K-State Football

Kansas State released their opening week game notes (find the entire package here), and page 19 has the first official depth chart of the season! The wait is over; the long summer of our discontent is coming to an end, and the promise of fall is getting closer with every practice snap. The first depth chart of the year means I actually have football to talk about, so, without further delay, let’s talk about football!

#2 – Avery Johnson: 6’3”, 196 – Jr. – Wichita, Kan. (Maize High School)

No offense to the three-headed “or” behind him, but this team goes as far as Avery Johnson can take them. The back-up quarterback spot is always a place for off-season intrigue, but it’s almost inconsequential. It’s Avery or bust this season. Please keep that in mind if they don’t run him much early in the season (with the possible exception of the opener, which I’m sure won’t be frustrating at all as a fan).

After listening to numerous press conferences this summer, my guess is that Knuth gets the call in-game if Avery gets his helmet ripped off and has to come out for a play. Long term, keep an eye on Duff. The coaching staff have raved about his mentality and skill set all off-season.

#3 – Dylan Edwards: 5’9”, 175 – Jr. – Derby, Kan. (Univ. of Colorado)

#4 – Joe Jackson: 6’0”, 212 – S0. – Haines City, Fla (Ridge Community High School)

Kansas State has the best running back depth in the Big 12. That’s a blessing and a curse. It’s a blessing because you can never have enough talent on your roster, and it’s a curse because there is only one ball. In the right offense, Avery Johnson, Dylan Edwards, and Joe Jackson could all be 20+ carry guys. I don’t anticipate K-State running the ball 60+ times a contest, which means tough decisions in terms of carries.

Dylan led the way in the bowl game, but I’m not sure he’s the guy you lean on early for carries. Kansas State is going to need his game-breaking ability late. Joe Jackson only managed seven carries in the bowl game, but averaged 7.1 yards per attempt. Edwards gets most of the hype, and deservedly so after his 196-yard, three-touchdown bowl game, but Jackson isn’t far behind in terms of explosive running, and he has a bigger frame to absorb punishment. I think the workload will be allocated on a game-to-game basis, with Edwards getting the nod, in terms of carries, against opponents like Iowa State. Jackson will get his carries against the Cyclones, but I’d like to see him get most of the carries against teams like North Dakota and Army. This is a long season, and you want options as healthy as possible down the stretch.

With that in mind, the talent behind Edwards and Johnson is young and, for the most part, extremely fast. The coaching staff played around with pulling Rice’s redshirt last season because DJ and Dylan were both beat up at different parts of the season. They managed to hold him back after playing four games, but I expect the dynamic back to be incorporated into the game plan this season.

Then you’ve got Elston, who came out of nowhere to grab a spot on the opening depth chart as a true freshman. I anticipate him going the four-game redshirt route Rice traveled last season. The coaching staff also likes what they see in redshirt freshman JB Price, but you’ll probably only see him in spot duty in 2025.

Finally, don’t sleep on Antonio Martin Jr. At 5’9”, 222, he is the type of low-to-the-ground, big-legged runner that is almost impossible to stop in short yardage, where leverage is key. Where do you even hit a guy who is 80% thigh? He may not be featured, but I could see Martin Jr. being utilized in a short-yardage situation.

This is all to say the Wildcats are stacked at running back. Edwards and Jackson would feature at 95% of schools, and they’re going to share a backfield this season with the most dynamic running quarterback in college football. If the offensive line is solid, and they should be, I’m not sure how you stop this running attack. There are several types of poison to choose from, and they’re all deadly.

#12 – Jaron Tibbs: 6’2”, 212 – Jr.-TR – Indianapolis, Ind (Purdue Univ)

#1 – Jayce Brown: 6’0”, 179 – Jr. – Fort Walton Beach, Fla (Choctawhatchee High School)

#5 – Jerand Bradley: 6’5”, 223 – Sr.-TR- Desoto, Texas (Boston College)

No surprises on the top line. Coach Klieman brought in Tibbs and Bradley to start, and they went out and earned it in camp. The K-State paid a pretty penny to keep Jayce around for another season, and he will be the primary focus, but unlike last season, he is the first option, not the first, second, and third option for Avery. Tibbs and Bradley bring size and physicality to a group that desperately needed to get bigger and stronger.

