Kansas State’s tight end room is about to look a lot different.
With senior Will Anciaux out for the rest of the season because of a lower leg injury, the Wildcats lose one of their more useful pieces on offense just as they come out of their lone off week. Coach Collin Klein said Kansas State “were able to get some guys healthy” during the break, but Anciaux’s injury changed the mood.
Anciaux, a 6-foot-6, 241-pound senior from Wichita, got hurt when he was tackled at the end of a long catch-and-run play that was wiped out by penalty. Before the injury, he had become a steady part of the offense, catching six passes for 84 yards.
“That’s unfortunate,” Klein said. “He was playing some really good football and I was very proud of the progress that he had made and some of the things that he was doing on the field.”
Anciaux still has one year of eligibility left, so there’s a chance he could return to the Wildcats next season once he gets healthy.
For now, Kansas State has to reshape the position group without him, but not abandon what it’s been doing. The Wildcats have leaned heavily on two-tight-end sets this season, and Klein made it clear that approach isn’t going anywhere.
“We have some plans for that,” Klein said. “We’ll definitely package things around that position group and see how that goes.
We’ve been able to create an extra gap with an extra tight end and do a lot of good things out of 12 personnel. That’s not something that we will change by any stretch.
But we have to be mindful and adjust accordingly.”
That adjustment could open the door for more snaps for Garrett Oakley and Linkon Cure. Oakley has been the most productive tight end on the roster, leading the group with 13 catches for 147 yards. Cure has only three catches for 23 yards, but the former five-star recruit could now be asked to step into a bigger role as the clear No. 2 option.
Klein also pointed to freshman Lawson McGraw as someone who had a strong week of practice and may be in line for playing time. Oakley added that sophomore Owen Harrington is also trending in the right direction.
“They both had a really good week,” Oakley said, “and they’re really smart players for how young they are. I feel good about them being able to contribute this week against the Houston defense.”
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