The Kansas State Wildcats are showcasing a strong wide receiver duo in Jaron Tibbs and Josh Manning
A lot has been made about Kansas State Wildcats quarterback Avery Johnson through three games this season.
When folks aren't talking about Johnson, they are fawning over running back Rodney Fields. But the K-State receivers, especially Jaron Tibbs, are starting to show they are deserving of some attention.
He had nine catches for 114 yards in last Saturday's 31-20 victory against the Tulane Green Wave. He is beginning to emerge as the top target for Johnson. Tibbs has 15 catches for 162 yards and a touchdown on the season.
Tibbs and teammate Josh Manning have the chance to become one of the best receiver tandems in the Big 12 conference. Both were called upon to make up for the loss of Jayce Brown, who was last year's leading receiver before deciding to transfer to play for the LSU Tigers.
After a somewhat slow start to the season, Tibbs received some motivation from Manning before the game against the Green Wave. Leading up to the game, they spoke about Tibbs possibly having a breakout last Saturday at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.
And that's exactly what happened.
"Josh is actually my roommate," Tibbs said. "So we're kind of talking about that last game, and he was kind of telling me that I'm just due for a big game, and so you know, last week I was super proud of him because I know how hard he works, and this week he was just super proud of me. He just gave me motivation on the sideline and told me to keep going.”
Both Tibbs and Manning, who has 13 catches for 130 yards and two touchdowns, have the opportunity to continue the success this weekend on the road against the Cincinnati Bearcats. This is the Big 12 opener for both teams. The Wildcats haven't started 4-0 since 2012. That year, current coach Collin Klein was the quarterback and they finished 11-2 with a Big 12 championship.
MORE KANSAS STATE NEWS
Is Wildcats quarterback Avery Johnson feeling more comfortable as a dual-threat?
K-State showing it has three running backs who can get it done in backfield
Kansas State has a long way to go before getting any Top 25 love
JOIN THE COMMUNITY
Don't miss out on our ROUNDTABLE community and the latest news!
It's completely free to join, simply by clicking the yellow button at the top of the homepage. Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members.
Shandel Richardson is the publisher of KStateRoundtable. He can be reached at [email protected]
