By Wendell Barnhouse
Big12Sports.com Correspondent

2014 record: 9-4 overall, 7-2 in Big 12, lost to UCLA 40-35 in Alamo Bowl.

Returning starters: 6 on offense, 6 on defense.

Top players returning: Junior FB Glenn Gronkowski, senior OL Cody Whitehair, junior RB Charles Jones, senior WR Kyle Klein, sophomore K Matthew McCrane, senior DB Dante Barnett, senior DB Danzel McDaniel, senior DT Travis Britz, sophomore LB Elijah Lee

Key players to replace: QB Jake Waters, WR Tyler Lockett, WR Curry Sexton, C B.J. Finney, DE Ryan Mueller, LB Jonathan Truman.

Spring review
Perhaps Bill Snyder hasn't seen it all, but he's seen enough to know what it takes for a winning football team. Kansas State's coach has won enough games (187) to win a spot in the College Football Hall of Fame and he knows that his 2015 team is where most of his teams have been after spring practice.

"As I have said before, we are a work in progress," he said. "The mistakes that we are making are mistakes that are not talent related; they are mistakes that are a lack of execution, not a great deal of lack of effort. Our effort has been in the 90-percent mark. I think we have gotten a little more disciplined in our day-to-day work, but it lacks consistency as well."

Snyder's teams are successful because the work eventually shows progress. The play-to-play, day-to-day, week-to-week improvement is only evident to Snyder's staff and his players. But it is the cornerstone on which the K-State program has been built.

The Wildcats figure to be picked for the second division of the Big 12 because of major personnel losses. Kansas State must replace quarterback Jake Waters plus receivers Tyler Lockett and Curry Sexton; that trio helped the team throw for 3,736 yards last season. Lockett was also a game-changing kick returner.

The offensive line must replace four-year starter B.J. Finney while the defense will be missing hard-nosed leaders in defensive end Ryan Mueller and linebacker Jonathan Truman.

The quarterback derby figures to get much attention. Junior Jon Hubener, a former walk on, has the most familiarity with the offensive system but newcomer Alex Delton is an explosive runner and he could see playing time even though Snyder has rarely played a freshman at QB.

Quick slants
Deante Burton spent his first two seasons at Kansas State deferring to older players like Tramaine Thompson, Tyler Lockett and Curry Sexton. Now that those productive receivers have moved on Burton says it's time for him to take over as one of the Wildcats' top receivers. The 6-2, 205-pound junior showed some of what he can do in the spring game as he led all receivers with four receivers for 107 yards.

While Burton hopes to replace Lockett in K-State's receiving corps, redshirt freshman Dominique Heath could take over for Lockett returning kicks. In the spring game he had a 75-yard punt return for a touchdown and finished with 374 all-purpose yards. If Heath can improve his route running he also could be a factor as a receiver.

Because of construction to expand Bill Snyder Family Stadium, Kansas State held its Purple-White spring game at Sporting Park in Kansas City. That's typically the home for Major Soccer League's Sporting Kansas City.

Coach Bill Snyder on …
What the team needs most to improve:
"We've got a lot of work ahead of us. We've made some headway. It might be a bigger chore than what we've had in the past. Repetition brings you closer to what your capabilities are. We've gotten a little better and a little better."

Sophomore linebacker Elijah Lee, who was a pass-rushing specialist as a freshman:
"Elijah has good quickness and pretty good range … tall with long arms. He runs around pretty well. The experience of last year has been beneficial for him, but like everybody else he's trying to get himself better. I see his confidence building."

Replacing a number of talented players and leaders:
"I never put a limitation of what our team or program is capable of doing. We need that total commitment. We need to be a tougher football team, we need to be a more disciplined football team and we certainly can't take things for granted. Where they go with all that remains to be seen. They can be a good football team if they do the right things."

2015 Schedule

Sept. 5	South Dakota State
Sept. 12	at UTSA
Sept. 19	Louisiana Tech
Oct. 3	at Oklahoma State*
Oct. 10	TCU*
Oct. 17	Oklahoma*
Oct. 24	at Texas*
Nov. 5	Baylor*
Nov. 14	at Texas Tech*
Nov. 21	Iowa State*
Nov. 28	at Kansas*
Dec. 5	vs. West Virginia*

* - Conference game.