DALLAS
Dante Barnett says he doesn’t care about preseason rankings or awards, even when they are kind to him and his team.
Barnett, a senior defensive back at Kansas State, proved that much Tuesday at Big 12 media days when asked about the Wildcats placing four defensive players on the preseason all-conference team. K-State hasn’t gotten that kind of respect since it last won a Big 12 championship in 2012.
Voters are high on senior defensive end Jordan Willis, junior linebacker Elijah Lee, junior defensive tackle Will Geary and Barnett – the four all-league selections – and K-State’s defense as a whole, which returns nine starters.