Each season, there's lots of turnover and change for every college program. What do the Big 12 teams need to do before next fall? Let's continue our look with the Wildcats up in Manhappenin'.
1. Fill in the secondary. Three starters in the secondary are gone, and cornerback Nigel Malone will be the toughest guy to replace. Safety Jarard Milo and cornerback Allen Chapman were solid talents as well. The Wildcats will have a lot of work to do in the spring to figure out who'll be jumping into the starting lineup to replace the trio. Ty Zimmerman will be healthy, and true freshman safety Dante Barnett showed some promise in replacing Zimmerman after he suffered a leg injury. Randall Evans is a playmaker at corner, and Carl Miles backed up Chapman. Does K-State move them up, or fill their spots with incoming jucos?
2. Sort out the quarterback competition. Collin Klein is gone, and somebody has to be next in line. It sounds as if spring in Manhattan will feature a very open competition between sophomore Daniel Sams, who showcased his legs all of last season and got over a half of experience in K-State's 44-30 win over Oklahoma State at home this season. He's probably the league's fastest quarterback, but expect him to be pushed by newcomer Jake Waters, one of the top juco quarterbacks in the country who broke Cam Newton's completion percentage record last season. This one should be interesting.
3. Develop the defensive line. This defensive line was one of the most underrated in the country, highlighted by Meshak Williams, Adam Davis and Vai Lutui, as well as John Sua and Javonta Boyd. The bad news? All of them are gone, and K-State is forced to replace them. The Wildcats are losing 10 starters on defense. Ryan Mueller showed some promise this year, but K-State's facing a similar problem on the D-line as it is in the secondary. Replacing these guys is just as important, and if K-State can do it, the 2013 season could be a promising one.
More offseason to-do lists: