheeler has excellent hands and will be utilized in the passing game. It will be interesting to see how K-State uses other players at the position. Ben Sinnot, Will Swanson and Fox are all capable of contributing.

Offensive Line: Kaitori Leveston, Cooper Beebe, Hayden Gillum, Taylor Poitier, Christian Duffie (starters) and Andrew Leingang, Drake Bequeaith, Hadley Panzer, Carver Willis, Dawson Delforge (backups).

K-State lost three offensive linemen during the offseason but still returns plenty of veteran experience within its front five. Four of these projected starters have played meaningful roles in the past. Beebe is likely to play at guard after spending last season at left tackle. Leveston and Leingang will take over that spot for him. Gillum and Panzer are both expected to play at center.

Wide Receiver: Malik Knowles, Phillip Brooks, Kade Warner (starters) and RJ Garcia, Keenan Garber, Jadon Jackson (backups).

This is arguably the deepest position on K-State’s roster. Five of the names listed above are returners and the other is a senior transfer from Mississippi. Brooks and Knowles will lead the unit, but Martinez will try to spread the ball around to many different receivers.

DEFENSE

End: Felix Anudike-Uzomah, Nate Matlack (starters) and Jaylen Pickle, Brendan Mott (backups).

Fans are going to see a lot of the first three names at this position. But Mott has impressed this summer at practices and seems poised to also make some tackles.

Tackle: Eli Huggins, Robert Hentz.

Coaches want Huggins to increase his workload this season and stay on the field for more plays than he has in the past. But when he’s not out there, Hentz should be the guy in the middle of K-State’s defensive line.

Linebacker: Daniel Green, Austin Moore, Shawn Robinson (starters) and Nick Allen, Will Honas, Khalid Duke (backups).

It will be interesting to monitor how much action Honas and Duke see this season, given the injuries they have dealt with in their pasts. K-State could also play Gavin Forsha and Jake Clifton here. Green will lead the unit as a senior. Moore has turned heads turning recent practices. Robinson has shined since transferring in from Missouri.

Cornerback: Julius Brents, Ekow Boye-Doe (starters) and Omar Daniels, Jordan Wright (backups).

There might not be much playing time available beyond returning starters Brents and Boye-Doe, but coaches have said good things about Daniels, Wright and a few others.

Safety: Josh Hayes, Kobe Savage, Cincere Mason (starters) and Drake Cheatum, TJ Smith, Hunter Henry (backups).

This projection feels like a roll of the dice. If the competition here is as competitive as coaches claim it to be, the Wildcats could trot out many different combinations against South Dakota. But they are all going to see the field. Perhaps a committee approach will be used.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Kick Returner: Malik Knowles.

Punt Returner: Phillip Brooks.

Kicker: Chris Tennant.

Punter: Ty Zentner.

Brooks and Knowles have each scored three touchdowns as return men. They should once again be one of the top return duos in the Big 12.