#78 Marshall Kellner — Sophomore offensive lineman John Pastore took over Marshall Kellner’s (78) jersey number. | Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

In which BracketCat counts down the 78th day until the 2024 kickoff with a profile of Kansas State offensive lineman John Pastore.

#78 John Pastore

Redshirt Sophomore | 6-6 | 294 lbs. | Erie, Colorado

Position: Offensive Line
Previous College: None
Projection: Second-String
Status: On Scholarship

John Pastore (b. Dec. 24, 2003) is a mean young offensive tackle from Erie (Colo.) High School who redshirted in 2022 and did not play to put a bit more weight on his tall frame.

He saw playing time in 2023 as a reserve offensive lineman against Baylor and I have him projected as the top backup to Carver Willis at right tackle entering fall camp in 2024.

Pastore played under head coach Jeff Giger at Erie, where he was regarded as the 35th-best offensive guard and fourth-best overall player in Colorado for the Class of 2022 by ESPN.

He helped to lead the Tigers to a 13-1 record and trip to the state championship as a senior.

Pastore, who is majoring in business administration, also showed top athleticism by blocking four field goals as a junior, the most in Colorado during a single season, as he earned second-team all-state, first-team all-conference and first-team all-region accolades.

He also competed in track and field and in basketball as a prep. Here is what head coach Chris Klieman had to say about Pastore after he signed with K-State in December 2021:

Another one that came to camp and did a great job for (offensive line) Coach (Conor) Riley. He can play multiple positions. He’s a versatile guy. 6’6 and he’s close to 295 pounds already. He can play guard, he can play tackle, really good feet, really good hands, physical player. Excited to get John to join the program.

Klieman also compared Pastore to fellow lineman Drake Bequeaith and another local stud:

We think they have the ability to play tackle first, and if not tackle then guard, as opposed to the flipside of them being guards and potentially becoming a tackle. Cooper Beebe is a great example. Cooper (was) playing tackle. We brought him in thinking he was going to be a guard and then we were able to move him outside. The guys we’re bringing in, we hope have the potential to play tackle and if not, we’ll slide them into guard. Having the length with all three of those guys is important.

Pastore chose K-State over offers from Colorado State, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wyoming, as well as interest from Colorado. Coach Conor Riley was his lead recruiter.

You can read GoPowercat.com’s assessment of Pastore’s promise in this free article. Fun fact: He has a 29-inch vertical leap.