K-State Football | Joe Klanderman Press Conference Aug. 29, 2024

Maris was named a team captain and has obviously been an important piece to this defense uh you know what does he bring to the defense from a leadership standpoint and I guess how does it make you feel as his coach to know that he was voted as a team captain I'm very proud of him um it's cool that a guy can come in here and be in the program for you know two years and and do what he's done and get the clout that he has um and he does he's not a verbal a huge verbal guy he's not he's not a quiet guy by any means but he's not the the loudest guy the on the roster he he's just a guy that's going to do his business every day he shows up every day in the weight room and grinds he he works his butt off in practice never has a sense of entitlement never has um you know it works like he's still trying to earn stuff all the time and players see that you know and players try to emulate that and that's how good culture gets started by getting guys like that in the program how good is this group of safeties very talented I guess it remains to be seen we got to do it on Saturday but we've got uh we've got incredible speed um very football smart kids great personalities great uh not that that always translates but it does you know I think when I say that I mean I think they can handle adversity they can handle hard coaching they can handle um good times and um yeah I'm I'm excited to to unleash the crew with Tain playing tonight do you guys sit down and watch any that game before Saturday or do you postpone all that stuff sure I'll see plenty of it next week um I I don't know uh it is kind of nice to watch game Flow you know and see how things are looking from a Tempo stuff that you don't always see on the on the all 22 film um but I I do kind of want to keep my mind I always I'm always cautious about that and Friday night I I don't mind watching a game but I don't try to get too involved in it looking at what they're doing or you know how they're doing it I just uh I got my own problems so we we'll worry about that on Sunday how much further along has Austin remain compared to anytime last year and day unbelievable night and day yeah from a uh body is better but confidence is where he he needed it you know he came in uh the spring early as an early enrol Le so uh but he had a hand injury and so I you know he didn't do a ton that first spring last fall he kind of got thrust into a role that maybe he wasn't ready for again not maybe physically but mentally and so he it worked all right for a few weeks and then the grind of college football caught up to him and and uh I don't think it's going to catch up to him this year I think he's a you know the way he walks talks acts um he's like a veteran guy and it's it's cool to see him leading out there UT Martin returns to their quarterback from last year and I think that's probably a little bit more unique at the FCS level nowadays what did you see from him on film and what challenges does he present as an experienced a really good player you know I think he um I think he can give you a little bit of trouble with his Mobility um you know at first glance you know you wouldn't say that he's just you know we see Avery Johnson every day he wouldn't say he's that but uh but he's he's longer so I think he is moving faster you know people have a hard time with him in the open field I think he really has a good grasp of what they're doing offensively and um you know along with him is a veteran group of receivers that he's worked with and skilled guys and and for that matter interior lineman you know and that's the you bet continuity is one of the bigger things that that uh is is brings a good football team up and and they have a ton of it on the offensive side what has Daman alalo done to elevate himself I think uh similar to Maris you know just the uh his leadership what he does how he attacks each drill each day each meeting um you know I was up here July I don't know I'm going make up a date but it was you know right after Fourth of July July 9th and I was walking around upstairs and and I heard voices and I went in and he had all the nose tackles up there meeting you know and he was on the board with a pen and I I thought that was just really cool and um I think he's got the attention of a lot of our players just because of who he is uh uh and how he goes about his business on everyday basis to have two defensive tackles with him and Uso who have played and you know have emerged how much does it help this defense this year we didn't have that maybe last year at this time we were still had a lot of questions about both of them you know um Uso we thought had a bunch of physical ability but he had had been injured a little bit in Fall Camp last year and battled some of that throughout the year now he's healthy and and you know Damen hadn't really proven himself yet you know uh damen's claim to fame to that point was he was in on the the last play of the Big 12 Championship it was the only play he played that day and um so that's um you know we just feel much more confident about you know how they're going to handle the es and flows of of week- toe stuff seriously what did what did that one play show you about that kid that the moment wasn't going to be too big for him you know that uh he went in there that's just that's his personality just so calm he's never going to be a yell or screamer guy he's just a he's just who he is and and I think that's what makes our program a little bit unique is there's not a lot of posturing going on there's the guys that are just who they are and and we all kind of blend together and make us that's what makes us special most improved player or position group since they want a camp wow good question um you know um there's so much competition in the defensive end room it's hard for me to say that's the most improved d uh I think we've I think we feel a lot better right now about our Corner situation than we probably uh did I knew you know Justice James had played a little bit uh Jordan Dunbar had played at another institution um Donovan Macintosh was new you know we we you know had some questions about the depth there I think we feel felt good about our first two but you know who could be three four five and I think we've got three four five and and I think we're not afraid to roll those guys in any moment how is Asa new looked coming back from injury he's uh he he's been good he he you know he does some things uh incredibly violently and quickly um he's just a tremendous athl I mean he's a he could be a track athlete here I mean that's he that he's that kind of athlete and he just um you know he he's um I thought early in Camp maybe there was a little bit of trepidation with him you know changing direction and stuff but as that got into hey we're playing football now I I saw that kind of where away and so um he's he's going to be he's going to be a good one I think as as the season gets on he's going to get better and better was Talent as the young guys are in the wine backer room and obviously bringing Austin back and everything that he does how much is is is kind of Dez flying under the radar see that that Dez is the one now that that doesn't get enough credit for what he does and I don't want to blow his head up but he's um I mean he's absolutely steady Edie and he is not afraid to speak up you know people we talk about the great leadership that Austin Moore has and he does uh Dez is equally so you know Dez will do it in in probably a little bit more confrontational of a way which is which is needed sometimes and um but the athleticism that he has we're going to use him uh as as a Mike backer and some of our other sub Personnel groups so Dez is learning you know all three linebacker spots to some degree and so he's uh yeah he's a rock star he's a very very valuable piece to what we do we've seen some of these FCS FBS games sort of come down to the wire in recent years what does that say about I guess the talent that the FCS has noway that those games are becoming a lot more closer than they're I guess supposed to be yeah I don't know I wish you wouldn't say it that way uh no it's out there I mean that's and I've been on the other end of it of course um at North Dakota State and so I I just uh you know what what people don't get about that sometimes is that for those FCS programs that's an awesome opportunity to come into bill stadium and you get to play in front of this crowd and um that's something that you've been looking forward to since the schedule came out and sometimes um I I would guess that FBS programs don't feel the same way you know oh man okay you know we're out there I I don't think our guys take that lightly I think our guys uh it doesn't matter who the opponent is if it's Tennessee Martin or if it's Tennessee I think our guys are going to come out the same way and and play so um hopefully we can just roll out there and see uh who executes better and and who makes plays