Chris Klieman shares good news about Cooper Beebe, future of K-State offensive line
Kansas State football coach Chris Klieman has some good news to share.
He expects the Wildcats to return all five starters on the offensive line next season. That includes star left guard Cooper Beebe, who was named Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year following a tremendous junior campaign with the Wildcats.
“We have got a bunch of our offensive linemen returning,” Klieman told ESPN on Thursday while appearing on College Football Live. “I think everybody, our top eight offensive linemen, are returning. So that is a pretty good spot.”
Though none of K-State’s veteran offensive linemen have publicly announced that they will return for another season blocking together in front of Will Howard, it seemed like a strong possibility that they would stick together.
Beebe told reporters before the Sugar Bowl that K-State’s entire offensive line had discussed the possibility of “running it back” for one more year.
“We definitely have been in talks,” Beebe said last week. “We have sat down at dinner a couple times and talked about it. There’s nothing that has been ironed out, and it’s still up in the air. But we are definitely in talks. If one of us comes back I think it’s an all type of deal.”
It appears as though that is the plan.
Beebe was a candidate to declare as an early entrant for the NFL Draft along with running back Deuce Vaughn, but it looks like he has decided to remain in college for one more year. He will now get an opportunity to play alongside his younger brother, Camden, who will join the offensive line unit next season.
Left tackle KT Leveston, center Hayden Gillum and right tackle Christian Duffie were all seniors this past season. But they each have the opportunity to return as “super seniors” because of adjusted eligibility rules that came about because of COVID-19.
K-State will have myriad options on the front five next season with all those blockers returning. Right guard Hadley Panzer will also be back as a junior. Taylor Poitier is set to return from an injury and Andrew Leingang seems poised to take on a bigger role in the near future.
The offensive line paved the way for K-State to rush for 2,916 yards and 32 touchdowns to go along with 2,947 yards and 21 touchdowns passing this past season.
A plethora of returning blockers will make it easier for the K-State offense to adjust without a star running back like Vaughn in the backfield.
This story was originally published January 5, 2023 at 6:19 PM with the headline "Chris Klieman shares good news about Cooper Beebe, future of K-State offensive line."