In which BracketCat counts down the 86th day until the 2024 kickoff with a profile of Kansas State tight end Garrett Oakley.

#86 Garrett Oakley

Redshirt Sophomore | 6-5 | 230 lbs. | Columbus, Nebraska

Position: Tight End
Previous College: None
Projection: Starter
Status: On Scholarship

Garrett Oakley (b. Nov. 30, 2003) is an explosive young tight end/H-back from Nebraska who redshirted and did not see any playing time in 2022, but enters 2024 as a likely starter.

After missing the first three games of 2023 due to injury, he played in each of the final 10 games, with two starts against UCF and in the Pop-Tarts Bowl against NC State.

Head coach Chris Klieman sees that bowl game performance as a sign of Oakley’s potential:

We saw glimpses of what Garrett Oakley could do in the bowl game. Oakley had a really good season but was banged up for the first half of the season, so maybe we didn’t get to see his full potential. Seeing him put on the weight and seeing guys like Brayden Loftin put on the weight, I’m excited about some of those younger players. It’s going to be a lot of guys contributing in the tight end room. The sky’s the limit (for Oakley).

Oakley hauled in 11 passes for 154 yards and two touchdowns last year, and his two touchdown receptions tied for the sixth most nationally by a freshman tight end.

Those scores came against Houston and Baylor, the latter game in which he also set a season high with 46 yards. Oakley also had 36 yards against Houston, 35 yards against NC State and 26 yards against Iowa State. He was a first-team Academic All-Big 12 honoree.

(The TD against Baylor was his first from Avery Johnson — get ready for more of those!)

Oakley prepped under head coach Tyler Linder at Scotus Central Catholic High School, where he was rated the 21st-best tight end and the sixth-best player overall in the state of Nebraska for the Class of 2022 by ESPN.

He set the school records for career receptions (107) and receiving yards (1,640) for the Shamrocks, earning honorable mention all-state honors as both a sophomore and junior.

Oakley also competed in basketball — he was an honorable mention all-state pick — and track, in which he was a state qualifier.

He is majoring in business administration and plans to become a financial advisor.

Oakley, rated a 2-star player by Rivals but a 3-star by both 247 and ESPN, chose K-State over offers from North Dakota, North Dakota State, Northern Illinois, South Dakota and South Dakota State, plus interest from Arizona State, Minnesota and Utah. His primary recruiters were ex-offensive coordinator Courtney Messingham and offensive coordinator Conor Riley.

Here’s what tight ends coach Brian Lepak said in 2022 of Oakley and Brayden Loftin:

Our two incoming freshmen … have performed really well. They’re continuing to learn and as young guys they have a way to go. Tight end for us is a developmental position and they’re really coming along and picking it up and learning how to play hard and that’s the great thing about how we practice. They get a lot of reps because we split the field. They’re coming along well.

And this is what Klieman had to say about his promising tight end signee way back in 2021:

Garrett is also a player that came to camp. A really good athlete. Played on the ball, flexed out and created mismatches. Really excited to get Garrett to join (Loftin) and upgrade that tight end group with athleticism and size and physicality and ability to run.

Finally, here is former offensive coordinator Collin Klein commenting on Oakley’s growth:

Garrett Oakley has been a huge standout (in 2023). His growth from spring to fall has been very evident… He’s been a huge, huge bright spot.