Kansas State Football: Top 5 spring 2019 breakout candidates

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NORMAN, OK – OCTOBER 27: Quarterback Skylar Thompson #10 of the Kansas State Wildcats looks to throw against the Oklahoma Sooners at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on October 27, 2018 in Norman, Oklahoma. Oklahoma defeated Kansas State 51-14. (Photo by Brett Deering/Getty Images) /

I really wanted to list an underrated quarterback who could compete for the starting job, but Skylar Thompson has never truly had a “breakout” season and he’s not in danger of losing the No. 1 spot on the depth chart, at least from what it sounds like.

Chris Klieman on Skylar Thompson: "He's got loads of ability." Sounds like he is really pleased with the progress he has made this spring.
— Kellis Robinett (@KellisRobinett) April 9, 2019

Head coach Chris Klieman has raved about Thompson this spring and if he’s making as much progress as is being reported, the Wildcats won’t have a quarterback competition for the next two seasons.

Thompson was under-utilized as a sophomore and even more so as a freshman. In 2017, he finished with 689 passing yards and five touchdowns with three picks and a 61 percent completion rate in eight games. In 2018, he completed 59 percent of his throws for 1,391 yards and nine touchdowns — he was intercepted just four times.

Oh yeah, and he can run. He rushed for 267 yards and three touchdowns as a freshman and 373 yards and five scores as a sophomore.

Kansas State may actually have a passing game worth game-planning for in 2019, and it may be due to the progression of Thompson.

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