Things get interesting when you get into the second and third lines. Sterling Lockett played in 12 games last season but only had two receptions for 10 yards. He has every opportunity to shine early and secure his role due to his experience in the program.

JD Davis is an electric junior college addition out of Texas who excelled at turning short passes into long passes at the Juco level. Look for him in the screen game.

We get our first “or” designation of the season, and it’s an interesting one. Freshman Adonis Moise is another player who excels after the catch, and kids from IMG tend to be ready right out of the box. He’s already experienced campus life in Bradenton and shouldn’t take time to adjust in Manhattan. He’s joined by Caleb Medford, who provides some additional muscle and experience to the reserve group. Out of all the players listed as reserve wide receivers, he’s the player most likely to catch something deep down the sidelines and could be deployed specifically for that task.

The wide receiver room was in glaring need of an overhaul this offseason, and it appears, at least on paper, that the rebuild was a success. Brown and Lockett are the only two players from last season’s wide receiver group to appear on the first week depth chart.

#86 – Garrett Oakley: 6’5”, 248 – Jr. – Columbus, Neb (Scotus Central Catholic High School)

#83 – Will Swanson: 6’5”, 244 – Sr. – Papillion, Neb. (La Vista South)

If things break right, Kansas State could have one of, if not the, best tight end rooms in the country, especially if you’re looking at playable depth. The Oakley-led group is the receiving group, and the Swanson-led group is the blocking group. Oakley and Swanson started last season, and it’s no surprise to see them at the top of the depth chart to start this season. Oakley was named preseason First Team All-Big 12 for a reason. He’s a security blanket for Avery around the goal line, and despite only bringing in 22 receptions, he had five touchdown catches. You’ve got to love that efficiency. I consider Swanson the blocking specialist between the two, but Will is no slouch in the redzone himself. He only brought in 9 passes for 66 yards in 2024, but 3 of those receptions ended up earning the Wildcats 6 points. It’s nice to have massive, athletic dudes in the Red Zone.

The depth is insane. Loftin brought in 11 receptions for 125 yards and 2 touchdowns. He has a little more get-up-and-go than some of the other tight ends in the room and is a solid option after the catch. He will be a factor in the passing game.

Speaking of factors in the passing game, in terms of recruiting rankings, Linkon Cure is the best the Wildcats have ever brought to Manhattan. He’s sitting at third on the depth chart, but I suspect you’re going to see him in specific packages that utilize his freakish athletic ability both down the field and after the catch.

Most teams, at best, have four options at tight end, but the Wildcats are greedy and have six. Will Anciaux had three touchdown receptions as a true freshman. Usually, that would draw some off-season hype, but with all of the other options, a talented young guy is often left out of the conversation. You might not be hearing much about him, but the coaching staff knows what he can do around the goal line. Metzger is another young player who saw action in four games last season, and you’ll probably see him again this season.

The talent in Kansas State’s tight end room, in my humble opinion, is what some folks on the national scene miss. This is an elite group, and with additional size and speed on the outside at wide receiver, they could help the Wildcats dominate the middle of the field on offense and subsequently dominate the game.

Left Tackle – #78 – John Pastore: 6’6”, 300 – Jr. – Eerie, Colo (Erie High School)

Left Guard – #69 – Taylor Poitier: 6’3”, 302 – Sr. – Kansas City, Kan (Bishop Miege High School)

Center – #75 – Sam Hecht: 6’4”, 300 – Sr. – Shawnee, Kan. (Mill Valley High School)

Right Guard – #54 – JB Nelson: 6’5”, 325 – Sr.-TR – Pittsburgh, Pa. (Penn State Univ)

Right Guard – #56 – Andrew Leingang: 6’6”, 304 – Sr. – Bismarck, N.D. (Century High School)

Right Tackle – #74 – Terrence Enos Jr.: 6’5”, 310 – Sr.-Tr – Redford Mich. (Univ of Pittsburgh)

Left Tackle is tough because the presumptive starter coming out of spring ball was Ohio State transfer George Fitzpatrick. It sounded like he was a lock to start before a “serious medical situation” this summer put football on the back burner. No idea what’s going on with George, and it isn’t my place to speculate. According to Derek Young from K-State Online, he’s back in Manhattan but has yet to return to activity. That’s a significant step in the right direction considering he was back home in the hospital earlier in the summer. No idea if we’ll see him this season, but it sounds like the coaching staff is cautiously optimistic regarding his future in the program.

