AMES – The three years Kenard Snyder spent at Louisiana-Monroe did not leave him very nostalgic for the romanticism of smaller-level football. Nor did it leave him shy or with any lack of confidence.
“The experience for me wasn’t the best,” the Iowa State football transfer defensive end said. “I call it ‘D-1 JuCo’ because that’s how it was.
“The coaches, the players, the facility, the environment − compared to here where everyone is loving. The coaching staff actually cares about you. You’re actually one team. In how they’re going to use me on the line, it’s all way better.
“I’m going for double digits (sacks). That’s the plan.”
After the move this winter to Iowa State, the junior from Florida has found himself elevated to the highest levels of collegiate football with an urgency to prove himself worthy of the upgrade.
“He came here for a purpose,” Cyclones defensive line coach Eli Rasheed said Thursday. “He wants to get on a big stage and do things. He knows he’s got to grab the coaching and go to work on this thing.
“He knows what he’s up against, and he knows his timetable is short. He’s got two years to do it.”
More: Hines: How Iowa State football newcomers tackled the 2024 playbook
Snyder is a perfect addition to an Iowa State defensive line that was certainly serviceable a year ago but fell short of the exceedingly high standards it had set over the previous seasons. That’s what happens, though, when you roll Iowa State career sacks leader JaQuan Bailey into Iowa State career sacks leader Will McDonald IV on overlapping rosters.
The Cyclones were still good up front, but they weren’t great. It was most glaring in the pass rush, where without McDonald stalking quarterbacks Iowa State ranked 11th in the Big 12 with 21 sacks in 13 games.
Enter Snyder, a converted…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/hines-iowa-state-footballs-pass-195656420.html
Author : The Des Moines Register
Publish date : 2024-08-08 19:56:56
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