Here are 15 Kansas, K-State & Mizzou players to watch, one week from football season

There is absolutely no shortage of local talent when it comes to this year’s college football season.

All across the nation, football standouts from Kansas and Missouri are projected to make a difference, be it Oklahoma’s do-it-all defender Jaren Kanak (Hays), Stanford breakout WR candidate Mudia Reuben (Park Hill South) or local stars like Cooper Beebe (Piper) at K-State and Luke Grimm (Ray-Pec) at Kansas.

Oh, and the No. 1 football recruit in the nation for 2024? On3.com says that’s Lee’s Summit North’s Williams Nwaneri, who is headed to Mizzou.

The college teams around these parts are plenty good, too, featuring three Power Five teams (Kansas, K-State and Mizzou) with bowl expectations ... and beyond.

Here are five players from each squad worth following this season, including at least one local name from each ...

Kansas Jayhawks (last season: 6-7)

1. Jalon Daniels, senior quarterback

The reigning Big 12 Preseason Offensive Player of the Year comes into the season with sky-high expectations after a career year. Last season, Daniels threw for 2,014 yards with 18 touchdowns and four interceptions while running for 425 yards and seven more touchdowns ... all in just nine games.

Daniels found himself in Heisman contention until his shoulder injury. He’s a special player and talent, but can he stay healthy? He’s already dealing with back tightness that has kept him out of multiple practices at fall camp.

KU’s success this season will likely largely depend on Daniels’ health. If healthy, Daniels looks primed for another big season.

2. Devin Neal, junior running back

After rushing for 1,090 yards on 6.1 yards per carry and tallying nine touchdowns, Neal earned preseason All-Big 12 first-team honors. KU ranked No. 39 in rushing in large part due to Neal, who attended nearby Lawrence High. And with fellow running back Daniel Hishaw fully healthy, the KU backfield should be even better.

Against Oklahoma State last season, Neal rushed for 224 yards and had 110 receiving yards — showcasing his ability to do it all on the field. Neal has NFL aspirations, so how he plays this season will be pivotal. Look for Neal to be the Jayhawks’ lead back, with a healthy dosage of Hishaw and sprinkling of either Dylan McDuffie or Sevion Morrison.

3. Devin Phillips, senior defensive lineman

The Colorado State transfer has started every game of his collegiate career, so it’s no surprise he’s received rave reviews from the KU coaching staff and his teammates. Kansas’ most significant question mark is its defensive line, especially after sacks leader Lonnie Phelps departed to the NFL. Having a player like Phillips who can start right away will help alleviate some of the Jayhawks’ D-line concerns.

4. Seth Keller, redshirt-senior kicker

Kansas ranked last in the Big 12 field-goal percentage (53.8%), so the Jayhawks picked up two kickers from the NCAA transfer portal: Seth Keller of Texas State and Charlie Weinrich of Nebraska. The likely starter, Keller, is on the Lou Groza watch list. He made 87.5% of his field goals last season at Texas State and is an 86% career kicker (three playing seasons).

KU’s special teams unit was a major weakness last season, but having a reliable kicker like Keller will be a significant boost. Of note, he’s made a 48-yard (or longer) field goal in three straight seasons, and he’s 92 for 93 on career extra points.

5. Daniel Hishaw, redshirt-junior running back

Hishaw started last season on a tear with 259 rushing yards and 95 receiving yards, plus six total touchdowns, in five games. He averaged 5.9 yards per carry until suffering a significant hip injury in KU’s 14-11 win over Iowa State.

Hishaw is finally healthy and ready to be paired up again with Neal, which should make KU’s offense even more potent — as long both players can stay healthy. Hishaw has just one goal on his mind for 2023: win a Big 12 championship.

Kansas State Wildcats (last season: 10-4)

1. Will Howard, junior quarterback

After years of only playing as a backup behind Skylar Thompson and Adrian Martinez, it is finally Howard’s time to shine. At 6-foot-5 and 242 pounds he is the biggest quarterback in the Big 12. He might also be the best. Many are eager to see what he can do as the Wildcats’ unquestioned starter after guiding K-State to a Big 12 championship last season.

