Kansas State football offensive line perseveres while getting closer to full strength

MANHATTAN — Hayden Gillum is the first to admit that Kansas State football's veteran offensive line has yet to live up to its preseason hype.

Not that it has been awful by any means. After all, the No. 15-ranked Wildcats have scored 87 points and piled up close to 1,000 yards in total offense on the way to a 2-0 start.

"I think it's solid, but not anywhere near the expectations that we have for ourselves," said Gillum, a second-year starter at center. "There's always so much more left out there, and we know how much we're capable of, and potential's potential until you act on it."

And if the line, which returned all five starters from a year ago, has yet to reach its potential, there are extenuating circumstances. Right tackle Christian Duffie, a two-year starter, has yet to play a snap, missing all of preseason camp and the first two games after suffering a summer leg injury.

The good news is that Duffie, who started 35 games over the past three seasons, returned to practice late last week and is getting close to returning. Coach Chris Klieman said Tuesday that the next few days could determine if Duffie will be ready for this Saturday's 11 a.m. game at Missouri.

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"I would probably caution that maybe Thursday we would know," Klieman said Tuesday. "He did practice (Monday), which was a great sight to see. Today (and) tomorrow will be the kind of telling days when we got a little bit faster and go a little bit harder with our pads on.

"He's going to get some work, and then we'll have to evaluate and see where he's at on Thursday."

While Gillum will welcome Duffie back with open arms, he has taken a glass-half-full approach to the situation. So have all the linemen, he added.

"It's been good," he said. "It has pushed us to move guys around a little bit. It's forcing guys to develop."

Indeed, while junior Carver Willis has started both games in Duffie's absence, offensive line coach Conor Riley has continued to shuffle the deck in search the right combination. The only two starters to stand pat are Gillum and left tackle KT Leveston.

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All-America left guard Cooper Beebe has seen extensive action at right tackle, and right guard Hadley Panzer has slid over to Beebe's spot on the left while senior Taylor Poitier stepped in at right guard.

It should be noted that Poitier started last year's opener at right guard before suffering a season-ending knee injury.

"You've seen Cooper go around, you've seen Hadley bump back and forth between the guard positions," Gillum said. "So I think it has strengthened the offensive line.

"It hasn't allowed us to get too stagnant. Guy have had to move around and grow and change and adapt. I think in the long run it's definitely going to benefit us."

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Chris Klieman: Wildcats close to full strength

Duffie's improving health wasn't the only positive news to come out of Tuesday's news conference.

Klieman said that wide receiver Keagan Johnson, who saw his first action in last Saturday's 42-13 victory over Troy, continues to improve.

"Last week he was very limited in practice and was able to play and played really well," Klieman said of Johnson, a transfer from Iowa who caught three passes for 25 yards in his K-State debut. "So lets see how it goes Tuesday and Wednesday. He moved around fine (Monday).

"That was probably the biggest benefit of coming out of (the Troy game). We didn't have anybody that played Saturday not practice yesterday. That was bit for us, not losing anybody."

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: Kansas State football offensive line getting closer to full strength