Joe Jackson didn’t treat Kansas State’s transfer-running-back additions like a threat. He treated them like a boost.
When the Wildcats brought in Rodney Fields from Oklahoma State and Jay Harris from Oregon last winter, Jackson’s reaction was immediate and pretty simple.
“I smiled,” Jackson said. “That was the first thing I did.
A lot of guys may think I had a problem with that, or I didn’t like it, or I looked at it as some type of competition. But I just look at it as a betterment for the team.
I know what those guys can do. I feel like they are going to complement me, and I am going to complement them.”
That attitude fits the way Jackson finished his sophomore season. He looked like a star down the stretch, ripping off a school-record 293 yards and three touchdowns against Utah before following it with 142 yards and three more scores against Colorado.
Those kinds of performances raise the obvious question: if Jackson keeps building, could he become a true workhorse this season? Maybe. But with Fields and Harris in the room, it’s hard to picture him carrying the load alone, or even getting 25 carries a game.
Jackson doesn’t sound concerned about that at all.
“I feel like once I come out, somebody else can come in and get it done,” Jackson said. “And once they come out, somebody else can come in and get it done. It’s an ongoing thing.
“I feel bad for every defense that has to try to line up and prepare for that. Ultimately, as a team, it’s going to help us to get to where we want to go in January, because we’re going to have a lot of guys still fresh instead of just trying to play one back who’s going to take a lot of wear and tear.”
Part of why that mindset comes so naturally is that Jackson has never really walked into a season as the clear-cut top back at K-State. Last year, he was supposed to be more of a change-of-pace option behind Dylan Edwards, but injuries and other issues opened the door for a much bigger role.
Jackson answered when the Wildcats needed him. Now he expects the same from the newcomers.
Fields ran for 614 yards and a touchdown at Oklahoma State last season. Harris found the end zone for Oregon in the College Football Playoff semifinals and then put together a strong spring at K-State.
Collin Klein sees Jackson as the guy who will set the tone in the backfield, but he also made it clear the Wildcats plan to lean on more than one runner.
“He’s definitely the leader in that room,” Klein said of Jackson. “He has done a tremendous job preparing himself to be an every down back. He’s got good ball skills, his body has improved and his movement skills have improved.
“But I don’t think you can make it through a season with one tailback. Realistically, that doesn’t happen very often.
I want every single one of those running backs, whenever they’re in, to act like that’s going to be the last carry of their life and run like heck. When they get tired, we’ll put another one in, and it will be good.”
In Other News...
This Sunflower Showdown Just Got Personal For Kansas State Fans
The Sunflower Showdown already carries enough edge on its own, but this one has an extra layer after Dylan Edwards winding path through college football brought him back into the rivalry conversation. Edwards arrived at Kansas State with plenty of buzz, then saw his second season in Manhattan disrupted by injury before the next chapter of his career took shape elsewhere. Now the former Wildcats back is part of a Kansas offense trying to sort itself out before the season, with a crowded backfield and a quarterback competition still hanging over the preseason.
For Kansas State fans, the date on the calendar is the part that matters most. The Wildcats and Jayhawks are set to meet on October 17 at Bill Snyder Family Stadium, and the matchup already has the feel of one that will draw extra attention because of who Edwards used to be and where he is now. Rivalry games tend to sharpen every storyline, and this one has given both sides a fresh reason to circle it early. [Read more 🡒]
Avery Johnson Finally Addressed Kansas States Controversial Bowl Snub
Avery Johnson finally put a little more detail around one of the stranger episodes of Kansas States offseason, explaining why the Wildcats passed on last years bowl invitation. The quarterback said the decision came in a messy stretch for the program, with coaching changes swirling and players trying to sort out their futures, leaving the roster in a place where not everyone was fully on the same page.
Johnsons comments also help frame why the move drew so much attention beyond Manhattan. Kansas State was hit with a hefty fine for declining the bowl bid before the penalty was later cut in half, and the explanation now points back to the uncertainty around the roster and the transfer portal during that transition period. [Read more 🡒]