Kansas State’s offensive line is still sorting itself out with the opener against Nicholls just days away, and the picture changed fast after preseason injuries hit the group hard.
Coach Collin Klein said Monday the staff has been shuffling bodies all over the front as it tries to settle on the best combination for Saturday at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. The biggest blow came when John Pastore, a preseason All-Big 12 pick, suffered a season-ending leg injury in training camp. George Fitzpatrick is also done for the year while dealing with a medical emergency that also affected him last season.
“We've been moving a lot of guys around,” Klein said. “It's definitely not like we projected it coming in.”
Even with the uncertainty, Klein said he likes how the group has responded. Ryan Howard and Tyler Johnson have been rotating at both tackle spots, and both have drawn praise for how they handled a full week of work. Klein also pointed to Charlie Adams and Chase Duarte as players who have made noticeable progress since arriving in January.
Last year, Adams was at Cal Poly while Duarte played for the San Diego State Aztecs.
“[They] had a really, really good week last week rotating through those tackle spots,” Klein said of Howard and Johnson. “You look at Charlie Adams and Chase Duarte, those guys are different players than when they got here in January, and that's why we took more at that point in time because it was such an unknown for us, even with some of those projections. So I'm very, very proud of how those guys have stepped up.”
The line matters even more because Kansas State is counting on protecting Avery Johnson, who does not have a proven backup behind him. If the Wildcats want to stay in the mix for the Big 12 championship and a College Football Playoff berth, that front has to hold up.
In Other News...
Kansas State Opens With A Lineup Question Fans Can't Ignore
Kansas State heads into its Week 1 matchup with Nicholls carrying a roster puzzle that will shape the early feel of the season, with 18 players set to make their first starts. The list reflects the kind of offseason turnover and opportunity that college football always seems to produce, especially when transfers arrive, younger players push into bigger roles and injuries force coaches to shuffle the deck before the opener.
Among the new faces in the starting lineup are wide receivers Josh Manning and Brandon White, running backs Jay Harris and Rodney Fields, along with several newcomers on the offensive and defensive lines and in the secondary. For the Wildcats, the challenge is not just filling those spots, but doing it quickly enough to look settled in a game that should offer an early read on how smoothly all those changes have come together. [Read more 🡒]
K-States New Linebacker Didnt Take A Normal Path To This Role
Mekhi Masons route to Kansas State looks nothing like the usual one for a veteran linebacker stepping into a major role. After leaving Syracuse for Louisiana Tech and then arriving in Manhattan as a fifth-year senior, Mason has turned limited early opportunities into a real chance to matter for the Wildcats, earning a starting spot and giving the defense another proven piece to lean on.
For Kansas State, the appeal is obvious: Mason brings experience, momentum from his time at Louisiana Tech and the kind of late-career urgency that can help settle a defense. For Mason, the final college season is about more than simply fitting in. He is aiming high, with the Butkus Award and All-Big 12 recognition in his sights, and he now gets the platform to chase both in purple. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas State Hype Is Growing Around One Big 2026 Opportunity
CBS Sports latest national projections gave Kansas State a little extra offseason buzz, placing the Wildcats in the conversation as a Big 12 team that could make noise even if it is still chasing the conferences top tier. The piece leaned on the stability and experience Collin Klein brings as offensive coordinator, with his track record viewed as a real asset for a program trying to keep climbing and get more out of Avery Johnson and the rest of the offense.
The bigger picture is that Kansas State appears to have a path to improve without having to navigate every major threat on the league schedule, which matters in a Big 12 that still feels open enough for movement. With uncertainty hanging over some of the conferences other contenders, the Wildcats are being framed as one of the teams positioned to take advantage if things break right, even if the exact ceiling remains a work in progress. [Read more 🡒]