10 August 2023
MANHATTAN, KS. (KSNT)- K-State fall camp continued on Wednesday. Running backs coach Brian Anderson offered his thoughts on current players and how they are improving during camp.
The Wildcats have big shoes to fill with Deuce Vaughn now playing in the NFL.
Anderson is playing a balancing act with his running backs. He doesn’t want them to try and be Deuce Vaughn. However, he won’t hesitate to use the All-American running back as an example.
“For me, he was such an example of how to do things right when it comes to technique, footwork and all those things,” Anderson said.
However, K-State’s running backs will have to find their own game instead of simply trying to replicate Deuce Vaughn’s.
“At the end of the day they got to carve their own niche in how they play,” he said. “I’ll give you the example of how he did it but you got to write your own story.”
K-State will call on a one-two punch at running back in trying to fill the over 1,500 rushing yards left empty in Vaughn’s absence. Junction City native and redshirt sophomore DJ Giddens is expected to get more reps.
“The sky is the limit with this kid,” Anderson said. “He is still growing as a football player, and I am excited him to get going this season.”
Giddens wasn’t highly recruited out of high school, but even during his first year at K-State, when he redshirted, Anderson saw potential.
“I knew as a freshman when he first got here- no one could tackle him,” he said. “He had great contact balance, but his football maturity wasn’t ready yet.”
Also expected to get a bulk of carries out of the backfield is Florida State transfer running back Treshaun Ward. It will take some work to adjust to the playing style of the Big 12 compared to the ACC, and new coaching.
“Right now, he likes to get the ball and try to hit it too fast,” Anderson said. “He is missing a few things, so I am trying to get him to slow down a little bit.”
The talent, coach says, is there.
“You see his change of direction, you see his burst, you see his speed on the edge,” Anderson said. “It’s really good, it’s going to help our offense a lot.”
Anderson also says he’s seen impressive flashes from Anthony Frias II and freshman Joe Jackson.
K-State’s first game of the season is on Sept. 2 against SEMO at home. The season opener kicks off at 6 p.m.