Anyone who watched Kansas State play football a year ago could tell the Wildcats missed Dante Barnett.
Instead of starting one of the most talented and experienced defensive backs in the Big 12 at strong safety, K-State rotated four unproven and inexperienced defenders. When Barnett suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in the first game, the Wildcats lost a trusted playmaker on the back end of their defense and struggled to replace him.
“It was like losing another quarterback,” K-State defensive end Jordan Willis said. “Last year, we had two younger guys who had never played back there.