It’s been nearly nine months since Kansas State last took the field. Since then, several players have left and a new coaching staff has been hired, but one thing hasn’t changed.

Kansan File Photo

Kansas State finished sixth in the Big 12 North in 2005 and conference media has predicted that the Wildcats will do the same in 2006 under new head coach Ron Prince.

Prince, however, has different aspirations.

“We came here to win championships and to compete for them,” Prince said. “And so that’s what our objective is, and that’s what our plan is, and I think our players have been steadfast with that, and we are not going to be distracted.”

To make Kansas State an elite program once again, Prince and a pair of coordinators with NFL experience will work with the team.

James Franklin, a wide receiver coach for the Green Bay Packers last season, will take over the Wildcat offense, and Raheem Morris, who spent the last four years working for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense, will coordinate the Wildcat defense.

As a result, Kansas State will run more spread formations on offense and zone schemes on defense. However, Prince wants Kansas State to remain a physical program and maintain the characteristics that defined Kansas State at the height of the Bill Snyder era.

“The main difference that I can see is that in 2003, Kansas State had a fast team,” Prince said. “If you go all the way down the roster, all of the players that played, these players have played at a very fast rate and they were decisive players because they knew exactly how to run the play.”

While some players like what they see so far from the new regime, others have decided to move on. Since April, eight players have left the program.

Freshman quarterback Kevin Lopina was the first to go. Not far behind were senior quarterback Allen Webb, sophomore quarterback Allan Evridge, freshman running back Courtney Greer, freshman wide receiver Val Taylor, sophomore wide receiver Ro Grigsby, freshman tight end Nate Prater and sophomore offensive lineman Ryan Schmidt.

While these losses have turned some position battles into foregone conclusions, they will no doubt test the depth of this year’s offense.

At quarterback, what was once a four-player race is now a coin-flip decision. Senior Dylan Meier missed all of 2005 because of injury, but has six college starts to his name. For his career, Meier has completed 132 of 228 passes and has nine touchdowns to seven interceptions.

Prince’s other option for quarterback is freshman John Freeman, who’s been enrolled at Kansas State since January. Although Freeman has yet to take a collegiate snap, his high school accolades precede him.

Freeman passed for more than 7,000 yards in high school, was ranked the top player in the state of Missouri by Rivals.com, was a four-star recruit according to Rivals, and rated the fourth best pro-style quarterback in the nation by Rivals.

Meier’s experience will probably earn him the spot, but Freeman could get the nod if Prince decides to look to the future and test him.

The Wildcats should be deep at running back with the top two spots already set. Senior Thomas Clayton rushed for 637 yards and four touchdowns in 2005 as Kansas State’s main back, and he will probably reclaim that title in 2006.

Right behind him is sophomore Parrish Fisher, who rushed for only 289 yards in 2005, but averaged six yards per carry.

Regardless of whom Prince puts under center, they will have some reliable receivers to throw to.

Junior Jordy Nelson was Kansas State’s leading receiver last year with 45 catches for 669 yards and eight touchdowns. If defenses key on him, seniors Jermaine Moreira and Yamon Figurs should get open. The two combined for 49 catches, 728 yards and a touchdown apiece. Junior tight end Rashaad Norwood will also see some passes in his direction after catching 13 balls for 160 yards and a touchdown last year.

On the offensive line, the Wildcats return senior Greg Wafford, junior John Hafferty, and sophomores Jordan Bedore and Caleb Handy, who have 38 career starts among them. A handful of players will compete for the fifth spot on the line, but could also find themselves stealing one of the previously mentioned players’ spots.

Seniors Blake Seiler and Quintin Echols and sophomore Alphonso Moran return to the Wildcats’ defensive line after combining for 100 tackles in 2005. Sophomore Ian Campbell and freshman Eric Childs should see a majority of the action at the end positions.

Kansas State’s leading tackler from 2005, senior Brandon Archer, returns along with senior Maurice Mack to fill the outside linebacker spots. Senior Zach Diles should emerge as the team’s top middle linebacker.

Continuing the trend on defense, Kansas State will also have a veteran secondary. Junior free safety Marcus Watts led the secondary with 71 tackles last year and will be joined by junior cornerbacks Bryan Baldwin and Byron Garvin. Senior Kyle Williams is the front-runner to take the strong safety spot with three career starts.

Despite all the changes Kansas State has undergone, there won’t be many new faces starting on Saturdays. How well the players adapt to the new staff’s philosophies will dictate whether that is a good thing or not for Kansas State fans.

“We believe the tougher the team, the better the team,” Prince said. “So I think that’s really what we’ve tried to do is create a fast team that has an opportunity to compete and run with these other teams.”

Kansan sportswriter Shawn Shroyer can be contacted at sshroyer@kansan.com.

— Edited by Brett Bolton