The right stuff: K-State's Klein has Heisman material

• Klein completed 19 of 21 passes for 323 yards and 3 TDs, while running for 41 yards and 4 TDs in a 55-14 thrashing of West Virginia
• Klein is now the Heisman Trophy front-runner, which is odd because the senior QB is doing is no different from what he did a month ago
• Klein's the model Wildcat, a 23-year-old newlywed who shares nearly an identical set of values with his 73-year-old coach

MANHATTAN, Kan. — He's supposedly the Heisman Trophy front-runner, which is odd because what Kansas State senior quarterback Collin Klein is doing is no different from what he did a month ago or even last year when his candidacy was questionable.

Before, he was just a cute novelty, playing for a team that wasn't taken seriously.

Klein, he of the funky delivery and the long-legged yet effective running stride, couldn't really be that good, could he?

After completing 19 of 21 passes Saturday for a career-high 323 yards and three touchdowns and running for 41 yards and four touchdowns in a 55-14 thrashing of West Virginia, the answer is clear.

"He doesn't do anything wrong," West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen said.

By now, most fans know Klein's story, though some might be surprised to learn he expected much of this success.

His faith is a recurring theme, and forgiveness is a key part of faith. But it's everyone else who should be sorry, owing Klein an apology, not the other way around. In light of how much he's been underestimated, misunderstood or simply written off, it's the least we can do.

Start with his coach, Bill Snyder.

Klein was recruited by former K-State coach Ron Prince, who coveted larger, athletic quarterbacks for the pro-style offense he installed.

Consequently, Klein was a strange fit for Snyder, who upon his return from retirement for the 2009 season wasn't completely sold on the home-schooled kid from Colorado. This is why Klein's first action in purple and white was at wide receiver and on special teams.

"It took awhile to develop — that's why he was a receiver," Snyder said recently. "Over a period of time, you could see two things: One, he had those values that wherever he played, he'd continue to improve and get better and become good at it, and two, we didn't have a backup quarterback at the time and, like anything else, he's invested in it and would find ways to get better."

Hardly a ringing endorsement, and far from an admission that the legendary coach knew what he had in Klein.

Now, of course, Klein's the model Wildcat, a 23-year-old newlywed who shares nearly an identical set of values with his 73-year-old coach.

"He's a very well-rounded young guy," Snyder said. "He can do a lot of things. He's a talented musician. He's a tremendous family man. He's very strong with his faith. He cares about his teammates — a genuine care and concern. He's able to organize the many things he does in his life in such a way that he can still focus diligently on football and set aside time for family, academics, and do it in such a way that he's not in a rush."

Freshman quarterback Daniel Sams was in a rush. He just figured the starting job would be his. Klein was a temporary fix. Ultra-athletic Sams ran a 4.33-second 40-yard dash, an attribute the Louisiana native assumed would make him the perfect fit in Snyder's mobile quarterback-friendly offense.

And then he arrived on campus — and sat.

"When I first got here, I was arrogant, cocky," Sams said. "I wasn't really a team player. I was looking out for myself. But just being around Collin, just watching how the team is drawn to him, it changed me."

The redshirt freshman said Klein is oblivious to the Heisman chatter, although the Wildcats' win against West Virginia clearly shifted any remaining attention from Mountaineers quarterback Geno Smith to Klein. He has taken the lead in the latest USA TODAY Sports Media Group Heisman survey, jumping over Smith and Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller.

"It doesn't mean that much to him," Sams said. "He just sticks to what happens between the white lines. It shows how humble he is. I try to emulate that because that's what the team revolves around."

It's those intangibles that the NFL loves, but Klein has been difficult to gauge.

The irony is, Klein was targeted as the successor to Josh Freeman, who, through no fault of his own, is viewed as the ultimate symbol of the short-lived Prince era.

At 6-6 and 250 pounds, Freeman looked the part of a promising pro and ultimately was drafted accordingly (17th overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2009).He went a combined 0-9 during his three seasons against Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska, three of K-State's biggest rivals.

Against two of those foes — Nebraska left the Big 12 to join the BigTen in 2011 — Klein is 3-0. He guided the Wildcats past Missouri in 2011 in the Tigers' final go-around in the Big 12, In two wins vs. the Jayhawks, he has led K-State to a 39-point margin of victory.

But according to Rob Rang, senior analyst at NFLDraftScout.com, Klein, who is 6-5 and 225 pounds, is viewed as a seventh-round choice.

"He has at least adequate arm strength, excellent mobility and flashes accuracy to all levels of the field," Rang wrote via e-mail. "He also possesses extraordinary physical and mental toughness and is a respected leader. He's played at a high level against top competition and has improved throughout his career.

"Klein, however, remains very much a work in progress as a traditional quarterback. He is only asked to make a few NFL-caliber reads or throws in most games for the Wildcats and is very raw in his technique when doing so. When he does pass, Klein takes longer to get the ball out of his hands than scouts would prefer, showing an elongated release that gives defenders a split-second jump-start. He has shown improved accuracy this season but largely remains a passer who, to put it simply, can hit the open receiver but rarely throws his receivers open. More specifically, Klein only occasionally demonstrates the anticipation to release passes before his receivers make their breaks or the pinpoint accuracy to hit them in stride, creating easy opportunities for yardage after the catch."

But Rang said Klein should be given the opportunity to play quarterback before being shifted to wide receiver, tight end or H-back.

That's fine with Klein.

"I want to be the best I can be, and the NFL obviously is the next step in being the best quarterback I can be," he told USA Today Sports. "We'll see what happens."