Kansas State Eagerly Ready To Take Advantage Of Speed This Season

Kansas State enters this season with speed throughout the roster.

Offensive coordinator Matt Wells had a press conference on Wednesday where he talked about the speed on the Wildcats' roster for the upcoming season, and how that gets his attention as a play caller.

"I like fast," Wells said. "When you're going to throw the ball it's match ups, if it's zone at some point just like basketball it becomes man-to-man and if you're playing man it's like, 'I've got you and can I beat you on a route.'"

Wells further talked about the importance of drawing up and running the correct schemes. He used the example of being able to get the ball to players in space so that they are able to use their speed.

"You can't coach speed, that's the old coach's cliche but that's real, and Dylan (Edwards) what he can do in space and Joe Jackson you saw the combination with those guys in the bowl game," Wells said. "They're athletic, and you've gotta get those guys the ball in space."

The speed on the Kansas State roster gives junior quarterback Avery Johnson more options than just Edwards and Jackson out of the backfield. Wells talked about the importance of Johnson being able to progress through his reads.

"So much in the passing game it's like, 'Well, I want to get 'him' the ball,'" Wells said. "Well 'him' needs to be the first, second or third option. Avery can get to four and five in some full field reads, and the fourth or the fifth guy could be (Jaron) Tibbs on the backside with the running back on the backside and sometimes that's actually hard to dictate where guys are getting the ball in the passing game and it's taking what the defense gives you, but I think all of those guys give you weapons out on the perimeter."

As the season nears, fans can expect speed out of Wells' offense this upcoming season.

Seth Kunz is a contributor to Kansas State Wildcats On SI. He can be reached at sethkunz988@gmail.com

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