Kansas State may have to keep adjusting on the fly at tight end when it travels to Arizona State on Oct. 24.
Coach Collin Klein said starting tight end Garrett Oakley is dealing with a viral illness and is “probably unlikely” to suit up for the Wildcats’ next game. Oakley sat out Kansas State’s 35-24 win over Kansas and, as Klein put it, “We’ll see,” before adding, “Day-to-day.”
His absence against the Jayhawks forced Kansas State to improvise with its personnel, especially with Will Anciaux already out for the season. Linkon Cure was the only tight end with meaningful snaps going into the Oct. 17 win, so the Wildcats leaned on freshman offensive tackle Oliver Miller to handle more of a tight end role.
Miller had just made his college debut on Oct. 10 after missing the first four games with an injury. He logged only three snaps in the loss to Houston, then jumped to 29 snaps against Kansas, where Kansas State used him as an extra blocker and paired him with Cure.
The move paid off. Kansas State ran for a season-high 359 yards against the Jayhawks.
Oakley would obviously be a welcome return. Before falling ill, he was the Wildcats’ second-leading receiver with 16 catches for 196 yards and a touchdown. Even if he does get back on the field, Kansas State is likely to keep Miller in a heavy role.
The Wildcats will release availability reports on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, plus 90 minutes before Saturday’s 2:45 p.m. CT kickoff against Arizona State. The game will air on ESPN2.
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