Kansas State has a real decision brewing at tight end, and Garrett Oakley is right in the middle of it.
Oakley spent last season proving he could handle the spotlight, even with Linkon Cure looming behind him. Cure arrived as the highest-rated recruit in Wildcats history and the program’s first five-star player, but Oakley didn’t blink. He settled in as Kansas State’s top tight end and delivered 38 catches for 389 yards and six touchdowns in eight starts, good enough to earn honorable mention All-Big 12 recognition.
That production is why Oakley is still very much the present in Manhattan. Cure may be the future, and Kansas State wants to find a way to use him at some point, but Oakley is not handing over the job. Some scouting services already have Oakley pegged as a Top 10 tight end prospect for the 2027 NFL Draft.
Now the Wildcats’ coaching staff has to sort out how much room there is for both players when fall camp opens. Do they carve out more touches for Cure, or keep leaning on the dependable Oakley? That’s the call new coach Collin has to make over the next few months.
Elsewhere in the program, Kansas State golfer Stalee Fields is already off to a strong summer. The rising sophomore recently punched her ticket to the US Women’s Amateur after winning a playoff for one of two qualifying spots at Firekeeper Golf Course.
Fields shot 1-over par 73 in the 33-player qualifier, with birdies on Nos. 1 and 2 before bogeys on Nos. 3, 12 and 13 left her tied with Juliana Hong of Norman, Oklahoma, for second place, one shot behind winner Destiny McNeil of Castroville, Texas. Fields and Hong then went to No. 8 in the playoff, where Fields made par and Hong bogeyed to end it.
The US Women’s Amateur will be held August 4-9 at The Honors Course in Ooltewah, Tennessee, with Fields among the 156 players in the field. The Fort Worth, Texas, native becomes the second Wildcat in the last three years to compete in the event, following Carla Bernat, who advanced to match play in 2024.
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Avery Johnson, Wesley Fair, Mikey Bergeron Embody What Keeps K-State Dangerous
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Johnson is the obvious headliner, but the Wildcats edge also depends on the kind of support that doesnt always grab the spotlight. Fairs role on defense and Bergerons value on special teams both point to a roster that has room for impact beyond the marquee names, and both players are positioned to matter in ways that could shape how steady this team looks week to week. For a program that expects to stay dangerous, the question is not just what Johnson does with the ball, but how much help he gets from the players around him. [Read more 🡒]
BYU Fans Have One Big Reason To Watch Big 12 Media Days
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Theres also a more immediate football reason to tune in. Avery Johnson is part of the group of returning quarterbacks drawing interest in Frisco, and his presence gives K-State a familiar face in a room full of change. Add in the possibility of commissioner Brett Yormark weighing in on the sports biggest issues, and the Wildcats corner of media days feels like more than just background noise. [Read more 🡒]
Avery Johnson Enters A Defining Kansas State Season Under Heavy Pressure
Avery Johnson is stepping into his final season as Kansas States starting quarterback with the sort of pressure that usually comes with a program trying to prove it belongs in the upper tier again. The Wildcats have a new head coach in Collin Klein, whose arrival adds another layer of intrigue to a season already centered on whether Johnson can take the next step as a dual-threat playmaker after showing plenty of talent and experience.
For Kansas State, this is about more than just steady quarterback play. Johnsons last run as the starter carries real weight for a team hoping to climb into the Big 12 race, and the expectations around him stretch beyond Manhattan, too. If he can elevate his game under Klein, the Wildcats could have a very different kind of season, one that changes how both the program and Johnson are viewed heading into the future. [Read more 🡒]