K-State brought Linkon Cure in two years ago to be one of the foundational pieces for the future. He was one of the highest-ranked tight ends in the country, and he chose the Wildcats over powerhouse schools like Oregon and Alabama .
Last year, he dealt with injuries, but expectations were that he would take off in his sophomore year. However, through four games, he has three catches for 23 yards, with all of those being in the win against Tulane.
In the Week 4 loss to Cincinnati, he had zero catches and was targeted only one time. That came in a game where quarterback Avery Johnson threw it 50 times, and the Wildcats lost two key receiving threats, Jaron Tibbs and Will Anciaux, to injury.
With tight end Garrett Oakley , the position was seen as one of the team's biggest strengths. Oakley was a heavy part of the offense against the Bearcats, finishing with seven catches for 80 yards.
Despite the struggles and lack of production from Cure, K-State coach Collin Klein still believes that the sophomore tight end will be a key piece moving forward.
"He's been doing a great job; it'll be crucial for us," Klein said at his weekly press conference. "There was two, and I'd say probably three shots that were designed for him that he was down the field 15+ yards in that ballgame even Saturday night."
On two of those plays were disrupted by protection breakdowns that forced Johnson to escape the pocket, while Cure wasn't able to get open on the third play.
The box score shows Cure without a catch and only one target, but it doesn't show how K-State was trying to get the ball to its tight end.
Still, for the Wildcats offense to reach its potential, Klein and his staff need to keep looking at ways to get the ball in his hands.
Even if it isn't in the vertical downfield passing, lining him up for the quick throws and screens would allow him to use his incredible athleticism. During the offseason, one of the biggest things Klein praised about Cure was his versatility, saying that it gave the Wildcats the flexibility to move him around the offense.
K-State has leaned heavily on the 12 personnel, and that doesn't figure to change at all. However, for the Wildcats to become the offense that Klein is looking for, then Cure has to become a bigger part of the offense.
The bye week is the perfect opportunity to find more ways to get the ball into the hands of one of the best athletes in the Big 12.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/kstate as K-State Needs to Find More Ways to Unleash Linkon Cure After the Bye .
