Kansas State’s offensive line picture is still shifting, and the Wildcats don’t sound in any rush to freeze it in place.
Through the opening stretch of the season, Collin Klein has kept the door open on the two guard spots while Kansas State keeps sorting through options and trying to find the five best combinations. That process was on full display in last week’s 31-20 win over Tulane, when the Wildcats used seven different offensive linemen.
The constants were at center and tackle. Dylan Villarouel, Ryan Howard and Gus Hawkins each played every snap. Everything else remained fluid, with Tanner Morley still working his way back after a preseason injury and the guard positions still unsettled.
“I think this is gonna be really, really good for us to go through,” Wildcats coach Collin Klein said. “We're gonna play the guys that are playing the best, and we'll give them some spells and give other guys chances to compete. It'll be a week-by-week thing, and we'll see how things progress.”
Morley and Charlie Adams have split time at left guard, and Tulane was the first game in which Morley played more snaps than Adams, 36 to 29. On the other side, Chase Duarte logged 43 reps at right guard, topping starter Keiton Jones’ 22 and marking the first time Duarte handled the bulk of the work this season.
The rotation also reflected Kansas State’s search for answers in the run game against Tulane. Avery Johnson set a career high with 152 rushing yards, but the rest of the Wildcats’ ball-carriers combined for just 49 yards on 25 carries.
“With certain things that have gone on inside the facility, you gotta figure out who's going in and who's going out and trying to get as many guys reps as possible,” Morley said. “We have younger guys that are rotating in and getting guys back in the groove. You just gotta play guys who are willing to go out there and do everything they can for this program.”
Even with the shuffling, the numbers have been strong. Kansas State is ninth nationally in rushing offense at 269.3 yards per game, and it remains the only team in the country yet to allow a sack.
There are still questions, though, especially after All-Big 12 selection John Pastore’s season-ending injury weeks before the season. The front has been rebuilt since then, and while it has held up well so far, the level of competition has also helped.
That changes now. Big 12 play starts Saturday, Sept. 26 at 6 p.m. at Cincinnati, and Kansas State will need its offensive line to keep sorting itself out while also paving the way for the kind of offense it wants to be.
“It’s good that we have guys that can (play) and that we have that luxury and that we still have a couple of pieces that are competing and growing,” Klein said. “It’s about competition; it’s about getting better. Nobody’s ever comfortable.”
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