Transfer Defensive End Travis Bates Should Add Depth To K-State Defensive Line
The addition of 6-foot-3, 264-pound sophomore Travis Bates is one of several reasons why defensive ends coach Buddy Wyatt feels good about this unit heading into this season.
Bates, who transferred from Austin Peay after a solid redshirt freshman season, will add depth and experience.
“The last couple years we've been really thin at defensive end," Wyatt said on the school’s athletic website during spring football. “This year, we have numbers. I like to put a lot of people on the field.”
In making Phil Steel’s Freshman All-American, Bates recorded 32 tackles, including 5.5 for losses, 3 sacks and two pass break ups in nine starts last season.
Bates fits what Wyatt is looking for from the defensive line players.
“As we've been developing this three-down package, we've noticed that we need several different things out of that position,” Wyatt said. “Obviously, they have to have pass-rush ability, and we need guys who can be strong at the point of attack in the run game, and we have guys who can do that.
“We feel comfortable that we'll be able to put a rush package out there when it's third down and they'll get after the quarterback, and we can put a group out there on goal-line (situations) that'll be big and strong enough to keep them out of the end zone.”
Even during the spring, months away from the first game, Wyatt was already fired up by what some of the young players on the defensive line will bring.
“We lost some really good guys, but, man, I'm excited about our younger guys,” Wyatt said. “I mean, they're still growing. Man, they have a chance to be really good if they continue to develop.”
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