How Kansas State football is looking ahead to changing of the guard on offensive line

MANHATTAN — When all five starters on Kansas State's offensive line decided at the end of last season to return for one more go-round, nobody was happier than Conor Riley, their position coach.

Well, maybe quarterback Will Howard or offensive coordinator Collin Klein were just as excited, but that's neither here nor there.

The fact is that with four of those five starters — three of them as super seniors and another a potential first-round NFL Draft pick — back in the fold and participating in spring practices, there is no comparison to where they were just 12 months ago.

"I think we're extremely far ahead," Riley said. "And you look at right now we (had) 15 offensive linemen going through spring ball with one of them who's not going through spring ball and there's not that much of a drop-off between that first group and that third group as far as knowledge.

"You can see that third group is still in that phase where they're processing and thinking and not playing as fast as they need to, but you're looking at a third group that is not making the errors that you were seeing."

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And therein lies the challenge, not just for Riley, Klein and head coach Chris Klieman, but for the offense as a whole. Center Hayden Gillum and tackles KT Leveston are gone for sure after this year, and left guard Cooper Beebe already is projected as one of the top interior linemen in the 2024 draft.

So with that kind of turnover expected, how do the Wildcats work a new generation of linemen into the mix for next year without starting from scratch? And can they do that without sacrificing short-term success?

"Creating a situation where you're not replacing just four guys with game experience is something that's in the back of your head," Riley said. "But at the end of the day we need to do what is going to give us the best opportunity to win football games."

That is where spring practice was invaluable. It allowed the coaches to break in some of the less experienced prospects while not taxing the veterans who will carry the bulk of the workload come fall.

"It's been an emphasis for coach Klieman from the start of spring ball," Klein said. "We've structured some practice time and we're doing some different things organizationally to account for that.

"There's legitimately more guys than I can remember at any one time that you'd be like, 'OK, if they're not game ready, they're darn close.' So I think (we are) trying to develop that depth now and get some of those younger guys some more reps."

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In addition to the two tackles, Beebe and Gillum, the Wildcats return junior Hadley Panzer at right guard as well as senior Taylor Poitier, who started the 2022 opener at that spot before suffering a season-ending knee injury.

But Riley and Klein have been encouraged by the progress shown by junior tackle Carver Willis and sophomore guards Andrew Leingang and Sam Hecht. And then there is a group of redshirt freshmen in Drake Bequeaith, Michael Capria, Alex Key and John Pastore that might be the most talented class yet.

Depth, Riley said, is always a concern.

"I know last year we were striving for eight or nine," he said. "And after Taylor's injury, that was impactful and we still had a few guys that we felt confident about, but there were some injuries that held a few of those guys back in their development.

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"But I feel pretty confident about our depth right now. And coach Klein has mentioned that one of our goals throughout spring practice is really to increase that depth. And not only in situations where a guy might get injured, but in situations where we can take advantage of that depth within the team and also keep guys as fresh as possible."

That can only help, both in the short run and long run, according to Gillum, who begins his second season as the starting center.

"Everyone is pushed, and with everyone coming back, there's a lot of room for growth," he said. "Young guys are continuing to compete and they're going to push us.

"I want guys to compete with me, and competition is ultimately what's going to push us forward."

Mentoring those younger linemen has become part of the job description for the returning starters.

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"For us to be able to lay the foundation for them and teach them how to keep building this program is just inspiring to me," Leveston said. "Because I know that I'm leaving a legacy for them, and they're going to leave their legacy for guys who come after.

"I keep telling them: 'Your time is coming. Your time is now.' When I was a freshman and sophomore, guys told me that time goes by like the blink of an eye, and I'm trying to impart that into them and let them know that you've got to get ready now, baby."

Leingang, Willis and Hecht already saw action last year in anywhere from four to nine games. But working them in while also keeping all five members of the line working together as a well-oiled machine can be tricky.

"We'll take it one step at a time," Klein said of preparing for 2024. "That won't be, thankfully, a question we have to answer anytime soon, but there's nothing like a game rep.

"As much as we try, and as close as we get in practice, it's different in trying to get those guys (game) experiences. It's something that we definitely want, but also understand that the best guys have earned their opportunity. So trying to find that balance is something we'll have to work through."

Arne Green is based in Salina and covers Kansas State University sports for the Gannett network. He can be reached at agreen@gannett.com or on Twitter at @arnegreen.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: A Kansas State football spring goal was to depth on offensive line