Media Outlet Makes Surprise Pick For Kansas State Football MVP This Season
Calling Kansas State junior running back DJ Giddens the team’s MVP for this football season makes perfect sense, or at least it does for Sporting News.
On Monday, Sporting News selected an MVP for each of the 16 teams in the Big 12. Six of their picks were quarterbacks. Many might say it should have been nine quarterbacks since it left off Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, Arizona’s Noah Fifita and K-State’s Avery Johnson.
This is what Sporting News said about its pick of Giddens: “Sure, there’s a lot of hype around Johnson, but we’ll take Giddens as the player that balances out the Wildcats. He’s coming off a season in which he rushed for 1,226 yards and 10 touchdowns to go with 323 receiving yards and three touchdowns.”
Johnson needs Giddens to have a stellar season. Johnson is a true sophomore and beginning his first season as the starter. There is always pressure on the quarterback, usually the face of the team.
For Johnson, there is more because of the spring and summer of hype plus the lofty expectations for the Wildcats. There’s been talk of K-State winning the Big 12 and participating in the 12-team college playoffs.
The best way to relieve some of that pressure on Johnson is to have a strong running game. Giddens will not only help Johnson have more time to pass, but also allows Johnson to utilize his strength, which is running the ball.
Giddens made an impressive jump in production from his freshman to his sophomore year, increasing his rushing yards by over 700 and doubling his touchdown total.
It’s reasonable to think he will be even better in his third season from the experience he gained the previous two years.
“DJ can carry it 30 times, and he did that a few times for us last year,” K-State coach Chris Klieman said at Big 12 Media Days. “He can carry it 20 times. DJ is an every-down back and underrated in our league.
“DJ is just a phenomenal football player that's a great kid, great in pass protection and great out of the backfield catching the ball. He's going to have a dynamite year for us.”
David Boyce is a contributing writer to K-State On SI. He can be reached at davidboyce95@gmail.com.
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DAVID BOYCE