Fall Camp Notebook: Offense

Aug 11, 2022 | Football, Sports Extra

By: D. Scott Fritchen

Kansas State offensive line coach Conor Riley stopped short of identifying a starting offensive line seven practices into fall camp but indicated that at least one redshirt freshman is in the mix at left tackle.

Andrew Leingang, a 6-foot-6, 297-pound native of Bismarck, North Dakota, retained his redshirt status after only playing against West Virginia last season.

Leingang could emerge as a regular in the rotation this fall, as he apparently shares company at left tackle with senior KT Leveston and junior Cooper Beebe.

"I've been very pleased with Kaitori right now and Andrew Leingang is continuing to develop," Riley said during a media opportunity on Wednesday. "We still have Cooper Beebe, who's proven to be pretty good at the position as well. When you look at that rotation, really, it's a three-horse race, because you can look at Kaitori being in there or Leingang or Cooper Beebe.

"Obviously, Cooper Beebe is going to start (on the offensive line), so that brings into the mix Leingang, Hadley Panzer, Carver Willis, Dawson Delforge and Taylor Poitier."

Beebe started all 13 games at left tackle last season and returning senior Christian Duffie is back after starting at right tackle. The Wildcats must replace all three interior linemen following the graduation of Josh Rivas, Noah Johnson, and Ben Adler.

"I couldn't name what our starting five is going to be right now," Riley said. "I love the fact that we have a lot of competition up front, but we are not ready to name a starting five, and I would say we have eight and are working on that ninth player to be in the mix.

"I still would anticipate that we would get into a rotation within the guys up front, whether that's seven or eight, and I tell those guys it's up to them. If they deserve to play and their teammates trust them, then they're going to be in there playing."

Sophomore Hadley Panzer is expected to compete for a starting spot as well.

"When you look at Andrew Leingang and Hadley Panzer, they are both still obviously only in their second year and in the conversation (for a spot) in the starting mix," Riley said.

Anderson discusses No. 2 running back spot

Two days after K-State head coach Chris Klieman during a news conference said, "I've been impressed with DJ Giddens," running backs coach Brian Anderson echoed that sentiment, adding that "DJ has come back in great shape and is getting more comfortable" heading into his redshirt freshman season.

Giddens, a 6-foot-1, 212-pound native of Junction City, Kansas, didn't see action last fall, but he arrived in Manhattan heavily decorated after a stellar high school career. Giddens had 1,255 rushing yards and 30 touchdowns en route to first team all-state honors his senior season at Junction City High School. His rushing yardage in 2020 ranked as the fifth most in school history for a single season.

"Playing running back at this level, it's not just about getting the ball," Anderson said. "There are so many things that go along with understanding the offense. It's understanding what the guys up front are doing, what the defense is doing, how the defense is lined up, reading your dots, understanding your reads in the run game and understanding your protections.

"You can see (Giddens) getting comfortable every single day. The thing I tease him about every day is he's such a quiet kid but he's smiling more. That's what I try to tell the guys all the time — 'If you walk out of that locker room and onto the field, put a smile on your face, because it's fun.' That's one thing he's done for me. He puts a smile on his face every day. He's having fun."

Lepak calls Jax Dineen "a Swiss Army knife"

First-year tight ends and fullback coach Brian Lepak said the tight end and fullback positions are interchangeable, and he had a little bit of fun in describing the many ways that 5-foot-10, 244-pound senior Jax Dineen can contribute on offense.

"He's a little bit of a Swiss Army knife," Lepak said. "He can fit a lot of different roles there, and he has maybe a little bit different skill set in that he can thump a little bit more than some of the other guys can, and he's got that experience carrying the football."

Noted as a physical blocker, Dineen earned Second Team All-Big 12 honors by a vote of the league's coaches last season. He also rushed five times for 20 yards, including a career-high four carries for 18 yards in the Texas Bowl. Last season, he also caught four passes, including a nine-yard reception that set up a touchdown at Texas Tech.

"(He) brings a little something that can be kind of fun to keep him out there and do some different things," Lepak said.

Lepak said that he couldn't yet identify any starter at tight end.

