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Kansas State football injury updates heading into Collin Klein's first spring
- Story byThe Topeka Capital Journal
- Kansas State football injury updates heading into Collin Klein's first spring
MANHATTAN — Kansas State football begins its first spring season under Collin Klein on Thursday, March 26, and it will last for about a month. A few key players may be limited, while Klein said others are progressing toward being able to see the field.
Klein met with the media on Wednesday, March 25, to give an overview of his first spring season since replacing Chris Klieman as head coach in December.
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Among those recovering from injuries and hoping to see the field include the prize of the 2025 transfer portal class and four potential starters.
Here is what Klein said on Wednesday afternoon:
George Fitzpatrick injury update
Kansas State didn't have Ohio State transfer George Fitzpatrick for the entirety of the 2025 season after a preseason medical emergency. When he was added out of the transfer portal, he was expected to be the team's starting left tackle.
Fitzpatrick decided to stay at Kansas State with Klein and pursue playing again.
Klein laid out his expectations for the spring.
"He's been able to hit every benchmark that the physicians have wanted him to hit," Klein said. "He's made really, really good progress. We'll obviously monitor him very carefully as we get back into it, but it's very, very exciting as far as the prospect of what he's been able to do."
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Kansas State will have a few key players limited
Klein said he thought the Wildcats were in "good shape" health-wise heading into the spring, though he named some notables who will be limited.
Those include: Garrett Oakley, John Pastore, and Tanner Morley. Each is expected to be a starter this season, with Oakley at tight end and Pastore and Morley starting along the offensive line.
"We will monitor and have to manage what they do through the course of the spring," Klein said. "Everything's tracking very well on schedule that way."
Klein added that Oklahoma State running back transfer Rodney Fields Jr. has been limited throughout the preseason as he recovered from a surgery that he underwent at the end of last year.
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Wyatt D. Wheeler covers Kansas State athletics for the USA TODAY Network and Topeka Capital-Journal. You can follow him on X at @WyattWheeler_ , contact him at 417-371-6987 or email him at wwheeler@usatodayco.com
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: K-State football spring practice injury updates