Further compounding the Fitzpatrick issue is the loss of senior offensive tackle Carver Willis to Washington in a move that still doesn’t make any sense to me. I guess the money was good enough to pass on a legit shot to make the playoffs and defect to a mid-tier (at best) Huskies squad. He was considered a 4* transfer by On3.

That brings us to the presumptive third choice at left tackle in John Pastore. There was a time when John was considered the heir apparent at left tackle, but then a plague of injuries hit the big man, and there were some questions about his time in Manhattan being short. Pastore stuck it out, and he’s going to be rewarded with the starting left tackle job until further notice. Even if Fitzpatrick returns in the first half of the season, don’t be surprised if John has already put down roots at left tackle.

There was some discussion about the utility of Taylor Poitier returning for what seems like his 12th season of college football, and all the big man did was lock up the starting left guard spot. For the record, I was on team Taylor the entire time. Here’s hoping he stays healthy and finishes his career with a flourish.

Sam Hecht was All-Big 12 Second Team according to the coaches for a reason. He starts the year on both the Outland and Rimington watch lists. Coach Klieman has talked all off-season about rotating in more players on the offensive line, but I’m fairly certain Sam will be exempted from the new substitution strategy. You want your quarterback working with the same rear end all game.

Penn State transfer JB Nelson and Andrew Leingang share the starting guard spot. My guess is that Leingang’s versatility makes him the preferred 6th offensive lineman. He can play everywhere on the line (he was a high school center), and the coaching staff may hold him back during the first couple of series to see where he’s most needed. Consider him the duct tape for this line.

Leingang is paired with Penn State transfer JB Nelson. In a world of giants, Nelson stands out as particularly large. He played in 13 games last year for the Nittany Lions in a time-share situation similar to what Kansas State wants to employ this season. He’s a true road grader on the interior and should be an upgrade in the power run game over last season. Don’t forget he was Honorable Mention All-Big 10 in 2023 after starting eight games. He’s got sufficient talent to pair with his enormous frame.

Right tackle Terrance Enos Jr. comes to the Sunflower State via the Pitt Panthers. He started four games for the Panthers last year and saw action in all 13. He’s listed as the starting right tackle, but like Leingang, he’s versatile enough to play everywhere on the line. Don’t believe me? He played 199 snaps at left tackle, 117 at right tackle, and 77 at left guard last season. He’s going to start on the right side, but he’s an option on the left if Pastore struggles.

In terms of depth, I anticipate at least an eight-man rotation this season. The big beef up front ran out of steam at the end of the cattle drive last season. The first six are easy to name, then you’ve got Fitzpatrick, who should slot back into the rotation when he returns to full health. That leaves another spot up in the air, and I would love to see former 4* prospect Gus Hawkins get some run, if nothing else, in preparation for next season when he’ll need to start. That said, I don’t know who to expect outside of the top six on Saturday. The rotation may have to wait until after the season opening conference game in Ireland.

This is the most talent on a Kansas State roster since I started writing for the site during the dying embers of Snyder 2.0, and it’s not much of a contest.

My two main questions are at wide receiver and the offensive line. I know the answer to the offensive line question, and that’s to hope George Fitzpatrick gets healthy. I think they’re a player short on the offensive line unless/until he returns.

I think the receivers are good, but I want to see it on the field. Tibbs and Bradley look the part, but Bradley, in particular, has looked the part his entire career, and it hasn’t led to on-field results. He’s the lanky frisbee-catching dog on the outside that Johnson hasn’t had during his time with the Wildcats. Tibbs can play all three receiver spots, but can he play them well? I watched every game he played at Purdue. The talent is tantalizing, but sometimes it didn’t manifest on the field. Then again, Purdue was awful. It’s hard to look like a unicorn when you’re rolling around in the mud with pigs.

All-in-all, there’s no reason not to be delusionally excited about this team until further notice.

I’ll be back tomorrow to take a look at the defense.