SLATE: So, like, hey. Happy New Year.

We sort of took the weekend off, but then other than the disaster at Bramlage on Saturday it was a slow weekend anyway. But 2020 is finally over, and alleluia for that, right?

Since we last checked in with you, almost all of the news beyond the TCU loss has involved decisions — senior football players deciding whether to come back for another year or pack it in. Well, okay, to pack it in, because none of the weekend announcements were “I’m coming back.”

But before we get to that, the oldest news: On Friday, Kansas State Wildcats got a commitment which we’re sure will come as a complete shock to all of you:

Truly, it is confounding that K-State could manage to acquire the services of a Lockett.

Sterling, Tyler’s little brother, will graduate next year from Blue Valley High. He is — we know, weird, right? — a wide receiver, currently checking in at 5’10” 155. He’s a three-star at 247, and the ninth-ranked recruit in the state.

Speaking of Locketts: congratulations to Tyler, who yesterday caught 12 passes for 90 yards and two touchdowns — both coming in the fourth quarter of Seattle’s 26-23 comeback win over the Niners. In the process, he broke the Seahawks record for receptions in a season with an even 100. That broke the record of 95 previously held by Bobby Engram and Doug Baldwin, and is also obviously more than a some guy named Steve Largent ever hauled in for the waterbirds. (Largent’s season high was 79, a mark Lockett has now surpassed twice.)

Lockett also tied his personal best of 10 touchdowns on the season, and finished the year with 1,054 yards. That made him only the sixth Seahawk receiver to go for a grand in back-to-back years, and with teammate DK Metcalf — who also broke a Seattle record by amassing 1,303 yards receiving, breaking Largent’s record — became the second pair of Seahawk teammates to each hit the 1,000 yard mark in the same season. Brian Blades and Joey Galloway did the trick in 1995.

Good stuff, Maynard.

Byron Pringle also found the end zone yesterday, scoring his first receiving touchdown of the season in the Chiefs’ otherwise meaningless 38-21 loss to the Chargers.

Now, for those draft declarations. Sigh.

First, on Saturday, AJ Parker announced he’s done.

Then yesterday, this happened:

In happier news, since we last chatted the Wildcats landed another grad transfer.

Yeast played in 45 games over four years for Louisville. In 2020, he played all 11 games for the Cardinals. He hits hard enough that he forced two fumbles this season, so that’ll be fun. The Cats stole him out from another set of Wildcats, as Kentucky was pursuing him vigorously.

That’ll wrap it up for today’s long-awaited return to Slating. Hope you enjoyed your New Year’s Weekend and didn’t get in too much trouble.