New Kansas State head coach Chris Klieman’s job in 2019 just got a tad bit tougher as one of the Wildcats’ star players has just made himself available for the upcoming draft.
Running back Alex Barnes, the team’s top rusher by a wide margin this past season, posted on his social media accounts a lengthy message to the fan base and confirmed that he would indeed be declaring for the 2019 NFL Draft and skipping his senior season in the Little Apple.
— Alex Barnes (@Alex_Barnes34) December 14, 2018
Barnes redshirted his first season with the team but quickly assumed a starting role for KSU the past three years, rushing for a high-water mark of 1,355 yards and 12 touchdowns to lead the team in both categories. All told, he ran for 2,616 yards and 25 scores with the Wildcats and doing most of that against a stacked box given the offense he played in.
Given that fellow tailbacks Dalvin Warmack and Justin Silmon are graduating, there will be a new look in the backfield for the incoming coaching staff next season with this news from Barnes. Adding in QB Alex Delton’s transfer, starting signal-caller Skylar Thompson will be the only player set to return to the squad who recorded a carry this past season.