Kobe Savage and Will Lee looking to improve Wildcats’ secondary
Kansas State safety Kobe Savage (2) and cornerback Will Lee (8) tackles TCU wide receiver Dylan Wright (16) during the third quarter Saturday October 21, 2023 at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. (Lynn Harrington/stayaliveinpower5)
MANHATTAN, Kan. — Kansas State’s secondary is coming off a promising outing against Texas, and despite the loss, the unit is trying to build off that performance.
The Wildcats are currently 78th in the FBS in passing yards allowed, and senior safety Kobe Savage drastically wants to improve those numbers. The All-Big 12 performer is the general of the secondary, and as a leader it’s Savage’s job to rally the troops after their devastating road loss.
As of now Kansas State is out of the Big 12 race, but needs to win out, and have Oklahoma State and Texas lose a game, to be back in the mix. Savage and his teammates are taking accountability, and attempting to weather to the storm.
“I feel like we’re still in high spirits, just got to control what we can control each day, trying to win each practice, each rep, mentally and physically,” Savage said.
He knew the Wildcats could’ve prevented the explosive plays from the Longhorns, but the defense failed to execute when it mattered the most. The secondary had some bright spots though. Cornerback Jacob Parrish picked off two passes and the defense recovered a fumble. Practice is intense for the unit this week in preparation for Baylor, and Savage is pushing his teammates to the limit.
“We do need to do a better job of takeaways, getting our hands on balls, and make sure we pick the ball off,” the 22-year old said. “I feel like that’s going to have a momentum boost for our offense and special teams throughout the game.”
More leaders are emerging from the secondary too, including cornerback Will Lee. He’s the fourth-leading tackler on the team, and a ballhawk, with two interceptions on the season. Savage, Parrish and Lee have combined for seven of Kansas State’s nine interceptions this fall. Lee credits his success to Joe Klanderman and his staff, and feels like he’s playing at a high level right now.
“I’m playing with great confidence, our coaches put me in great positions to be great, and to play fast,” Lee said. “Just helping me out during every game, so I’m playing with extreme confidence.”
The defensive backs are a close-knit group, and more like a brotherhood. The unit will play a vital role in determining how the Wildcats finish down the stretch. Baylor (3-6), Kansas and Iowa State all have a dangerous quarterback behind center, and Lee understands Kansas State has no margin for error. So Lee plans on leaving it all out on the field, and helping the secondary become the strength of the defense again.
“We got to do better, we got to show more of our mob mentality, and just be a shutdown secondary,” he said. “I feel like ever since then, we just been priding ourselves in that.”
Stopping the run and providing suffocating coverage against the pass is what the unit plans on accomplishing. Quarterback Blake Shapen and the Bears torched the Wildcats’ defense and stole a win in Manhattan in 2021. So the secondary is determined to change the narrative this time around.
