In which BracketCat counts down the 86th day until the 2025 kickoff with a profile of Kansas State tight end Garrett Oakley.

#86 Garrett Oakley

Redshirt Junior | 6-5 | 235 lbs. | Columbus, Nebraska

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

Garrett Oakley (b. Nov. 30, 2003) is an explosive tight end/H-back from Nebraska who redshirted and did not see playing time in 2022, but entered 2024 as one of two starters.

He enters his junior campaign with seven career touchdown receptions, which already ranks third in school history among tight ends, while he is three touchdowns shy of tying the record held jointly by Henry Childs (1971-73) and his mentor, Ben Sinnott (2021-23).

After missing the first three games of 2023 due to injury, Oakley 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 in 2023, and his two touchdown receptions tied for the sixth most nationally by a freshman tight end.

Those scores came against Houston and Baylor; he also set a season high with 46 yards in that latter game. 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!)

Last season, Oakley stepped into Sinnott’s shoes as one Johnson’s primary tight end targets, playing in all 13 games with nine starts, and hauling in 22 receptions for 236 yards and five touchdowns over 464 offensive snaps as he earned All-Big 12 second-team honors.

(It was the first time since 1997 that the Wildcats had a pair of All-Big 12 tight ends in the same season, as Will Swanson also received honorable mention honors, while Oakley’s second-team designation marked the first time in the Big 12 Conference era that K-State has had a first- or second-team all-conference tight end in three straight seasons.)

His five touchdowns tied for second in K-State history by a tight end and third in school history by a sophomore, and he also tied for second in the Big 12 in touchdown receptions by a tight end, while he led a K-State tight end unit that had a nation-best 13 touchdowns.

Oakley tallied a career-high 78 receiving yards on a career-best four receptions to go along with a touchdown in the regular-season finale at Iowa State.

He also had a career-long-tying 28-yard reception against the Cyclones, and had three receptions each against BYU, Houston and Arizona State.

Oakley’s other touchdowns came against Oklahoma State, at West Virginia, and versus Kansas and Rutgers, the latter being in the Rate Bowl to help to spark a 17-point comeback victory. He again earned Academic All-Big 12 honors following the regular season.

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 appears to be a budding softball star as well.)

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 former offensive coordinators Courtney Messingham and Conor Riley.

Here’s what former tight ends coach (and current offensive line coach) Brian Lepak said in 2022 of Oakley and 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.

Loftin’s new position coach, Luke Wells, also had high praise for his new protege this spring:

Every day he’s a consistent competitor, shows up ready for practice, and does a really good job. He’s a good blocker and has great hands. He shows the ability to make contested catches. I’m really happy with where he’s been right now this spring.

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.