More to Come

Austin Moore isn’t ready to hang it up.

The Kansas State senior linebacker graduated last May with a degree in kinesiology and is currently working on dual minors in gerontology and biology, but he is putting the next phase of his life — including potential interest in the NFL — on hold for a year.

The draw to K-State football proved too great for the 6-foot-1, 219-pound native of Louisburg, Kansas, and team captain who is eager to help lead the Wildcats another season.

Moore announced his decision to return with a simple tweet on December 15 after discussing the option with defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman following the end of the regular season. Moore further expounded upon his decision to return prior to K-State bowl practice at The First Academy on Monday.

“I thought about it these past few weeks and reflected on the season and thought about my plans for the future, whether it be football or going to school some more,” said Moore, a three-time Academic All-District selection. “Talking to my family and coaches, I think the best thing for me, and hopefully the team, too, is for me to return.

“I’m happy with my decision.”

Klanderman smiled while discussing one of the unquestioned stars of the Wildcats.

“It wasn’t a conversation as much as it was a series of conversations (about Moore returning),” Klanderman said. “He’s a very analytical guy, and there were a lot more factors involved with it than football. It was a week’s long process. He needed to get away from that last game (against Iowa State) and come back and realize that he had more to give to the program and more to prove.

“When he finally pulled the trigger on that, it was a breath of fresh air.”

Moore is second on the team with 59 tackles, including 12.0 tackles for a loss and 1.5 sacks. He has 168 career tackles, 25.0 tackles for a loss and 3.0 sacks with one interception, five passes defended, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.

A former walk-on, Moore in December earned All-Big 12 Second Team honors for his efforts. Moore is one of more than 50 K-State players to go from walk-on to starter since 1992 and joins defensive ends Ian Campbell and Ryan Mueller, along with defensive tackle Will Geary, as the only former walk-on defensive players to be named All-Big 12 multiple seasons in their career.

“You just watch him practice and watch him prepare, and there’s a reason why he’s one of the best linebackers in the Big 12,” K-State head coach Chris Klieman said. “He’s just the ultimate captain and ultimate warrior for our guys.”

Moore has played in 46 career games with starts in every contest since the beginning of the 2022 season. He credits his intensive film study — he says that he spends about 1 ½ hours per game entrenched in extra film study — to a portion of his success.

“The game has slowed down quite a bit for me this season,” he said. “I’ve been able to see things that I haven’t been able to see like the keys with the linemen and recognizing dudes and play-action pass and things like that. The game has slowed down.”

Moore didn’t arrive at Manhattan with hype. He didn’t have many recruiting stars next to his name. In fact, he didn’t have any stars. His tale began in the northeast Kansas town of Louisburg, which has about 5,000 people, and he was an all-state running back and an all-league linebacker. As a senior, he helped the Louisburg Wildcats to an 11-2 record and a berth in the 2018 state playoffs.

Blake Seiler, K-State’s linebackers coach at the time, liked the way Moore moved. He liked the way he played. He offered Moore a chance to walk on. Moore eagerly obliged. Although K-State coaching staffs changed following the 2018 season, Moore remained on the roster. He redshirted the 2019 season and appeared in seven games in 2020.

He earned a scholarship in spring 2021.

During his time at K-State, he has become known to his teammates as “The Machine” due to his stoicism and studiousness inside the meeting room.

Now with the season-ending injury to fellow senior linebacker Daniel Green, Moore has stepped up into a more vocal role this season for the 25^th-ranked Wildcats, 8-4, who prepare to face No. 18 NC State, 9-3, in Thursday’s Pop-Tarts Bowl at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida.

“This has definitely been a huge growing year for me as a leader. I think it’ll help me in life in general, being a more outspoken person and being able to communicate better,” Moore said. “Hopefully, next year I’ll be able to improve even more.”

Klanderman cannot overstate Moore’s importance for the defense.

“I can’t express enough gratitude for what he’s done this year,” Klanderman said. “We lost our most vocal player and demanding player in Daniel Green, the one guy who was comfortable stepping on other player’s toes. When he wasn’t in it anymore, somebody had to fill the void. The maturity of Austin to recognize that and then have the courage to take over that role, what he’s done is invaluable.

“He is unquestionably the guy people are looking to as a leader right now.”

Thanks to Moore’s decision to return for another year, there’s more to come.