Observations from Kansas State’s first open football practice of the spring

Spring football practice is underway at Kansas State.

Media members were allowed to watch the Wildcats stretch, go through drills and run a few plays against each other in a scrimmage format on Tuesday morning. Here are some observations from the open practice:

Quarterback depth is no longer a strength

Perhaps this goes without saying. After all, it was incredibly unlikely that the Wildcats could lose Will Howard, Jake Rubley and Adryan Lara to the transfer portal and still have a QB room loaded with talent this season.

Still, you could notice a drop-off while watching the current backups throw passes on Tuesday.

Avery Johnson looked terrific in the lead spot. As long as the talented sophomore stays healthy, the Wildcats are going to be set at quarterback. He should be one of the best QBs in the Big 12, if not the country.

But K-State coaches may not have an abundance of confidence in their backup options. Jacob Knuth, Kellen Simoncic and Max Marsh (who is listed as a safety on the official roster) were all wearing green jerseys along with Johnson. And they all struggled to connect with receivers, at times.

Freshman Blake Barnett watched practice with a walking boot wrapped around his left foot. That is too bad, because many were excited to see what he could do this spring. Johnson was already flashing at this point last year.

Knuth, a Minnesota transfer, is on track to serve as the backup next season. Coaches have spoken highly of him in the past and he has potential. But the overall QB talent is down this season as the Wildcats turn the offense over to Johnson as the unquestioned starter.

Conor Riley seems relaxed as offensive coordinator

For years, practice observers have grown accustomed to Conor Riley standing mostly in the background at practices and coaching up the offensive line in the end zone before and after scrimmages. He usually spoke loud and with intensity, as you might expect from an offensive line coach.

But now that he is calling plays for the offense he appears comfortable mixing it up with players from all positions in the middle of practice. He seemed more relaxed than usual on Tuesday and warmly welcomed recruits and observers to practice.

Riley already appears to be at home in his new role.

Matt Wells isn’t afraid to be a hands-on coach

Chris Klieman hired a big name to take over as quarterbacks coach for K-State this season.

Former Texas Tech head coach Matt Wells is now overseeing the position, and he is bringing a new attitude to that room. He clearly cares about small details and isn’t afraid to be a hands-on coach. This was perhaps best displayed on Tuesday when he took a knee just a few inches away from K-State quarterbacks as they practiced taking snaps under center and then handing the ball off to a running back.

In the grand scheme of things, that drill doesn’t seem all that important. But Wells wanted his eyes to be as close to the action as possible and he offered advice after every snap and handoff.

Maybe that kind of attention to detail will pay off next season with fewer mistakes and turnovers.

Several K-State players are currently sidelined

Close to a dozen K-State football players either watched Tuesday’s practice or spent the morning working out on the sideline with strength and conditioning coach Trumain Carroll.

Some players like quarterback Blake Barnett (left foot) and safety Colby McCalister (right shoulder) were clearly injured. Other players, such as defensive tackle Uso Seumalo, linebacker Jake Clifton, linebacker Asa Newsom and offensive lineman Carver Willis are either recovering from setbacks or taking it easy this spring as coaches look to manage their workloads.

But Carroll still made them go through a vigorous workout. By no means were they taking the day off.

Other veteran players such as VJ Payne and Desmond Purnell watched this practice without pads on, presumably because they don’t need to risk injury while younger players take advantage of extra reps.

Klieman likes to protect his oldest and best players during the spring to make sure they are full strength in the fall. It seems like that is once again a priority for him.