"I haven't set one yet, but we have a lot of talent in our room," he said. "There's good depth. Who's the first guy? I couldn't tell you right now. We're just trying to compete and get toughness in the group."

Sammy Wheeler is a senior who returns ample experience. He had a career-high 15 catches for 151 yards last season and started against TCU and Kansas. He had seven catches for 134 yards and one touchdown in 2020.

"(Wheeler) brings some leadership and a lot of experience and he's got good ball skills and is working his tail off and getting better in the run game," Lepak said. "He's doing a really good job and he's bringing a good focus to it."

Receiver roles likely to "expand" in new offense

First-year wide receivers coach Thad Ward is the benefactor of the Wildcats' most experienced skill position with seniors Phillip Brooks, Malik Knowles and Kade Warner all back for the fall while junior Keenan Garber and redshirt freshman RJ Garcia II each contributed as well.

That could add up to many different options for K-State quarterbacks.

Ward said that the wide receivers' roles will "probably expand" in the Wildcats' offense.

"Every day, guys are out here competing for bigger roles, every last one of them, whether it's two receivers, three receivers, four receivers," Ward said. "Whatever the role is they're competing for different roles, whether you're catching screens or deep balls, we're just competing every single day.

"The best players play the most and if you can play and contribute, you're going to have an opportunity to come out here and play."

Ward touched on the strides of Knowles heading toward the season.

"He's just getting better on the finer details and understands the offense and the pictures and now let's really crisp up and tighten up the technique," Ward said. "Those are things we work with him on a day-to-day basis, is just fine-tuning his skill level."

As for how Brooks has grown the most heading into his senior season?

"Technique," Ward said. "He's been really impressive over the last seven practices — really impressive. I'd say just technique. Every day in the meeting, he's in there taking notes, asking great questions, and he comes in and not only takes the notes, but he does it on the practice field as well. (It's) just his willingness to develop as a player every single day."

Maybe the top up-and-coming skill-position player to watch out for in the fall is redshirt freshman RJ Garcia II. The 6-foot, 172-pounder caught one pass in three games last season and preserved his redshirt. He was named to the 2020 Sports Illustrated High School All-America preseason watch list and finished his high school career at Berkeley Prep (Fla.) with 71 catches for 1,342 yards and 11 touchdowns.

"Since the spring, he's really come on," Ward said. "It's showing up right now. He's a hard worker and he's a dependable guy. He just keeps growing every single day and I just want to continue to coach him and see how far we can go. He's been a joy to coach. He's a real cerebral kid, a tough kid, and I want to continue to see how far he can go. I'm happy about him."

Some new guys showing out

K-State offensive line coach Conor Riley, tight ends/fullbacks coach Brian Lepak and wide receivers coach Thad Ward were asked about young or inexperienced players who've impressed them so far in fall camp:

CONOR RILEY: "You look at some of the young fellows we've come in with and there are two names that really pop, and I'm pleased with all five new guys, but Drake Bequeaith is going to be a great football player, and one of the strongest guys on the offensive line is Michael Capria out of Kansas City, and I couldn't be more pleased with him for a guy who's never played center. To see where he's at right now, I couldn't be more pleased. John Pastore looks a little bit different — he's got a 29-inch vertical leap — and then you look at Jalen Klemm. Certainly, we can't forget, I really like how Alex Key is continuing to develop from a physicality standpoint. If I were to give two names that pop, you're going to look at Bequeaith and Capria right now. They've gotten reps with the twos."

BRIAN LEPAK: "Our two incoming freshmen – Garrett Oakley and Brayden Loftin — have performed really well. They're continuing to learn and as young guys they have a way to go. Tight end for us is a developmental position and they're really coming along and picking it up and learning how to play hard and that's the great thing about how we practice. They get a lot of reps because we split the field. They're coming along well. Other guys — Andrew Sonner and Christian Moore — are developing really well as well."

THAD WARD: "RJ is still a young guy and developing. Xavier Loyd has had a productive camp as well. Jadon Jackson is learning and developing in our offense. Those are the guys right now who've come in and are competing right now."