Kansas State offensive lineman will return for 2026 season
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MANHATTAN, Kan. — Kansas State received great news for its 2026 roster as offensive tackle George Fitzpatrick is expected to return for the 2026 season, according to On3.
Fitzpatrick was considered to be one of the Wildcats best offensive linemen going into the fall, but a preseason injury sidelined him for the entirety of 2025.
Kansas State OL George Fitzpatrick is returning in 2026, his rep @cjrecruiting2 tells @On3sports.
— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos) January 1, 2026
The former Ohio State transfer was on track to start at OT in 2025 before an injury. The 6-foot-6, 309-pound OL is expected to be a big part of K-State's OL in 2026.… pic.twitter.com/OVXkWL4OEB
Scouting Report
The former 4-star recruit out of Englewood, Colorado signed with Ohio State as the No. 167 overall prospect, No. 15 among offensive tackles and No. 2 player in the 2022 class, according to 247Sports. He ultimately chose the Buckeyes over offers from schools such as Michigan, Florida, Oregon, Oklahoma, Auburn, Florida State, Nebraska, Penn State, Tennessee, Notre Dame and many others.
During his time at Ohio State, Fitzpatrick primarily played special teams and a reserve role along the offensive line. He played in all 16 games during the 2014 season as a redshirt sophomore with most of his action coming on a career-high 22 snaps against Western Michigan.
As a whole, Fitzpatrick contributed to the Buckeyes championship season with 84 total snaps, earning a grade of 73.8, according to Pro Football Focus. He allowed just one quarterback hurry on 36 pass blocking snaps.
Unverified size and frame, but appears to have very good height and bulking potential. Excels playing forward in space. Gets off the ball quickly and arrives at the second level ahead of schedule.Gabe Brooks, 247Sports analyst
Shows foot quickness and lateral range to consistently initiate engagement of second-level targets. Looks to finish blocks and displays encouraging field demeanor. Played right tackle as a sophomore and junior.
Could stay there or possibly develop into a left tackle in college. Natural movement ability suggests high potential as a pass blocker. Ultimate ceiling dependent in part on verified length.
Functional athlete who lacks context in the form of verified combine testing or track and field. Naturally high center of gravity compromises leverage consistency and body control at times.
Intriguing offensive tackle prospect who likely possesses both a high floor and a high ceiling in the long term. Projects to the high-major level with the potential to become a quality multi-year starter who could possibly play beyond college.
Focus on the Portal
New coach Collin Klein along with offensive line coach Mike Schmidt will have be restructuring their offensive line with just one starter expected to return in left tackle Josh Pastore. Getting Fitzgerald to return allows the Wildcats to focus on the interior of its line.
One major talking point going into the offseason upon the hiring of Klein is how much money will his coaching staff have budgeted to build a roster. He wouldn't have decided to return to his alma mater if there wasn't enough surety in place that he'd have means necessary to recruit the transfer portal and high school ranks at a nationally competitive level.
Since 2021, Kansas State has produced just one top-40 transfer portal ranking, finishing No. 33 nationally and finished the regular season with a 10-4 record, Big 12 Conference Championship and Sugar Bowl appearance against Alabama.
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Jacob is a contributor to Kansas State and a seasoned journalist with over eight years of covering college football on digital platforms. He also contributes to Arkansas On SI and has previous writing experience at Saturday Down South and SB Nation. He is a graduate of Southern Arkansas University.
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