2. Cooper Beebe, senior offensive lineman

The Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year in 2022 surprised many when he decided to return to Manhattan for another season of college football. He was good enough to be an early selection in the 2023 NFL Draft. But he is back to make a run at the K-State Ring of Honor and the Outland Trophy.

3. Keagan Johnson, sophomore wide receiver

For a receiver who only caught 20 passes for 363 yards and two touchdowns over the course of two seasons at Iowa, Johnson is getting an incredible amount of preseason hype at K-State. But remember, the Hawkeyes have one of the worst offenses in all of college football. Justin Jefferson could go there and disappear. OK, that might be hyperbolic. But you get the point. Now that Johnson is in a better system and surrounded by better talent, he could have a strong year for the Wildcats.

4. Uso Seumalo, senior defensive tackle

K-State coaches have quietly been praising Seumalo as a future star since the day he arrived on campus. He has just been stuck behind Eli Huggins. Now, he is free to start in the middle of the Wildcats’ defensive line and potentially dominate. At 6-foot-3 and 340 pounds, he is very hard to block.

5. Kobe Savage, senior safety

No safety in the Big 12 hits harder than Kobe Savage. And every time he makes a tackle it seems to fire up his teammates. The Wildcats are thrilled to have him back as the leader of their secondary after his junior season was cut short by a knee injury.

Missouri Tigers (last season: 6-7)

1. Luther Burden III, sophomore wide receiver

There’s no question Burden could be in for a monster year. The former No. 3-ranked national recruit (247Sports Composite, class of 2022) has big shoes to fill with Dominic Lovett off to Georgia, but the opportunities will be there in what should be a fairly deep group of wideouts.

As a freshman in 2022, Burden, who is from St. Louis, appeared in all 13 of Missouri’s games — and made 10 starts. He neared 10 all-purpose touchdowns, including a punt-return score. It would not be a surprise if he increased those touchdown numbers and more than doubled his 375 receiving yards from 2022.

2. Kris Abrams-Draine, senior defensive back

There are a handful of names to watch on the Missouri defense, but one of the most intriguing is Kris Abrams-Draine, who could’ve considered a leap to the NFL after recording 14 pass breakups last year. That mark ranked second in the SEC.

A preseason second-team All-SEC selection, Abrams-Draine returns with Ennis Rakestraw Jr. to form one of the SEC’s upper-half cornerback duos. He was instrumental in that duo coming back together.

3. Ty’Ron Hopper, senior linebacker

A standout linebacker who could return for one more season after 2023 if he wants (as a super-senior), Ty’Ron Hopper led Missouri with 13.5 tackles-for-loss last season. He also tallied 2.5 sacks, a forced fumble and an interception.

A preseason second-team All-SEC selection, Hopper, who began his career at Florida, will likely spend one final year in Columbia before departing to the NFL.

4. Darius Robinson, super-senior defensive lineman

Let’s talk about the Mizzou defensive line, which is anchored by a defensive tackle who has started games in each of the last three seasons.

There isn’t much returning defensive line experience on the Mizzou roster. But Robinson recorded a sack in a near-upset of national champion Georgia and was named a third-team preseason All-SEC selection this summer. Expect him to be a leader for the Tigers’ D-line this fall.

5. Armand Membou, sophomore offensive lineman

You won’t find any quarterbacks on this list of five, not even returning starter Brady Cook, a team captain who is in the midst of a QB competition. But you will find one of the big names blocking for him on the O-line.

Lee’s Summit North’s Armand Membou landed on The Athletic’s “College Football Freaks” list after starting the last five games last season ... as a true freshman. He reportedly has a 32-inch vertical and can squat 600 pounds.

“I have not seen an athlete who moves 600 pounds as effortlessly as he does,” said Tigers strength coach Ryan Russell, per The Athletic.

Another name worth a mention: super-senior Javon Foster, a preseason second-team All-SEC selection.