Collin Klein focuses on fundamentals in new role

MANHATTAN, KS. (KSNT)- K-State football will feature some big changes on offense in the 2022 season.

Besides a new starting quarterback, with Skylar Thompson now gone, the Wildcats also have a new offensive coordinator. After serving as the quarterbacks coach for five seasons and putting together an impressive offensive game plan as the interim offensive coordinator in the 'Cats win over LSU in the Texas Bowl, Klein now takes over full-time.

“It's a tremendous honor. I've enjoyed more of the leadership role and leadership responsibilities that have come with it, but shoot, I'm just, again, so grateful and honored that Coach (Klieman) has entrusted that task to me," Klein said on his recent promotion.

K-State's offense will have some differences with Klein in charge. However, the young offensive coordinator is aware that changing the playbook too much could present issues.

"We’ve got to just try to be as organized as we can, and then make sure that we're all communicating the same way and on the same page. Just making sure that it's cleaned out and not cluttered. That's kind of what we've tried to do and simplified some things, added some new things, and then kept some packaging and repackaged some others," Klein said.

Throughout the process of some changes on the offensive side of the ball, Klein says the players have stayed locked in.

"It's a little bit of a work in progress, but the guys have really attacked it well. They've been hungry," Klein said.

The former K-State quarterback says although some things will change, he's choosing to focus on the things that stay the same regardless of play calling and offensive scheming.

"We're trying to really focus on as much of the fundamentals and execution of things because the game of football, yes, there's definitely a schematic component to it, but it's won and lost in how fundamentally sound you are able to execute those schemes," Klein said.

At the end of the day, Klein is calling his guys to be athletes and competitors.

"How mentally disciplined and tough are you to do that every single time through a 75-whatever-play game and ultimately win whichever one-on-one that ends up being across from you and that part," Klein said.