Kansas State is losing one of its top defensive linemen to the transfer portal, as Malcolm Alcorn-Crowder has decided to move on. This one’s a real blow. Alcorn-Crowder had the second-highest pressure rate of any interior defensive lineman in the Big 12 this season, and with both Uso Seumalo and Damian Ilalio out of eligibility, the Wildcats just lost their last proven piece on the interior.
He didn’t put up massive numbers, 17 tackles and 1.5 sacks on the year, but that doesn’t tell the full story. Alcorn-Crowder was disruptive. He created problems in the middle, forced quarterbacks off their spot, and held up well against the run. He did it quietly, but he did it consistently. He wasn’t just another guy in the rotation. He was the one you expected to step into a full-time role next season and anchor the middle of the defense.
Now that plan is out the window. Kansas State’s defensive interior went from veteran-heavy to wide open in about three weeks. Seumalo and Ilalio were seniors. You knew they were gone. Alcorn-Crowder was supposed to be the bridge between that group and whatever comes next. Instead, the staff is going to have to rebuild that spot from scratch, probably with a mix of transfers and young guys who haven’t played much yet.
Malcolm Alcorn-Crowder is in the portal. Kansas State just lost its best returning defensive tackle. There’s a lot of offseason left, but that’s not the kind of player you want to see walking out the door.
