Kansas State loses John Pastore and George Fitzpatrick for 2026

What Happened

Kansas State will be without offensive linemen John Pastore and George Fitzpatrick for the entire 2026 season. Head coach Collin Klein announced the absences Thursday ahead of coordinator press conferences. Pastore, a fifth-year player from Colorado, started all 12 games last season and earned second-team All-Big 12 honors. Fitzpatrick, an Ohio State transfer and national champion, will miss a second straight season after a health problem kept him out in 2025. Kansas State did not provide an update on presumed starting left guard Tanner Morley, whose status had also drawn attention. The losses leave Kansas State without a returning starter from last season’s offensive line.

Why It Matters

• Kansas State now has to replace every 2025 offensive-line starter before Klein’s first season as head coach.
• Pastore was the line’s most consistent player last season, so the replacement task affects both continuity and protection calls.
• Fitzpatrick’s absence removes a veteran transfer option who already had championship experience at Ohio State.

THE PATE STATE READ

Kansas State gets credit for having a clear answer on Pastore and Fitzpatrick before the season. The harder question is the task left behind: five new starters must build communication fast, with Pastore’s steadiness gone from a unit that already struggled. This moves the Wildcats’ offensive margin a spot, not the earth. The watch point is the opener against Nicholls. If the new group can handle basic protection checks and create a clean first-quarter pocket, the transition has a foothold. If those checks break down early, the loss will show up before the depth chart does.(Josh has not yet commented.)

What's Next

• September 5, 2026: Kansas State opens the season against Nicholls at 6:00 p.m.
• Kansas State’s coordinator press conferences: additional details on the offensive-line replacements and Tanner Morley’s status.